The Best Educational STEM Toys and Games for 5 to 8-year-olds

We have entered the stage of QUESTIONS. If I am honest, we’ve been at that stage for a while now. And I am constantly stumped — why is the sky blue, but how does the touch lamp actually work, and how many volcanos are there in the world?

Thank goodness for Google. But half of the time I reply with “What do you think?” The theories kids come up with are so creative. Just thinking through the answer to these kinds of questions fosters more curiosity and critical thinking.

This holiday season I am thinking about gifts that will stimulate and satisfy the most curious minds. These gifts are aimed at ages 5 through 8.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. See my Policies for details. Clicking on images will take you to Amazon for more information about the products.

Coding Robots

My son is really into robots. We got the Wonder Workshop Dash for his birthday over 6 months ago and it remains one of his favorite and most played with toy. Coding is a different way of thinking and these toys expose children to that kind of logic when they are young and their brains are primed for learning new types of languages — coding, like music, is a type of language. The great thing about Dash & Dot are the Apps and accompanying challenges your child can do. Boost is a Lego version that looks really great that has similar features. The Ozobot is so cool — you actually draw the code and write the programs with markers on paper!

Wonder Workshop Dash Robot Wonder Workshop Dot Creativity Kit Robot LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox 17101 Building and Coding Kit Ozobot 2.0 Bit Starter Pack, the Smart Robot Toy

Building Toys & Projects

Nothing quite captivates curious kids better than an open invitation to create and experiment. My favorite open-ended building toys are Lego, but I think we have enough fo those right now! I am thinking about the Lego Chain Reactions project book which uses some of the bricks you already have and the building block tape would be a huge hit at our house. Hands-on activities that involve planning, trial and error, and critical thinking are the most engaging. All of these are things that help stimulate kids to get started on an afternoon of strategic problem-solving!

Science Books

My son loves to pour over books that have tons of facts. These books do just that but in a beautifully illustrated way. These books will captivate your curious kid for hours.

The Planets: The Definitive Visual Guide to Our Solar System The Story of Buildings: From the Pyramids to the Sydney Opera House and Beyond Engineered!: Engineering Design at Work Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World Science Stumpers The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth: Understanding Our World and Its Ecosystems The Street Beneath My Feet Timelines of Everything Knowledge Encyclopedia Atlas of Adventures Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle

Engineering Games

Games are great gifts because really you are giving an experience — a fun family game night, yet it is still something you can wrap and put under the tree. These games stretch kid’s imagination, their critical thinking, and their spatial reasoning skills.

Castle Logix Ages 3+Color Code Age 5+Penguins On Ice Age 6+Beasts of Balance – A Digital Tabletop Hybrid Family Stacking Game For Ages 7+Gravity Maze Age 8+RoadBlock Think Fun Roller Coaster Challenge Think Fun Tipover