Five is the age of the “why” question that can drive parents a little insane. STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) toys allow kids to learn and explore their curious minds. They are fun and keep your kids’ brains challenged while learning at the same time. In this article, you will find the nine best STEM toys for 5-year-olds that focus on developing fine motor skills and critical thinking skills.
Best STEM Toys for 5-Year-Olds at a Glance
- Botley the Coding Robot – Fun Coding Challenges
- Code and Go Robot Mouse – Best Coding Robots
- Colour Code Game – Educational Board Game
- Castle Logix – Promotes Building Skills
- Geo Smart Moon – Practice Math
- Magna Tiles Clear Colors – Our Choice of the Best STEM Toys
- KEVA Brain Builders – Practice Spatial Thinking
- Kinetic Sand – Great Science Kits
- Kidz Labs Crystal Mining – Hand-On Activities
Below you will find the best STEM toys for kids reviewed. These toys are great gifts for any curious kindergartener and pre-schooler.
1. Botley the Coding Robot
Robots have always been a cool toy for kids to play with for many years. As technology progresses, coding for kids starts sooner than usual. Robots are a great way to introduce programming to your child or nurture what they’ve already been introduced to.
One of the most popular robots is Botley, the Coding Robot. The Botley Robots are cool STEM toys for 5 year olds that work through a remote by entering a code. The remote is programmed with several lessons to teach them the first steps of coding. Botley can move in a straight line or follow any thick black line that your child draws.
2. Code and Go Robot Mouse
There are some excellent reasons why your child should learn how to code at a young age. Code and Go Robot Mouse is another STEM toy that introduces coding with a fun maze. Colby, the robot mouse, wants to eat some cheese, and the children have to build a maze for him to get to it.
Kids create the maze using pictorial direction coding cards; then, they push the arrows on the robot mouse to tell him which direction to go in.
There are up to 40 variations of command codes that kids can put in and say to the mouse where to go.
3. Colour Code Game by Smart Games
Problem-solving educational board games are great challenges for kids ages 5+ and include kids in family game night. They also create an excellent way for parents to sit and introduce their children to programming and engineering through a game.
An excellent engineering game for your 5-year-old would be the Colour Code game. This game consists of 18 clear sheets with colored shapes on them. It comes with a book that includes 100 challenges for kids to put together and complete. This set promotes STEM skills such as planning, problem-solving skills, concentration skills, and visual perception.
4. Castle Logix
Another challenging and problem-solving engineering set for kindergarteners kids ages 3+ is Castle Logix. Castle Logix is a 3-D wooden puzzle that challenges kids to build a castle design based on a challenge they choose in the booklet. The building blocks have three towers with sticks of different lengths.
The challenge is that the towers aren’t always going to be built in the same direction, and they have to figure out where they have to place the largest tower. This building kit promotes problem-solving and strategy.
5. Geo Smart Moon
Geo Smart Moon is another easy set that your child can put together. Toy cars have always been a fun STEM toy for younger kids, and with the Geo Smart Moon toy, they will have a greater appreciation for it because they have to put it together themselves.
This toy vehicle promotes critical thinking, building, and engineering skills by learning the basic concepts of construction. This toy has several colorful, bright magnetic pieces, a track, a motor, and remote control. Kids aren’t limited to just one design, promoting creativity; children can build their cars with any design they imagine while developing math skills.
6. Magna Tiles Clear Colors
Another form of educational engineering game that kindergarteners can play with is building kits. One example of these learning recourses is the Magna Tiles Clear Colors. These magnetic tile sets allow kids to be creative and start to engage in math and science early.
The kit comes in several colored and shaped tiles, allowing them to create different-shaped puzzles and create number sentences and patterns. The tiles are magnetic and glow in the dark, promoting early introductions of science. Since they are magnetic, they can create shapes, designs, and patterns on several surfaces around their home.
The Magna tiles can play beyond the kindergarten years by encouraging imaginative play and creating new challenges.
Three-year-old kids can already play with the tiles and build simple buildings.
7. KEVA Brain Builders
Brain Builders is a kit that encourages fine motor skills and basic math and engineering skills. It consists of KEVA planks and puzzle cards that provide challenges for kids to complete.
The goal of this building kit is that after they complete the puzzle card, they should be able to recognize the shape or figure that they have created. Each card they pick has a different level, teaching patience when figuring out how to complete the challenge.
This STEM toy introduces your child to geometry and balance, giving them the confidence to face the upcoming challenges of math.
8. Kinetic Sand
Kinetic Sand is a popular science kit amongst kids, especially a five-year-old that involves colorful, magnetic Sand.
This STEM toy promotes hands-on science learning. It includes activities to develop STEM skills while playing with sand. Some age-appropriate examples are building a kinetic sand, Mr. Potato Head. Children can name the basic parts of the body by using positional words while putting them in place.
Teachers often use kinetic Sand to help kids learn how to count by having students build the number with the Sand, trace the number they made, and create several shapes. Kinetic Sand not only promotes science but also encourages creativity and creative learning while exploring science through touch.
9. Kidz Labs Crystal Mining
Another toy that promotes science for your kindergartener is Kidz Labs Crystal Mining. This toy comes with a mining kit that lets children dig for minerals. It comes with a rock made of plaster that holds eight different colorful crystals inside.
The kit comes with a digging tool, magnifying glass, brush, and instructions for the rocks. This educational kit not only teaches kids about mining, but they also have an opportunity to learn about each of the eight minerals in the process of finding them. This kit was designed to develop your child’s interest in science, technology, engineering, and hands-on learning and discovery.
Overall
Developing STEM skills at a young age is important. STEM learning is a fun and educational way to keep your child entertained. Most STEM toys for 5-year-olds are great ways to prepare them for their upcoming year in school. But if you didn’t see the perfect toy above, fear not, Wicked Uncle sells many similar toys for 5 year olds that you may want to check out.
STEAM is all of the subjects that they will be learning as soon as they go to school or start homeschooling. Many STEM toys for kids are a great introduction to the subjects and a significant way to connect.
This selection of STEM toys and many more can allow parents to discover their child’s highest interests to further invest in the future. You may also be interested in STEM subscription boxes.
