STEM Toys for Toddlers And Play | How To Inspire Them!

Play comes naturally to toddlers, and it is what they do best! Adding simple STEM toys to their daily play can spark curiosity, build problem-solving skills, and encourage early learning in fun, hands-on ways. But where do you start?

This post will explain STEM and how to choose the right STEM toys for toddlers. We’ll also share many great options, from wooden blocks to magnetic shapes and tiles, that spark creativity and exploration!

Let’s get started!

What does STEM stand for?

If you are unfamiliar with the term, STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. It includes an approach to learning that fosters activities to stimulate questioning, brainstorming, out-of-the-box thinking, experimentation, critical thinking, and more!

Furthermore, it will spark your child’s curiosity and inspire them to ask, “Why is the grass green?”

At this point, your toddler is rapidly discovering and learning all about their surroundings. Therefore, providing play opportunities and STEM-related toys that use your kid’s imagination to wonder, build, and problem-solve is essential.

What are STEM Toys?

STEM-building toys target curious, hands-on learning of science, technology, engineering, and math through play. However, finding quality STEM building sets for your 2-year-old can be difficult.

Generally, STEM toys for toddlers should be simple, like a set of blocks. These unique toys are distinctive in their potential for creative, independent, child-led, and open-ended play. 

What To Look For In STEM Toys

STEM toys for 2-year-olds should be uncomplicated; think wooden building blocks, magnetic blocks, and blocks for toddlers. Fill their shelves with age-appropriate toys that expose them to basic STEM concepts and stimulate independence, innovation, and building.

Remember, you are not looking to teach content but rather to inspire them through play.

Here is what we think makes the best STEM toys for toddlers.

Age Appropriate

The first thing to remember is that they should be age-appropriate. Follow the age guidelines and recommendations established by the manufacturer. They are there for a reason, not only for safety but also for development.

STEM toys for older children are not helpful and can actually discourage your toddler.

Open-ended

What makes a set of wooden toy blocks so special is that they offer endless possibilities. The key to their success is no one way to build or play with them.

Open-ended STEM building sets develop skills like exploration, resourcefulness, reasoning, and logical thinking. STEM-building toys can be stacked, knocked down, lined up, or used in imaginative play. For example, a block can become a phone, or several blocks can become a bridge or road.

Let your toddler’s imagination and creativity run wild!

Interactive

Engagement is the name of the game. STEM toys enable toddlers to take a hands-on approach to play, tasks, and challenges.

Get down on their level, talk, ask questions, and most importantly…listen!

Remember, you are there to play:

• Let your child lead the way.
• Hold back on intervening.
• Let your toddler explore on their own.
• Give them time to figure out how things work.
• Encourage them to think outside the box.

You might be blown away by the inventive ways they use the toys or blocks.

Child-led

Free play led by the child without adult intervention should be encouraged. This is the time to refrain from adult instruction and let the child investigate and experiment through trial and error.

They need to build something, take it apart, and reconstruct it in new and different ways. However, it is still meaningful for you to be an active participant in their play.

Interesting and Fun

Most importantly, let’s not forget the fun element! You can stock the toy shelves with all the “right” toys, but there is no advantage if your toddler won’t play with them. Provide a few simple options, and then follow your toddler’s lead.

If they continually go for the magnetic blocks, which encourage basic engineering skills, expand their block play area with various magnetic building blocks for toddlers.

Best STEM Toys For Toddlers

Discovery Building Sets recommends a variety of STEM toys for 2-year-olds.

• STEM building blocks that allow toddlers to assemble things.
• STEM building sets for hands-on 3D manipulation, which positively impacts brain development.

Explore some of the best STEM toys for toddlers:

Magnetic STEM Toys

With their colorful shapes and easy-to-grip magnetic pieces, these STEM building toys are perfect for architects as young as 18 months old. They also reinforce matching, patterning, nesting, balancing, and stacking skills.

STEM learning toys for toddlers are ideal for engaging your child in magnetic play. These magnetic toys for toddlers also encourage the exploration of basic engineering, geometry, and 3-D building.

Magnetic Blocks For Toddlers – Grippies® Builders

Magnetic blocks are among the first STEM toys for toddlers. The award-winning Grippies® Builders provide an early introduction to magnetic exploration, engineering skills, and organic construction. Furthermore, these open-ended STEM building sets allow creative 2-D and 3-D building.

Magnetic Building Blocks – Magicube™

Magnetic building blocks, Magicube™, are an open-ended STEM magnetic construction toy. They offer an inventive way to help your toddler explore science, magnetism, and engineering while developing their creativity.

Magnetic Building Toys – Smartmax

Smartmax magnetic building toys allow toddlers to safely investigate the scientific world of magnetism, including attraction and repulsion. Their oversized pieces make it easy for toddlers to engineer impressive structures.

Wooden STEM Toys

Wooden blocks for toddlers are a well-loved household favorite. Our high-quality hardwood blocks come in a variety of enriching and unique sets. These versatile building blocks are essential to block play and provide open-ended play experiences.

Wooden Toy Blocks – Unit Blocks

Wooden toy blocks, also known as unit blocks, are constructed to a basic unit block measurement of 1.4″ x 2.8″ x 5.5.” Wooden blocks stimulate open-ended quality block play and encourage young architects to create bridges, buildings, and entire utopias.

Also, block play exposes your toddler to spatial awareness, early engineering, creative problem-solving, and basic math concepts.

Wooden Square Blocks – Magnification Blocks

Wooden square blocks with cool magnification windows are perfect for getting your toddler up close and personal with science and nature. Unlike traditional magnifying glasses, our unbreakable blocks are ideal for on-the-go exploration and outside activities.

These science toys for toddlers enhance STEM-based activities, such as nature activities with materials found outdoors.

Wooden Play Blocks – Mirror Blocks

Wooden play blocks are ideal for indoor and outdoor STEM activities. They are constructed of hardwood frames with an unbreakable Mylar inset window, making them the perfect addition to your block center.

Sized to the standard unit block measurements, they incorporate science and math concepts into your toddler’s play experience.

STEM Building Toys

Blocks for toddlers are colorful, durable, and come in various shapes and sizes. Their open-ended nature encourages building and exploratory play concepts. STEM building blocks are a terrific way for small hands to discover the joy of building.

Building Blocks For Toddlers

Building blocks for toddlers are classic large snap-together blocks with unlimited possibilities. Toddlers, through trial and error, learn to visualize, manipulate, and build creative structures. As introductory engineering toys for toddlers, they also develop fine motor skills and creativity.

It is essential to remember that while there is a time and place for following the instructions, this is not it. To grasp the creative boosting powers, encourage your child to “free-build” their own inventions.

Building Toys for Toddlers

Our new and unique construction toys for toddlers, Plus-Plus® BIG, are perfect for introducing your toddler to STEM-based building. Their open-ended possibilities introduce your toddler to STEM-based building.

With its colorful, simple shape, this toy construction set encourages a complete STEM building experience for your toddler. Each toy block easily connects, creating flat mosaics or imaginative 3-D builds and designs.

Stacking Blocks for Toddlers

Our stacking blocks for toddlers, Bristle Blocks®, feature soft, interlocking bristles that easily stick together at any angle for frustration-free building. They offer endless possibilities for STEM-based building and hours of creative and imaginative play.

Building Sets for Toddlers

STEM toy for vehicle-loving preschoolers aged 18 months and up. This toddler building set encourages development from problem-solving to improving fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

STEM Toys and Block Play

Blocks are the perfect STEM toy and block play is the ideal introduction to STEM activities. They grow with your child through all the developmental stages.

Block play also supports social, language, coordination, fine and gross motor development, and cognitive development, such as math and science.

Children love to challenge themselves, and there are always fun and exciting block activities. Consider giving toddlers a big basket of wooden building blocks or magnetic blocks as an invitation to open-ended play.

This might be why these building and connecting toys perform well and rank highly for promoting creativity, social interaction, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Qualities like flexibility and simplicity make STEM-based toys effective at promoting STEM skills.

Let them test their limits, interact with others, figure out how things work, discover new things, and work through their problems.

Oh, and you can add in some engaging STEM-building toys for extra measure. 

Just manage your expectations. STEM learning toys do not promise to turn your child into the next Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Bill Gates, or Frank Lloyd Wright.

However, they support essential development skills, such as innovation, creative problem-solving, spatial awareness, teamwork, and free thinking, which are all important for your toddler’s growth.

STEM toys for toddlers are a unique way to spend quality time together, playing and building. Like pioneers, our young children discover their world through exploration.

Let’s invite them into a world of discovery with a set of wooden blocks for toddlers.