Playtime is an important part of any child’s development – and as a parent, you can help guide that development by providing them with toys, games and activities that will boost their education.  STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – is a great set of skills that can be easily developed through toys and games; toys where kids build and create with their own two hands are a great way to stimulate learning while still being plenty of fun.  Who among us didn’t enjoy building things out of Legos when we were kids?

Of course, kids today aren’t limited to just Legos – here are some other great STEM toys to inspire your children:

Magnetic Builders

Magnetic building toys come in a wide variety of brands, shapes and sizes – but all of them are great for learning!  Connecting via strong magnets, these sorts of toys allow your child to build and create, expanding your child’s imaginative horizons and allowing them to develop their mind in new ways.  Magnetic connectors are especially good for children who get easily frustrated when things require too much manipulation, or when they fall apart – these are very easy to handle and manipulate.  They’re very sturdy, as well, and not easy to break or otherwise stop working.

Gears and Gizmos

Gears are a great way to encourage a child to try to understand how things work – and toys like Gears! Gears! Gears! gives them something to build and take apart that will save your pens and other easily disassembled items from being strewn about your home.  These sorts of toys help boost fine motor skills while also giving your child hands-on experience with how some simple machines work.  Construction, sorting, grouping, counting, basic design – there are tons of skills and activates that can be boosted with a toy like this.

Lab Kits

I’m a bit of a nerd myself, and I can trace some of that back to having my own lab kit as a child – full of safe, fun science activities to learn and play around with.  There are lab kits for kids of all ages, but those with younger children should look for something simple, colorful and basic, like the Kids First Science Laboratory Kit.  These are great tools that give activities for parents and children to do together, helping them learn about basic scientific concepts with simple, hands-on activities.  It’s all very safe activities too – no harmful chemicals or anything here.  Instead, there are safe, open-ended activities, helping to develop fine motor skills, science and math skills problem-solving skills and reasoning and concept development skills.