The benefits of STEM toys for young children
Toys have come a long way since we were kids, and STEM toys can be the perfect way to build your child’s confidence in science, technology, engineering and maths before they even start school!
Providing your child with STEM toys is a great way to jump start learning, as they’re designed around science, technology, engineering and maths. Many educators say it’s important that children are introduced to STEM as early as possible, as society advances more and more towards robotics, artificial intelligence and digital media. Particularly as the UK faces a STEM skills shortage, getting your child interested in STEM early could be the best way to set them up for bright future careers. The best way to get your child interested in STEM early on is to provide them with STEM toys. Children love to play, and it’s through play that a child’s development flourishes, advancing their brain function, motor skills, imagination and creativity. So, STEM toys can play a crucial role in their development, while also getting your child interested in these useful subjects.
What are STEM toys?
Toys that are geared towards teaching children about science, technology, engineering or maths fall in the category of STEM toys. There are a lot of different STEM toys out there geared towards different age groups of children, so it’s always good to check the packaging for recommended ages before you buy. STEM toys can range from things like a microscope kit to a coding robot on the more complicated end. Maths puzzles, craft kits and even the trusty Rubik’s cube are a little more beginner friendly. With the right STEM toys, your child could be learning about coding before they even begin primary or secondary school education.
The benefits of playing with STEM toys
Good STEM toys can help with supporting your child’s education at home, by making learning fun and engaging for them. They can be particularly helpful for kinaesthetic learners, allowing them to get hands-on with something they’re interested in learning about.
Providing your child with STEM toys can be a huge benefit to their development and education. Let’s take a look at some of those benefits:
Engage with STEM early on
Whether you’re introducing your child to biology, geometry or maths, STEM toys are the best way to get children interested in these topics early on. Toys are made to be enjoyable, so they can help demystify STEM subjects and remove some of the intimidation that some children experience when learning.
Introducing STEM toys early on will make learning more fun for children, allowing them to feel more inclined towards these subjects.
Make learning fun and build confidence
If your child has struggled with particular subjects in school or has a hard time focusing on textbooks and classes, STEM toys can be really helpful.
They can make maths fun for children that struggle with numbers and sums, allowing them to see problems from a different perspective and come up with creative ways of problem-solving. This can really improve their confidence in their school learning.
Improve fine motor skills
A lot of STEM toys require hand-to-eye coordination to work effectively. They can require building, constructing, model-making and balancing. By playing with STEM toys that work in this way, your child will develop their fine motor skills while developing a keen interest in STEM.
Boost cognitive skills and creative thinking
STEM toys are created with different age groups and difficulties in mind, so you can start to challenge your child with slightly more difficult toys without intimidating them too early on. As STEM toys get more difficult and intricate, children’s cognitive skills, decision-making, problem-solving and memory are challenged and improved. To solve almost any STEM toy, creative thinking is something that needs to be developed. So early on children are encouraged to keep an open mind when looking for solutions, and have fun along the way. Working on creativity is always important for children, whichever stage of development they’re at.
STEM toys for all ages
There are so many STEM toys available with varying degrees of complexity, so it’s important you get the right one for your child, depending on their age. You want to empower your child to be a fearless learner, not intimidate them.
So let’s take a look at some age-appropriate STEM toys for your child…
STEM toys for 3 year olds and over
When children are around 3 years old, it’s best to give them larger toys that don’t have small parts that present a choking hazard. Bright colours and attached parts that move can develop creativity and motor functions, so these are the best qualities to look out for when looking for STEM toys for 3 year olds.
These STEM toys can be really helpful for developing your child’s motor skills and interest in STEM early on…
STEM toys for 5 year olds and over
As children get older and their motor skills and creativity develop further, it’s good to start challenging them with different STEM toys built for more dexterous hands. You can start to introduce construction toys with more intricate parts and more technology-based toys.
Here are some STEM toys that add a little more challenge for young children as they develop their motor skills and interest in technology…
STEM toys for 10 years olds and over
As children get closer to starting secondary school, STEM toys that really challenge them, help them get outside and further develop their motor and cognitive skills are best. At this age, children love toys that are more intricate and exciting, particularly construction toys. Toys that educate them more subtly, so they really feel like they’re getting a break from school while they learn, are the best way to go. These STEM toys are a great way for older children to unwind while learning and developing their creativity…
STEM and tuition
At Explore Learning we understand the importance of children developing STEM skills as part of their education. That’s why we make learning fun, particularly for subjects like maths where some children can struggle to engage.
We get to know how your child learns, and what makes learning exciting for them. That way they can develop their interests in STEM feeling empowered by our expert tutors, and ready to keep learning.
Why not see if your child could engage with their STEM learning through tuition with our expert tutors?
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