16 STEM Toys Your Smarty-Pants Kids Will Love in 2024

Pyxel is a great STEM toy that teaches kids to code, no matter their level of coding. This cool pet is fun for both beginners and those who already have some experience with coding. There's a simple remote for basic fun and Blockly coding for those starting out. Take it up a notch, and you can also use it to learn Python.

Here's a different twist on the DIY robot. Kids can build anything their young minds can imagine out of plastic with this 3D printing pen. The 3Doodler Start Plus is slim and light, making it easier for small hands to hold. With a 30-minute charge, this pen melts sticks of plastic so kids can draw them into any shape, but the nozzle and melted plastic aren't hot, so it won't burn little hands. (I've tested it; you can put the tip to your skin and draw on your finger. I had no worries giving it to my kids.) Draw right on paper or a table and the plastic creation pops right off. It comes with 72 filament strands and an activity guide with 10 new projects.

This award-winning STEM toy is a step up from your standard marble maze. Not only is it fun, but kids get introduced to problem-solving mechanics and engineering. Players can choose from 60 different challenges at varying levels of difficulty.

This fun and challenging K'nex kit will keep budding engineers busy for hours. The best part? The end result is a massive, 3-foot-tall motorized ferris wheel that will provide even more endless hours of entertainment. This kit is recommended for ages nine and up, but keep in mind that kids on the younger side will probably need some adult supervision to help them with the more complex pieces.

Kids who love candy (and who doesn't?) will appreciate this Gummy Candy Lab kit. Not only will they learn about different chemistry concepts, but they'll get to munch on delicious treats in the process. The kit comes with everything they'll need for candy-making, including a plastic mold, carrageenan (natural gelatin), cherry and lemon flavorings, and storage bags. Maybe if you're really nice, they'll share.

Circuit Explorer is kind of like Lego, but this STEM skills toy teaches the very basics of how a circuit works in programming. Kids learn that they need to connect the lines on the side to complete a circuit and make things light up or move. Choose from three different sets with rocket ships, Mars rovers and space stations or mix and match parts to invent your own monster machine. They can even connect with Lego bricks. 

Thames & Kosmos make some of the best build-it-yourself engineering toys and they are often hard to find. (We're looking at you, Candy Claw Machine and Mega Cyborg Hand.) Here's one fun gem that we're still seeing widely available: This wacky, waving, inflatable arm-flailing tube man has a blower that lets kids conduct experiments with air pressure, airflow and aerodynamics. Air basketball. Air cannon. Air tube man. Good for ages eight and up, and we stress the "up" because you want this for your desk. (No judgment here.)

Want something more tasty? Draw it in the kitchen with chocolate with Skyrocket's Chocolate Pen. A warming tray keeps chocolate gooey as your battery-powered pen sucks up the sweet stuff into the cartridge. Draw, eat, repeat. This fun pen comes in various colors, and little hands will have an easy time filling up the molds. You can also draw whatever shape you want on wax paper and it'll cool in 10 minutes. Sure, this activity is more of a creative art, but there are chemistry lessons you can teach with cooling confectionery. Technically, that makes desserts science.

There are easy ways to get kids crafty even if you aren't the crafty type. I signed up for a KiwiCo Clubs subscription, which delivers hands-on learning activities in a crate. Packed with a few science and engineering lessons, they come in the mail and cater to different age groups. I'm a longtime subscriber for my kids, and I like the quality of the items. It's not just for tiny tikes; there are boxes for all sorts of ages, even engineering boxes for 14-18+. Subscriptions start at $24 per month, but you can also shop the KiwiCo Store to purchase items individually. 

Making your own robot doesn't need to require programming skills. This is the Kids First Robot Factory by Thames & Kosmos, and it's good for introducing kids to basic engineering concepts. The manual is an illustrated storybook that guides youngsters through building eight different battery-powered motorized bots. With this building toy, kids can also make their own contraptions, and as they go through the story they learn why each robot moves in its own way. 

I'm a fan of this geometric brain-training toy. There are many spins on the magnetic building-blocks trend, but I've personally taken a liking to Magformers in how it's designed and the options available for different types of box sets, so it can expand easily for different age ranges. My advice: Get a starter set with wheels, so kids can give their creations some speed. Some models can even be controlled by remote. 

This cute robot for ages 5 and up teaches basic programming, has various challenges and is screen-free with no phone or tablet required. Botley can detect objects and move around them, follow looping commands, navigate obstacle courses and follow a black line your kid designs. With an included 46-piece activity set, there's plenty to keep kids busy.