10 Educational STEM Toys for Toddlers

I want my daughter to have a good education in the sciences. But for now, she’s only a toddler.

So I found some awesome educational STEM toys for her to play with to get general scientific concepts before she actually starts academically learning about science and technology.

Toys are a hands-on way for toddlers to learn. And they learn best while doing rather than watching.

So here are our top 10 favorite educational STEM toys for toddlers.

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What is STEM?

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

There has been a big push for kids to start learning about STEM early to better prepare them for jobs in the future.

More and more jobs are opening up that are related to STEM, and we are going to need people with a good education in STEM concepts to fill them.

Girls are especially encouraged to learn more about STEM because there is a huge gender gap in these fields. We need more women in STEM!

I’m hoping to get my daughter into science because I loved astronomy, physics, and geology as a kid.

Of course, I ended up working in HR and writing a blog so you can see how well that worked out. But if she’s interested in science, I’d love for her to follow her passion.

1. Shape Mags

I am in love with these shape toys.

Toot will sit and play shapes with me all day. It’s one of the few building sets she doesn’t get overly frustrated with.

The edges are all magnetic, and they are easy to stack and create buildings. We like to build towers, houses, castles, and even cars!

The set we have came with a car base and two little people that can ride in it.

My husband also built a circus tent for her. (She loved knocking it down)

These shapes not only help your toddler learn about magnets and engineering and how structures work. They also deal with geometry.

The set we have has three different kinds of triangles, and Toot is learning how they can fit together. I found myself being reminded of the different types of triangles and the Pythagorean Theorem.

My geometry teacher would be proud. lol

2. Code-a-pillar by Fisher Price

My BFF’s son has a code-a-pillar. Your toddler can rearrange the pieces of the body to make the toy follow a path.

It comes with 3 straight, 2 right turns, 2 left turns, and a sound. Each one lights up as the toy performs the action.

Other parts can be purchased separately if you want to add on to it.

Coding is already in huge demand in the job market. It will probably be even bigger when your toddler is ready for a job.

This is a simple way for your child to learn the basic concepts of coding. Let’s face it, it’s a simple way for parents to be introduced to the concepts of coding too.

3. Bugnoculars

These are awesome for little entomologists.

It can hold bugs and let your toddler get a better look at them. It’s more of a microscope than binoculars.

I always had fun catching bugs when I was a kid. Not just ladybugs but lightning bugs (fireflies) and butterflies too.

I never thought to use a tool to see them better though. I’m planning to get these bugnoulars for Toot this summer.

She’s usually scared of bugs so this is a good way to bring them close without it being too scary. They can’t get you if they’re in a container!

And studying the bugs closely will teach her that she doesn’t need to be afraid of them.

4. Rainbow counting bears and sorting cups

We’ve had these counting and sorting bears so long that I keep finding them all over my house. She loves playing with them.

They have 10 of each color and a cup to match. You can count the bears and sort them into the cups.

We also like to just play pretend with them.

Counting is a great way to build the basics of math skills for toddlers.

It’s easy to teach a toddler to repeat the words “one, two, three,” but they need to associate those words with amounts of things.

When she was a year old she could count to 10 but only understood the concept of one and two. Now that we’ve been playing with the counting bears she gets the concept of up to 7 or 8 I think. It’s still a work in progress!

(Please note: these bears are pretty small so make sure your toddler is out of the putting-stuff-in-their-mouth phase. I had to yell at Toot a couple of times to spit out a bear.)

5. Color Bath Dropz

Chemistry for toddlers!

We’ve learned science terms like “dissolve” and “absorb” with our bath color tablets.

They come with the primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. And she likes to mix the colors to make secondary colors like orange, purple, and green.

You can teach your toddler about how primary colors make secondary colors. Art is also a part of STEM. They just call that STEAM.

They’re safe on your baby’s skin and don’t stain your bathtub. (Unless you leave the water in it for a long time. I did that once.)

They fizz and dissolve completely so they’re essentially unscented bath bombs for toddlers.

Don’t use more than two or three per bath though. We usually just do two.

6. Gardening Tool Kit

Let your toddler play in the dirt and learn about plant biology!

You can just let them dig in the dirt or you can get some flower seeds or even grow veggies.

I plan to get my garden together this spring and let Toot help. I’ve never gardened before so this will be an adventure together.

I’m getting her this set of gardening tools because it comes with a smock so she doesn’t get her clothes dirty. And it has pockets for her tools!

Explain to your toddler how plants start as seeds, need water and sunlight to grow, and can some can come back every year.

7. Periodic Table Blocks

These blocks are so cool. Obviously, your toddler isn’t going to instantly learn chemistry like a high school student would. But they’re a nice introduction to the elements and the periodic table.

It comes with 20 blocks that are about an inch and a half big.

You can discuss simple elements with them like oxygen, gold, aluminum, you know? Things that are around the house.

I mean you might have some xenon or magnesium in your house but you don’t want your toddler to play with it. lol

(Fun fact: the bulbs in movie theater projectors are filled with xenon. If a bulb explodes and you end up breathing it in, you have to bend over the back of a chair to push all of it out of your lungs. #TheaterLife was the BEST.)

8. Geometric sorting toy

This is a fun math toy for toddlers. Your little one can sort the shapes onto the pegs.

Each shape has a peg for the number of sides it has.

It’s a great way to teach simple geometry and shape recognition.

Plus it builds fine motor skills since their little hands have to manipulate the shapes onto the pegs.

Check out these shape activities for toddlers too.

9. Rainbow stacking toy

Your toddler can learn about geometry and rainbow science with this stacking toy. It’s also a Montessori toy.

The rainbow pieces nest inside each other or you can create bridges or tunnels and even spirals with them.

They’re wooden and easy for little hands to play with so they’re perfect for younger toddlers.

Teach your toddler about the colors of ROY G. BIV.

You can even try to explain how rainbows work. They might actually understand it or at least get the gist of it.

Plus they can learn new words like “refract!”

10. Plastic Dinosaurs or Animals

Teach your toddler about paleontology or zoology with little dinos or animals.

Ok, they are also good for pretend play too.

But they can learn the names of each animal or dinosaur and where they live and what kind of food they eat.

They have a huge pack of plastic animals on Amazon but they look cheaply made and not realistic. A lot of the reviews say they’re just okay.

These are bigger and better quality but they don’t give you as many for the price. So it’s up to you if you’d rather have quality or quantity.

I’m going to get these dinos for Toot’s birthday. She hardly has any dinosaurs. I know, I’m a terrible parent. lol

What are your favorite STEM toys for toddlers?

Let me know in the comments below!

It’s important to start a love of science, technology, engineering, and math from an early age. They’re more likely to enjoy it once they start studying it in school.

And toddlers learn best by playing. So I hope your toddler enjoys these fun STEM toys!

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