STEM TOYS FOR KIDS HOW TO
STEM TOYS FOR KIDS FREE

On top of free play, can parents use STEM toys to help spark an early interest in science or technology? It seems reasonable to believe, as Andrea Schwalm of Wired’s GeekMom blog does, that “toys do help foster interests that can turn into hobbies that can turn into careers.” As children do these things, they’re developing the neural pathways that will compose their adult brains.

STEM TOYS FOR KIDS HOW TO

According to evolutionary psychologist Peter Gray, “free play,” where children play on their own with limited adult intervention, allows them “the freedom to test their limits, discover new things, figure out how to interact with others, fail and bounce back, and solve problems.”.

The good news is that the best way to help young children acquire these skills is simple-just sit back and let them play.Developing skills such as “collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence” will help them become adults who can adapt to new circumstances and tackle unfamiliar problems.Instead, we need to help kids become “creative problem solvers,” which, according to Harvard education expert Tony Wagner, is what 21st-century employers really need-and struggle to find. These days, knowledge changes so rapidly, particularly in STEM, that most information is quickly out-of-date. So what can parents do to help prepare their children for success in an increasingly STEM-dominated workforce? STEM Toys by Grade LevelĪccording to education experts, the most important thing isn’t to focus on teaching kids content. The benefits of a STEM education are clear. Interestingly, STEM degree holders who don’t work in STEM also earn more-12 percent more than their non-STEM colleagues, according to the same Commerce Department study. As of 2015, STEM workers earned 29 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts. Job opportunities in STEM have grown at a much faster rate than non-STEM jobs over the last decade (24.4 percent versus 4.0 percent, respectively), and STEM jobs are projected to continue growing by 8.9 percent between 20, compared with 6.4 percent growth for non-STEM jobs, according to a Commerce Department study.Īnd not only are there more new opportunities in STEM, but STEM workers earn higher wages, too. Here are 10 really cool STEM tech toys that are worth getting for your kids, or a child who seems to have everything, including a big imagination.More and more parents are looking for ways to spark their children’s interest in science, technology, engineering, or math (collectively referred to as STEM fields), and it’s not hard to understand why. The point is that the best ones combine both learning with fun, so kids are often none the wiser that they’re getting an education while they create, play, interact, and have a blast. These could be as simple as counting blocks, or as complex as a build-your-own-robot. RELATED: Tech Experts Feel Guilty For Creating Screen Time Problems For Kids So just like you sneak some cauliflower into their mashed “potatoes” and zucchini into their blueberry muffins, you might as well be just as clever and sneak some education into their screen time.

You’re going to have to deal with kids wanting screen time anyway. There’s a trend today towards STEM-based toys, those that help promote skills that will be crucial for kids of the generations to come, focusing on helping them develop their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics prowess. What kid doesn’t love toys? And while parents might loathe just how many toys kids seem to accumulate over the years, toys that are educational are a welcome addition to the ever-growing pile.

Stem toys for kids