TruKid wants kids to be happy, healthy… and smart!

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts are vital to kids’ learning development, and this year, toy companies have created hundreds of toys that introduce and reinforce these important subjects. From the basics of coding and circuitry to complex robotics, the following STEM toys are a sample of the fun ways kids can learn building blocks for success in the modern world.

Preschool ages 3-5

Designanddrill   Educational Insights Design and Drill Bright works This play set allows your little designer to use the power drill to create cool designs with color and light.  Bright works also makes a portable version of this set, Educational Insights Design & Drill Take Along Tool Kit for your holiday road trips and on-the-go fun.     aircraft engineer   Thames and Kosmos Kids First Aircraft Engineer Science Experiment Kit Large, colorful plastic building pieces make assembly easy for small hands. Includes 71 pieces, a durable plastic storage case, and a 24-page, illustrated storybook manual.  Read the funny story of two inquisitive kids and build 10 simple models of the flying machines they encounter on their hilarious family vacation.   science kit    Learning Resources Primary Science Lab Set Gets children discovering, exploring, and experimenting with safe and fun products that encourage an early love of science and help foster the development of STEM skills. Foster a curiosity for science by conducting real hands-on experiments with visually appealing science tools and easy-to-follow, beginner science activities.    

Grade school ages 6-10

edible chem

Edible Chemistry Kit

The chemistry experiment kit that you can eat and drink! Make cabbages do your bidding, fizzy drinks, color changing foaming jelly, polymer pudding and much more. This chemistry kit contains magic color crystals, calcium acetate, citric acid, sodium alginate, sodium bicarbonate, cups, stirrers, plastic bags, pipet and an instruction booklet. Non-toxic and safe when used as directed   3dmaker   3d Maker Design - Develop - Make !!! Trace your design with the magic gel on to the template. Then place the template in the 3D Maker studio. After the gel cures you can remove the solid 3D design.  Making it possible to see your creations come to life.     3dmaker bonus set   3d Maker bonus set (7/16 - no longer available) If you have that super techie & creative kid that you know will love to make things in 3d, then you may want to start with the bonus set.  It comes with the 3d Maker + the bonus set + the bracelet kit.     construction box   GoldieBlox Craft-struction Box Builds spatial skills, engineering principles, and confidence in problem-solving.  Access to dozens of how-to videos at bloxtown.com where you can learn to build even more. New videos added every single week!     makey makey Makey Makey Classic – An invention Kit for everyone Connect the world around you to your computer! Setup takes just seconds. Just plug, clip, and play! No programing knowledge needed. 1000s of possibilities! Draw your own game controller! Dance like never before! No software to install. Works with Mac and Windows.   remote machines   Thames and Kosmos Remote-Control Machines: Animals Science Experiment Kit Construct 8 animal models that mimic the movement of real-life creates. Use the two-button, multi-channel remote control unit to stomp, waddles, hop and sidle your way into this fun and unique construction kit. Models include: elephant, scorpion, penguin, rabbit, crab, orangutan, T-Rex and Pteranodon. 100 building pieces, 64-page full-color manual.     easy animation   Crayola Color Alive Easy Animation Studio The Crayola Color Alive Easy Animation Studio helps kids make their own animations quickly and easily. Kids simply color characters and backgrounds from the included animation studio booklet and scan them with a smartphone or tablet. The characters and backgrounds then appear on the device screen, ready for kids to animate.    

Middle school ages 10+

Lego Invention designer LEGO Master Builder Academy Level 4 - Invention Designer Master the Art of Creating your own Inventions! Bring your creations to life with the Invention Designer set! Includes 3 separately packed bags of bricks, each with a matching book. Hop aboard your Time Machine and journey to the sci-fi world of Steampunk! Experience some of history's greatest innovations with architectural styles from all around the world, then visit the Inventor's Lab and use your newest design skills to build your own LEGO brick inventions!   JD Ez-robot For your ultra techie kid.  The possibilities are unlimited with Ez-robot.  And it is so easy to use. Used in over 10,000 robots! Program movements, vision object tracking and interactions with included software. Your robot will even respond to voice commands and is controlled from your mobile device!   mecc   Meccano Meccanoid G15 Robot Experience Meccano's new innovation in robotics with its latest offering, the Meccanoid G15 Personal Robot. When you build a Meccanoid G15 Personal Robot, youre building a friend. Its easy to assemble, just use the real tools included.  As with any Meccano product, you can take the pieces apart and re-create. Rebuild Meccanoid as a dinosaur, or anything else you can dream up.     adafruit Ada Fruit Now this one is not so much a single item but a collections of electronic kits.  You can find the best one to fit your child's preferences.  Ada Fruit specializes in electronic wearables.  Make a spiked hoodie, arduino and raspberry pi, and so much more.     arch studio LEGO Architecture Studio Bring your architectural creations to life in LEGO form with LEGO Architecture Studio. LEGO Architecture Studio gives you everything you need to create your very own unique buildings. Let your imagination guide your design!     gravity maze

Gravity Maze

We love games that are as fun for kids as they are for parents! The towers in this game can be arranged in a variety of structures but, for each challenge, you'll have to to build a path that will carry your marble to its target. This game is just as fun for a single player as it is for small groups.       snap circuits

Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Discovery Kit

Create Working Electronic Circuits Snap Circuits Jr (SC-100) comes with over 30 components to create 101 different electronic projects. With its easy-to-follow instructions, Snap Circuits gives your child a hands-on education in how electrical circuits work to run the everyday devices that they're familiar with. They'll also gain valuable lessons in building and in following instructions. The project manual includes large color illustrations and simple directions for each project.   Have a wonderful and safe holiday season!   Happy holidays from TruKid!