STEM toys

The Moon is the brightest and most recognisable object in the sky (apart from the Sun). Use binoculars or a telescope to go beyond casual observation and examine its various craters and mountain ranges. A moon cycle lasts around 29.5 days, so it’s never too long to wait for the next full moon.

Stars are most visible on clear, dark nights. And while we can see thousands of stars by looking up at the night sky, we can see thousands more using binoculars or a telescope. There are 88 acknowledged star constellations, but beginners may want to start with brighter ones like the Plough (Big Dipper), the Harp and Orion’s Belt.

Of the seven other planets in our Solar System, five (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) can be seen with the naked eye, if you know where to look. It is possible to see the face of those planets with a telescope so you can observe the rocky red of Mars and the giant storms of Saturn and Jupiter.

There are loads of ways that kids can learn how to code. Many toys expand their understanding through problem solving, challenging them to enter the correct combination of actions to solve a puzzle.

A popular method is the use of challenge courses, where kids must program a toy to move through a path in a certain sequence. By coding the toy to go forward, back, left or right, it can be programmed to navigate through the course.

As well as physical coding toys, there are also several games and apps that promote coding. These have their own language of code, which is created just for children to help them learn the basics. Blockly and Scratch are two of the most popular online coding platforms.

Toys with bricks and blocks let kids create all the amazing structures they can imagine. Whether they’re carefully following the step-by-steps, or just conjuring up new ideas as they go, construction toys are a great introduction to engineering. And with a range of sets available for all ages, young architects can work their way up from simple structures to skyscrapers in no time.

The bricks for the builders of tomorrow. LEGO® have a huge range of construction sets, from vehicles and dragons to super heroes and super structures. So whatever their age and whatever their interest, there’s sure to be a piece that brings out their engineering side. And there’s more to LEGO® than building - some sets can also help them learn coding and robotics.

Go beyond the building blocks and help them step into the world of robotics. There’s a number of sets that let kids build and code their very own programmable pal. Learning and playing with robotics is great for their practical skills, as well as helping them discover more about new technologies. And of course, there’s the fun of playing with their new robot when it’s built.

Machines and engines are a true cornerstone of engineering. If your little engineers love cars, planes or any type of vehicle, they're sure to be interested in what makes them go so fast, or fly so high. Toys in this area encourage and teach them to build their own, learning how it all works along the way.

Learning about engineering and construction isn’t limited to physical toys. Minecraft and games like it offer a vast, open-world playground for limitless imagination. Players have full freedom as they learn to build, craft and explore their way through the game’s infinite world.

As soon as your child starts to speak they'll start making a connection between a sense of "how many there are" and the words we use for numbers. Building blocks and colourful toys help toddlers and younger children learn these numbers.

Height, weight, volume and time; these are all important lessons your child will learn. Interactive clocks, kitchen role-play and height charts are all ways to help your child develop an understanding of measurements. Height, weight, volume and time; these are all important lessons your child will learn. Interactive clocks, kitchen role-play and height charts are all ways to help your child develop an understanding of measurements.

Colourful toys help your little ones start to identify the names and properties of different shapes while also developing their spatial sense. Fun puzzles also help them start to understand how to make and match patterns.