The 28 Best STEM Toys for the Techie Kids in Your Life Featured in this article Anyone who has ever watched a toddler methodically take apart a Tupperware drawer knows that many children are natural-born engineers. Your job as a parent is to nurture their creativity … and clean up the mess afterward. I've tested tons of STEM toys with my kids over the years, some with help from other parents on the WIRED Reviews team and some with help from my wife, who is a teacher and can road-test them in the classroom.

Wrap up a few of these STEM toys (also called STEAM toys; we love you too, arts!) for your future scientist to assemble, squish, or dismantle. Hopefully, they'll thank you for the early encouragement when they're older. Be sure to check out our assortment of other buying guides, including the Best Subscription Boxes for Kids, Best Speakers for Kids, and How to Build the Lego Collection of Your Dreams.

Updated July 2026: I added Plus-Plus Building Blocks and Science Can Solar System, added more photos, removed some older recommendations, and updated prices. - Creative Kit- Plus Plus - Mini Interlocking Building Blocks Set- There’s something super-satisfying about these tactile building blocks. They come in a range of appealing colors and have a slightly squishy form that makes them delightful to build with and pull apart.

Because the pieces are all the same, children don’t have to spend ages searching for a specific block as they do with Lego. They can pick by color or just experiment, and it’s as easy to create bracelets and headbands as it is to construct robots and bridges. - These building blocks were very popular in the classroom with 7- and 8-year-olds.

Some kids had fun just playing without something specific in mind, while others planned scenes and put their engineering skills to use to realize them. There are also some instruction booklets with suggestions. - For kids aged 5 years and up.

- Sound Stage- Qubs - Qubitunes- We’re in love with this screen-free play stage and speaker for kids. The cute wooden design includes a slot to insert a cartridge and a circular sound stage divided into four sections where you can pop characters on top to change the audio it plays. This basic functionality allows for a clever variety of add-on packs, from stories about quirky characters in the Groblies ($20) to a cooking game called Bernard’s Kitchen ($20) with different ingredients.

My favorite is the Little Maestro set ($20) featuring players in an orchestra covering Mozart, Vivaldi, Beethoven, and Bach. The stereo speakers are quite good, it has a headphone port, and the Qubitunes can be recharged via USB-C for up to six hours of play. My wife has this in the reward area of her classroom, and it’s the most popular option with 7- and 8-year-olds.

- For kids aged 3 years and up. - Wind-Up Flashlight- Ambessa - DIY Kinetic Flashlight- Kids can build this wind-up flashlight themselves and learn all about electronic components and kinetic energy in the process. The thoughtful design includes 10 separate parts, and there are 16 steps to follow to assemble it.

No batteries are required, and the kit is designed to be easy to disassemble and use again, making it perfect for a classroom setting.