Forget computer games or having your kids spend hours on their iPads doing educational games, the best way to ignite their creativity and advance their learning is through STEM and STEAM toys. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEAM has the addition of ‘arts’ in the name. This learning approach gives children a tactile and engaging learning experience with the programs and toys being developed with creative problem-solving methodologies. Not only will your children learn a lot about how things work and why these toys are also designed to capture young minds attention so that they enjoy themselves as they learn. Here’s our guide to the top picks for STEM, STEAM, and coding toys in Singapore. We’ve found specific games that are popular right now, as well as online marketplaces to browse through other toy options.
While you’re here looking at Singapore education for children, these articles might interest you, too:
Learn the basics of computer science without screens with the Learning at Home Set from Learning Beautiful. Ethically manufactured in the United States with natural materials, the set was developed in partnership with Montessori classrooms and MIT computer scientists. It contains an assortment of materials for you and your child to learn at home and explore topics such as sorting algorithms, representation, binary, encryption, and more. It even includes a handbook to guide you through more than 30 lessons, with more free home learning activities available on the website.
Use the code LBSTEPS5 to get 5% off your purchase!
Where to find it: Learning Beautiful, +65 8896 4233, info@learningbeautiful.com.sg, www.learningbeautiful.com.sg/learning-at-home
This device is made for the budding computer programmer. It’s a perfect accompaniment to Micro:bit’s other programming packs (found on the same link we’ve given below), which teach kids how to code and invent digital ideas, games, and apps. It’s completely programmable, meaning that any of the LED lights can be used as buttons, inputs, outputs, and more. The Micro:bit website is the resource used with the toy, giving coding language lessons, tutorials, and fun project ideas.
Where to find it: BBC Micro:bit, Lazada Singapore, Customer Service Contact Here, www.lazada.sg/products/bbc-microbit
This STEM toy helps your child explore spatial relationships and understand cause and effect, with their actions directly resulting in rolling marbles. They also learn about the effect of gravity in the track design to see how the marbles roll down the surfaces and advance along the track. The package has six marbles and 37 different wooden elements to create the track. It’s a great way to explore the 3D world and show the relationship between movement, direction, and space.
Where to find it: Cuboro Cugolino, Playhao, 583 Orchard Road, #02-15 Forum The Shopping Mall, Singapore, +65 6592 0938, play@playhao.com, www.playhao.com/collections/stem/products/cuboro-cugolino
Follow the step-by-step tutorial to build your favorite robot. This STEM toy by the popular building block brand LEGO is a favorite for kids who love to build. The LEGO Mindstorms EV3 is a toy pack that is great for young learners. It comes with a 48-step guide with tutorials to help learners understand programming skills, teaching languages like JavaScript, and more. The toy is great because it’s very hands-on and physical, as well as cerebral in the programming aspect.
Where to find it: LEGO Mindstorms, Toytag, Apex Store: 201 Henderson Road, #6-02/03, Singapore, +65 6276 7268, pokeus@toytag.com, www.toytag.com/collections/stem-toys/products/lego-education-ev3
This bright, vibrant building STEM toy is fantastic for young children. They’ll create environments like a body high-rise metropolis or a space community, with lots of freedom to exercise their imagination. The tiles are colourful, translucent pieces of squares and triangles. Your kids will develop their science, spatial, tactile, and mathematics skills. We also love that this set is safe, being made of BPA-Free plastic-free with no latex or phthalates. While you’re at it, check out more Magna-Tiles sets here.
Where to find it: Magna-Tiles, Playhao, 583 Orchard Road, #02-15 Forum The Shopping Mall, Singapore, +65 6592 0938, play@playhao.com, www.playhao.com/collections/stem/products/magna-tilesmetropolis110piecesetv2
My Messy Box caters to young children, offering toys and play kits with a focus on sensory learning. There’s a range of different theme play kits, from under the sea environments to different regions of the world. We love this ‘Hello Egypt’ set, where kids will create a pyramid scene with sandy cloud dough. The sets are quite affordably priced and bring a big element of creative arts into them, making them great STEAM toy options in Singapore for kids aged two and up. We suggest ordering a few different project sets for your children to explore, as they’ll definitely want to do more once they’ve tried it once.
Where to find it: My Messy Box, Contact Customer Service Here, www.mymessybox.sg/collections/standalone-themes
This toy is great for kids to learn balance and physical movement skills. The Wobble Board is popular not just among kids, but adults love it too! Using this STEM toy is simple - kids just need to stand on top of it and use their legs and arms to find balance. This brand uses natural materials such as European Beech Wood, water-based paints, and natural felt and cork. You can also choose between different sizes and colors to suit your kid's preferences.
Where to find it: Wobbel Board, Playhao, 583 Orchard Road, #02-15 Forum The Shopping Mall, Singapore, +65 6592 0938, play@playhao.com, www.playhao.com/collections/wobbel
KIBO is the prodigious result of 15 years of learning technologies research and testing. First, KIBO engages kids in learning the basics of programming by coming up with a sequence of commands in the form of tangible, easily manipulated wooden blocks. It's a great way to get kids started with coding and robotics from a young age. Second, kids use that knowledge and skills like writing, choreographing, engineering, designing and more to give KIBO commands to turn it into a perfectly custom-made robot! Your kids will get to build, get creative, code, and play - this toy system has it all.
Where to find it: Kibo Toys (Kinderlab Robotics), 781 894 4022, info@kinderlabrobotics.com, www.kinderladrobitics.com
Cubetto is "your child's first coding kit"—a Montessori-approved, wooden, screenless, happy-faced toy. The design is simple and easy to navigate (even for the youngest coders), reducing the complexities of coding to Lego-like blocks representing commands and a control board to place the blocks onto. Cubetto effortlessly teaches 3-year-olds concepts such as "algorithms," "the queue," "debugging" and more through problem-solving coding adventures!
Where to find it: Cubetto, Toy Tag, Apex Store: 201 Henderson Road, #6-02/03, Singapore, +65 6276 7268, pokeus@toytag.com, www.toytag.com/products/cubetto-playset
The Science STEAM toys by Trio Kids’ are very interactive and creative. These toys integrate the best of educational fun by teaching Science, technology, engineering, and art. You can choose between “Amazing Universe,” “Fun Soap Making,” “Catch the Criminal,” and more engaging and educational themes for kids. The Amazing Universe set is for kids who want to put on their astronomy expert hat and explore science concepts focused on understanding different facts about space and planets. Kids get to experience seven different activities in just one kit, like creating a spacecraft, exploring how to measure latitude, and more.
Where to find it: Trio Kids’ Science Toys, BYKidO, contactus@bykido.com, www.bykido.com/products/trio-kids-science-kit-from-30-90
This is the perfect educational fun starter kit for young kids, and it’s Osmo’s most popular STEAM games set for the youngest age group of learners (great for 3-5-year-olds). Together with an iPad, this game set enables children to practice forming letters and words, as well as explore emotional intelligence, problem-solving skills, creative imagination, and more. Your kids will love the four different hands-on learning games, which include ABCs, Squiggle Magic, Costume Party, and Stories.
Where to find it: Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit For iPad, Lazada Singapore, Customer Service Contact Here, www.lazada.sg/products/osmo-little-genius-starter-kit-for-ipad-4-hands-on-learning-games-for-kids-of-ages-3-5
Botzees is a great coding and robotics kit for young kids ages four and up. It’s a hands-on kit that combines construction, coding, and creativity, making it a great STEAM toy option for kids interested in robotics. Kids will learn basic technology concepts and programming skills. They’ll also get a chance to practice their problem-solving and critical thinking skills as they work out how to construct and program their creations. This kit allows kids to code six different pre-designed ‘Botzee’ robots, or they can make their very own. The robots can learn to make sounds, dance, drum, and more using the additional free app you'll get with the toy.
Where to find it: Botzees, Polaris, 81 Ubi Avenue 4 #03-11, Ubi. One, Singapore, +65 63054485, sales@wearepolaris.com, www.wearepolaris.sg/product/botzees
The “Dans Le Fleurs” painting kit (In The Flowers) is a non-toxic, water-based creativity kid for kids to explore the use of color, hands-on tactile control, and how to follow directions. They’ll follow the instructions to mix colors and paint the three different illustrations based on flower scenes. This is a great activity for very young children to practice their concentration while letting their artistic abilities shine. Encouraging kid’s to explore their own creative process is a great way to activate their creative-problem solving abilities while having a lot of fun!
Where to find it: Sentosphere Aquarellum, Playhao, 583 Orchard Road, #02-15 Forum The Shopping Mall, Singapore, +65 6592 0938, play@playhao.com, www.playhao.com/collections/sentosphere/products/scentosphere_aquarellum_dans_les_fleurs_in_the_flowers
Your kids can have unbelievable opportunities for learning and growth through direct, proactive interaction with a toy that is made to teach your child how to program through a fun learning environment. The Wonder Workshop Dash Robot "a sidekick, pet, or pal in the world created by your child using an easy-to-learn code on the iPad." This toy was the Winner of the Creative Child 2017 Kid’s Product of the Year, and for good reason; it has multiple sensors to interact with and respond to its surroundings. It really makes kids amazed that they can actually program and code this complex robot.
Where to find it: Wonder Workshop Dash Robot, Toy Tag, Apex Store: 201 Henderson Road, #6-02/03, Singapore, +65 6276 7268, pokeus@toytag.com, www.toytag.com/products/wonder-workshop-dash-robot
This Certified-STEM toy set lets kids from as young as three years old build cars, airplanes, and even different animals. The Discover set has a ton of different creative opportunities for kids to really explore their creative thinking and tactile learning. The construction of the pieces is simple and dynamic, giving kids a lot to explore in just one set. You’ll find building instructions in the box and also more options online. Your children will get to develop motor skills and creativity in this innovative toy. Learn more about the Bakoba STEM toy in this video.
Where to find it: BAKOBA, Toy Tag, Apex Store: 201 Henderson Road, #6-02/03, Singapore, +65 6276 7268, pokeus@toytag.com, www.toytag.com/collections/play/products/bakoba-discover
Your kids can build customized electronic instruments by using the littleBits building blocks. There are 12 different activities that kids can explore in the free Inventor App guide, including building air drums, electric keytar, dance guitar, and more. The guide is simple to use with step-by-step instructions. This toy is categorized as a STEAM toy, as it has a big creative element to it. If your kids love music and computer sciences, this will definitely be a hit with them. Where to find it:
Where to find it: littleBits Electronic Music Inventor Kit, Toy Tag, Apex Store: 201 Henderson Road, #6-02/03, Singapore, +65 6276 7268, pokeus@toytag.com, www.toytag.com/products/littlebits-electronic-music-inventor-kit
Your kids can become a super hero as they build, code, customize, and get ready to save the world. This fun inventor kit is a beginner’s programming set that lets kids make their own Marvel Avengers super hero. They get to customize their hero gear and create a unique identity with basic guided coding to learn programming techniques. There are more than 18 in-app activities to play with once the coding is complete, making it a STEM toy that kids will use for hours on end!
Where to find it: littleBits Avengers Hero Inventor Kit, Toy Tag, Apex Store: 201 Henderson Road, #6-02/03, Singapore, +65 6276 7268, pokeus@toytag.com, www.toytag.com/products/littlebits-avengers-hero-inventor-kit
littleBits is a great STEAM toy company, and this is another one of their coding toys that kids love. With more than 30 different activities that come along in the instructional guide with this planetary rover, kids will have a blast coding different functions. They can also make multiple types of inventions, like a probe launcher, rock crusher, solar seeker, and more. The mixture of both hands-on physical play and digital programming allows kids to have a well-rounded learning experience with these educational toys.
Where to find it: littleBits Space Rover Inventor Kit, Toy Tag, Apex Store: 201 Henderson Road, #6-02/03, Singapore, +65 6276 7268, pokeus@toytag.com, www.toytag.com/products/littlebits-space-rover-inventor-kit
This is another great STEM toy set for younger children, with kids as young as four years old able to interact with the fun domino blocks. Kids will build a robot-themed domino set where they will catapult a wooden bool to go along the crazy ball track and other fun features which move the ball through the course. As soon as they knock the blocks down, they’ll want to get right back to constructing the course again, as it’s such a fun way for kids to explore building and cause and effect through movement.
Where to find it: Hape Robot Factory Domino Set, GrowingKidz, www.growingkidz.com.sg/hape-robot-factory-domino
Your kids can grow their very own crystal! This crystal growing kit is perfect for kids who love science and fun, magical arts and crafts. They’ll make their own display that has color-changing LED lights. The experimental aspect is where the learning happens, showing kids how different compounds can create physical materials like this ‘crystal.’ The set has all the templates, cups, and lights needed to make the final product, that can act as their own night light in your kids’ room when it’s complete.
Where to find it: Growing Crystal Color Changing Crystal Light, Toys"R"Us Singapore, +65 6733 0190, help.sg@toysrusasia.com, www..toysrus.com.sg/4m-crystal-growing-colour-changing-crystal-light
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