The beauty of science is how play-oriented it can be. Science is about exploration. It is about asking questions and solving problems. And it can be a whole lot of fun when we turn them loose to explore in a relaxed, playful context. Here are 6 wildly popular science kits for kids that promote the development of important STEM* skills!
* STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering Math.
Snap Circuits 300 and Snap Circuits 500 – My boys received this as a gift several years ago and while at the time, only one of my boys was in the 7+ age category for the kit, ALL of my boys quickly became obsessed. They put some of these circuits together first with dad, but were soon exploring and building their own electrical circuits or following instructions in the booklet on their own. We only have the Junior kit which has 100 different projects to build. It’s led to lots of problem solving and trouble shooting. The next kit up just extends the fun.
14-in-1 Solar Robots – Engineer moving, rolling and swimming robots?!?!? Yes, please! As the mother of 3 boys, one of whom is obsessed with building things (aka my engineer-in-training), I’m super excited about this one. Living in such a sunshiney state makes us extra curious about the idea of solar power. As an added bonus (for parents, anyways) – these robots make NO NOISE!!! Do I hear an amen out there for quiet toys? 🙂 I also appreciate that it has two levels of building skills covered so both the beginners and more experienced robot builders will still remain equally engaged! I love gifts that continue to challenge my children past the first couple of weeks.
Magnet Science – Unravel the mystery of magnets while you are busy at work/play with this fun kit. It contains 10 fun experiments and games to draw you in to the magic of magnets!
Magic Magnet Penny Kit – Speaking of magic… I love the idea behind this game that encourages kids to play with the power of magnetism to get these British pennies (they’re made of steel instead of copper) to perform all kinds of magic tricks!
- Crystal Mining Kit is perfect for younger children learning about geology and gems. You get to hammer and chisel your gems out, wash them up and then inspect!
Earth Science Crystals, Rocks and Minerals allows you to actually grow your own crystals. Perfect for older kids, this kit includes the following genuine specimens: granite, limestone, basal, marble, pumice, calcite, pyrite, quartz, hematite, bornite, fluorite, magnetite, and soapstone.
Yeah! Thanks for reviewing Snap Circuits Jr! I actually have this on my Amazon Christmas list to get my 7 year old son but was slightly hesitant since I’ve never seen/used one in person. Now I feel confidant to go for it :o)
Your son will love it. It’s a huge hit over here and my boys pull it out when the have friends over too!