STEM Toys: Education Meets Fun

Date Published: 08/06/2017 | Author: Best Buy

Science. Technology. Engineering. Mathematics. These four subjects are so important, they have their own acronym (STEM). Many of the jobs of the future will be STEM-related, so getting kids interested in these fields at an early age has become a major priority. Teachers are seeing the value of technology in the classroom firsthand. Parents are looking for educational toys to give their children an edge in an increasingly competitive world. But kids just want their toys to be cool. Here's the good news: with STEM toys, everyone wins. These tech toys not only make learning fun, they help develop valuable skills like critical thinking, problem solving, perseverance and grit. For every child and every subject, there's a STEM toy to match.

Interest in science has exploded, and science toys have evolved to meet the growing demand. Yes, you can still buy toy microscopes. (In fact, we sell some rather advanced ones.) But today's learning toys for kids include wind-power kits, space projectors, adventures in nanotechnology, solar workshops and more. While the possibilities aren't infinite, we do carry many different tech toys to get kids curious about the universe. After all, some of tomorrow's hottest jobs will be in science.

If you're looking for the perfect blend of learning and fun, check out technology and engineering toys. Kids will think they're just playing with a robot, but that Sphero SPRK+ or Dash Robot is actually teaching them how to code. Are they having a blast building their own Bluetooth speaker or are they learning about sound waves? With BOSEbuild, it's both. Plus, many of these devices are app-enabled toys, which means they play nice with that screen your kid is always carrying around.

You don't need to be a statistician to recognize the importance of mathematics. Pretty much every profession requires a little bit of math, but getting little ones excited about it can be a challenge. Math toys to the rescue. For example, the Osmo Genius Kit uses hands-on games to teach addition, subtraction and multiplication in a fun, no-pressure environment. It's just playtime, except with digits. And when they're done crunching numbers, Osmo has word, drawing and puzzle games, too.

Science, technology, engineering and math aren't the only subjects that students need to master. Luckily, learning toys don't stop with STEM. Have a budding Michelangelo in the bunch? Draw them in with arts and crafts toys. Think your child could be the next Jane Austen? Teach them about spelling with a kids' laptop. If you're hoping to spark a lifelong passion, there's probably an educational toy to start them on their path to success.