Great STEM toys that inspire kids to learn

Most of us will remember the days when parents would tell their kids that video games would rot their brains. 

But these days, video games can help children learn some of the most important skills for getting ahead in life. Minecraft has already brought many more children, probably thousands, into the world of coding. In fact, STEM Camp uses Minecraft to teach coding in our summer camps. 

As we advance our understanding of the human brain and childhood development, it’s become more clear that the kind of toys and activities used by children have major impacts on how they learn and what passions they choose to pursue as adults. 

So we’ve gathered some suggestions for toys that kids will not only love — they’ll learn from them, too. 

LEGO Boost

LEGO, one of the undisputed kings of toys, has its own line of toys aimed at STEM learning, in this case coding. 

The always-popular LEGO toy line now offers customizable robots. Children learn to control the robot’s behavior through coding, and use an associated app for additional activities.

Aimed at children aged 7 years and up, the Lego Boost Creative Toolbox has five models available: Vernie, a moving, talking robot, MTR4, a versatile rover with different tool attachments, Frankie the Cat, which purrs and moves like a real cat, the Guitar4000, a musical instrument featuring pitch bends and sound effects, and the AutoBuilder, which can actually build miniature LEGO models!

Creation Crate

Most of us have experienced cabin fever within the last year. You and the kids are stuck at home, and you’re always looking for new ways to keep the kids entertained. 

A great option is Creation Crate, which delivers STEM-focused toys and projects to your door every month. Each month brings a new hands-on project that you do with your children, or let them learn on their own. 

They also offer different packages based on the age and skill level of your child. The Jr. Robotics and Jr. Engineering lines focus on physics and technology, and work for kids aged 7-11, while the Electronics Curriculum and Challenger Projects options are recommended for children 12 and above who already have some knowledge or skill.

Regardless of their skill level, these fun at-home science toys are designed to engage and teach your kids about coding, circuitry and electronics — skills that will definitely come in handy later in life.

Droid Inventor Kit

Come on, you know we couldn’t do this article without something Star Wars-related! 

There’s no doubt: Kids love those cute droids from the Star Wars movies. Now fans and burgeoning young inventors can construct their own sci-fi-esque droids, not only customizing the appearance, but also learning programming skills that control the robot’s movements!

The company, Sphero, aims to inspire creativity through toys that allow children to “learn, build, create, and turn their imagination into reality. More importantly, our robots make it fun.”

Learn Coding with a Tablet

If your family household has a tablet, you’ve probably figured out that kids love to use them, and will gleefully stay occupied for hours playing games on the touch screen. 

But what if they were learning coding while they play? 

The toy company Osmo has created a new way for kids to learn coding, even when very young. The company’s Coding Starter Kits include letters, shapes and numbers that kids use in combination with games on the tablet also created by Osmo. 

The toys have received broad recognition: “Osmo has been named one of Time Magazine’s Best Inventions, is a Parents’ Choice award winner, a winner of the prestigious Oppenheim award, and a 2016 finalist for Toy of The Year. Osmo is sold in over 42 countries, delivered via nine international distribution centers and has been embraced in more than 30,000 schools.”

Female role models give advice for increasing STEM diversity

It’s in the news everywhere these days: the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields need more women. 

And the programs around the world that have achieved success in inspiring passion for STEM among young women? They’re in the news, too. 

At The University of Toronto, Adriana Diaz Lozano Patino was recently featured in the school’s newsletter after completing an internship in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering’s Water and Energy Research Laboratory.

There, she researched innovative solutions to address global concerns about water and energy supplies. Patino, who grew up in Mexico, focused her research on sustainable sanitation and water desalination in Mexico and Bangladesh.

“Like anything in life, there are always challenges,” Patino said. “But never think that because you’re a girl or you identify as a girl, that you can’t do it. You can do it. 

She continued: “We want to make sure that other girls see that you can go into STEM. It’s not scary, you’re going to be loved, you’re going to have friends and you’re going to have faculty who support you. We’re trying to bring across the message that it’s a pretty awesome field. There’s lots to learn and women sometimes feel like they’re not going to live up to it because they’ve been taught that, but it’s completely not true.

Also in Toronto, Kathryn Lauren Hong, founder and president of the Girls SySTEM Mentorship Program, wrote a column for Toronto.com called out the continued gender disparity in STEM fields, as well as the important work many women are already doing, especially during the pandemic.

“At the heart of the COVID-19 response, we also witnessed millions of healthcare and social workers (70 percent women), who, alongside other female scientists, engineers, and AI technicians revolutionized the way we understand and deliver care,” Hong wrote in the column. “It may be surprising to learn, then, that inequalities continue to persist in a field that has clearly benefited from female talent.”

Women in STEM is a big topic outside of Canada, too. 

In Portland, Oregon, the nonprofit Chicas Youth Development Program, organized through the Adelante Mujeres organization, partners with 26 schools to serve at least 700 students each year.

In this news story, University of Portland professor Stephanie Salomone said STEM careers include many different jobs, including construction and manufacturing.

“I do believe all children should be able to believe they could be a scientist and to see scientists who look like them and to understand what it means to do science and think in a scientifically literate way," Salomone said.

Women can make a big difference by entering STEM fields, but early training and mentorship is critical to ensuring the growth of women in these fields, according to a Forbes column by Kate Cassino, the CEO of Hobsons, an educational technology company creating solutions for educators, administrators, and students.

Cassino wrote: “As a woman in tech, a field in which women are in the minority, I recognize the value of mentorship. If a young woman is considering a career in tech, she may seek a mentor or someone whose career steps she can follow. The underrepresentation of women in leadership across STEM fields is a persistent barrier in trying to bring new, diverse faces into the field. Creating and fostering mentor relationships can change this. And I believe the best way to connect students to their potential mentors is through work-based learning (WBL) opportunities.”

Whether it’s Canada or the USA or even Singapore, women in STEM — and the need to include them in the sciences — will continue to be big news. 

The field is wide open for women and young girls, and represents the marketplace of the future. Though many barriers remain, there are also great opportunities for young women who choose a career in the sciences. 

Start learning STEM skills at home with Minecraft

To help Canadian families find fresh and fun ways to expand at-home education, STEM Camp is offering the first-ever Minecraft Madness Virtual Camp!

After the Ontario Government decided to postpone March Break, we’re now offering this new program from April 12 - April 16th. 

This virtual camp experience is going to be so much fun your kids won’t even realize they’re learning skills that will propel them into a better future. In our program, campers will build a rollercoaster, code their own mini-game, and much more! All levels of ability can participate with activities for beginners as well as kids that have already mastered some of the many possibilities of the game. 

All you need is a device with Minecraft, preferably a computer or a laptop that has good audio and a webcam. It’s also possible on mobile devices, though the touch screen might make certain aspects of the camp challenging. 

Any child between 5 and 13 years old is eligible to enroll. To successfully join the Minecraft server, you will need the Java or Bedrock edition of Minecraft. Those with the Playstation version of Minecraft can participate, but won’t be able to join the server with other campers. 

If you encounter problems joining the server, you might need to sign in to a Microsoft account in the game and make sure the account permissions allow your child to join other servers. Nintendo Switch players will need an online subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. 

Each session is an hour long, but we allow some cushion as well. Our instructors will be available before and after the sessions to answer any questions and assist with any technical issues. With children 6 and under, we recommend that parents be present to ensure the best possible experience for their child. In general, some parental involvement could be helpful, and we encourage parents to check in with their child in case they need to assist with any technical issues that may occur. This helps ensure the best possible experience.

Campers will be guided through several activities and builds each day, and we try to cater these tasks to the ability level of each child. In addition, building challenges will ask campers to apply the things they’ve learned while collaborating with other campers. 

Each session of five or more students will have at least two instructors. No more than 15 participants will be allowed in each session, and we are offering multiple times throughout the day from 9 am to 4 pm. 

We will use BlueJeans video conferencing for the sessions, which you can download here. If you need to purchase Minecraft, you can download it here. 

Don’t hesitate to give your child an immersive and engaging learning experience to break the doldrums of the pandemic. 

Sign up today! Or learn more here.