What Exactly is a STEM Toy?

Maybe you’ve seen the acronym before or maybe you haven’t—but chances are if you’re a parent and have done any type of research on educational toys, the phrase “STEM” has crossed your path on more than one occasion. For those who aren’t too familiar with STEM education and how you can integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics a.k.a. STEM into your child’s daily routine, we’re here to help.

Let’s begin by first going over what STEM is.

Yes, we’ve already discussed what it stands for but here is a little more background. At its core STEM is an educational approach that can be instituted by both parents at home and teachers in the classroom that helps children think in a more connected and holistic way. In addition to traditional learning tactics (math worksheets, video lectures, etc.) STEM learning recognizes that children may grasp information better in a more investigative and hands-on way. Combining these two forms of learning will only strengthen a young child’s mind as he or she progresses in age.

But, how do we integrate more STEM learning into our children’s everyday lives? The answer is simple: STEM toys.

STEM toys are innovative objects that make it super easy for children to learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by tapping into their natural curiosities of the world around them. Take for instance a kids toy roller coaster from the K’NEX Thrill Rides collection. This educational engineering building set featuring a battery-powered motor seamlessly blends together extreme fun while also providing numerous developmental benefits. Children don’t even know they’re strengthening their fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and problem-solving skills—they just know it’s fun!

STEM toys come in many shapes, sizes, and forms, and at K’NEX, we’re happy to offer hundreds of toy building sets for children from preschool all the way to high school. To see our entire product line of STEM toys, please feel free to browse our website today!

Source: https://www.knex.com/what-exactly-is-a-stem-toy-2