Source: Poike / Getty
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics – otherwise known as STEM – are the future of our world. Innovations that save lives, improve quality of life and empower humans to explore more all come from STEM. However, The Hechinger Report states that the number of Black college students graduating in STEM is declining. A new survey by Pew Research found that less than half of Black high school graduates say someone made them feel “encouraged” about pursuing STEM. With some of the most rewarding jobs existing in this field – not to mention the most lucrative – it’s imperative that as a society we find ways to prepare Black adults for jobs in STEM. And that all starts in childhood.
If you have a child interested in STEM, you can play a pivotal role in cheering them on and encouraging their passion. Toys provide a creative and fun way to engage children in STEM and keep their imaginations active on all they can do in these subjects. Here are great last-minute tech and STEM toys to grab for your STEM student.
Ages 5+: A Kid’s Microscope
Get it here.
Spark the imagination of the young scientist in your home with this kid’s microscope. It enables children to view images on slides 3X larger and adjust the focus using the easy focus knob. It comes with 15 printed slides, each containing four images, along with a science guide that provides over 200 facts to describe the content of each slide.
Ages 5+: A Creator Camera
Get it here.
This camera will bring out the mini director in your household. With features like a built-in microphone and time-lapse, it helps young creators make unique videos and hone their photography eye. It features 20 animated backgrounds to play with and has on-camera editing tools.
Ages 6+: Digital Chess
Get it here.
This kit turns your child’s iPad into a chessboard. The real figurines interact with the screen, and kids can play in two-player mode or compete against AI. Move-predictor mode teaches players advanced strategies, making this a great toy for teaching strategy and critical thinking.
Ages 8+: A Coding Ball
Get it here.
This multipurpose coding ball is equipped with a compass, light sensor, gyroscope and accelerometer – plus it supports infrared communication. It can be used to teach a variety of coding skills. Watching the inner workings of the ball respond to the user input is more engaging than trying out coding on a simple computer screen.
Age 8+: A DIY Hydraulic Arm
Get it here.
This handmade kit will teach your STEM student all about how water can be turned into pressure to create what we know as hydraulic pressure. When they’re done building it, they’ll have a fully operational hydraulic arm that can move and grab items. It’s the perfect gift for a child interested in robotics.
Ages 9+: A Robotic Snake
Get it here.
If your child already loves colorful, crawly creatures in their books and TV shows, give them a kit that lets them create their own. This robotic snake kit comes with LED circuits, snake “skin” and biomimicry. By following the step-by-step instructions, children can build and control their own robotic snake and watch it slither around their home.
Ages 8 through 12: Programmable Robot
Get it here.
Encourage the young programmer in your household with this kit that lets your kid build a robot from scratch, including adding Bluetooth, an ultrasonic sensor and a main control board. From there, they can play games with the robot, program it to carry out certain actions and train it to operate smoothly.
12+: A DIY Bluetooth Speaker
Get it here.
With this kit, a student will build their own Bluetooth speaker from scratch that will connect to their phone. They will learn how Bluetooth technology works, and get access to the company’s online classroom which features educational tutorials, videos and exercises. The kit is complete with all necessary parts, including a micro USB power supply module, LDC screen, relay switch and jumper wires.
Age 14+: A Smartphone Controlled Airplane
Get it here.
A great gift for the young pilot or STEM student in your home, this smartphone-controlled paper airplane has an onboard computer that self-calibrates to adjust to wind and imperfect weather. The smartphone app gives the user instructions and lets them control the plane remotely. Your young pilot will learn about how speed, endurance and flight pattern all play into how a plane successfully travels.
Ages 5 through 15: An Electronic Fidget Toy
Get it here.
Give your restless STEM student an educational way to get some of their energy out. This electronic handheld cube offers five different light-up games that strengthen the brain, helping children pick up on patterns and improve their memory while sharpening hand-eye coordination. It’s the ideal toy to sharpen the mind of a future surgeon or data scientist.
Age 12+: A STEM Electronics Set
Get it here.
This kit contains 20 experiments that teach children about electronics. Through the construction of the set, kids will learn the principles of electronics. Each experiment provides interesting information on the topic that the experiment is centered around. It comes with ready-made downloadable tasks that are of varying levels of difficulty.
Age 14+: A High-Res Drone
Get it here.
This drone is good for teens and adults alike, providing a fun bonding experience for an adolescent and their parent. It has a 1080P HD Camera and Wi-Fi and streams live video back to the monitor. The drone itself can perform 360-degree flips, can be set to auto hovering mode and has a beginner mode that enables it to automatically land and take off with one simple button.
