A list of 25 officially approved STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) toys has been released by the Toy Association to help parents and teachers prepare for the forthcoming school year. Each toy on this list has been rigorously evaluated and has earned the official “STEAM Stamp of Approval,” established in cooperation with The Good Play GuideTM by The Toy Association’s STEAM Toy Assessment Framework. We are happy to offer such a wide range of options so that parents and teachers can help kids find fun ways to play that are also educational.
Disclaimer: Our team provides educators with classroom-beneficial ideas and products. Even though the items listed below have been chosen based on their superior qualities, each reader should evaluate each product to see whether it will benefit them prior to making a purchase. We believe in recommending the best product to you, but we ask that you choose a product that you think will be most beneficial to “your classroom.” This article contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Additionally, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
25 STEAM Toys, Selected by the Toy Association
- Go Eco Building Blocks Kit (ARCKIT)
- K’NEX Thrill Rides 3-in-1 Classic Amusement Park Building Set (Basic Fun!)
- Connetix 106 Piece Pastel Ball Run Pack (Connetix Tiles) (Alternative: Connetix Tiles 100 pc Creative Pack of Magnetic Tiles)
- Connetix 212 Piece Rainbow Mega Pack (Connetix Tiles)
- Circuit Blox BYO Glowing LED FM Radio (E-Blox)
- Discover Coding (Elenco Snap Circuits) (Alternative: Snap Circuits Explore Coding)
- Shashibo (Fun In Motion)
- Coding Charms (hand2mind)
- Butterfly Garden – Home School Edition (Insect Lore)
- Life Cycle Figurines, 24 Piece Set (Insect Lore)
- Bio Chem Creatures (Klutz)
- Botley 2.0 the Coding Robot Activity Set (Learning Resources)
- Magna-Tiles® Safari Animals 25 Piece Set (Magna-Tiles)
- Hot Wheels® STEAM Balance Shift™ (Mattel) (Alternative: Hot Wheels Super Speed Blastway Track Set)
- Construction Set in a Box (Melissa & Doug)
- Examine & Treat Pet Vet Play Set (Melissa & Doug)
- Pix Brix 3,000pc Container (Pix Brix) (Alternative: Pix Brix Pixel Art Puzzle Bricks – 6,000 Piece Pixel Art Container)
- Cody Block (QUBS)
- Wall Stories I’m Discovering Numbers! (Quinco & Cie)
- Music Machine (Smartivity by Elenco)
- Ultimate Squishy Human Body (SmartLab Toys)
- Warmup Set (Squaregles)
- PIXIO-800 (TRENDFORMER LIMITED)
- Marble Rush Ultimate Set (VTech Electronics)
- Weplay Sand and Water Clam (Weplay)
Source: 25 STEAM Toys Top Toy Association’s “Back to School” Shopping List for Parents, August 1, 2022 | New York, NY, https://www.toyassociation.org/PressRoom2/News/2022_News/25-steam-toys-top-toy-associations-back-to-school-shopping-list-for-parents.aspx