Hunting for the best STEM Toys for 10-year-olds? Our team has just done a special round-up on educational toys for 10-year-old boys and girls.
10-year-olds face a lot of pressure both socially and academically. At this age, your child learns to form strong friendships and fit in. On top of that, they also deal with increasing challenges and competitions academically.
The good news is that 10-year-old boys and girls have a better attention span and are able to analyze things from different perspectives. They are ready to play with more complex STEM toys. So what are the best STEM toys for 10-year-olds? We talked to some teachers who work at the top STEM-focused schools, as well as parents who work in the STEM field.
No matter you are buying a STEM toy as a gift, or for your child’s birthday, or simply to help her learn Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics, these are the best STEM Toys for 10-year-olds that you shouldn’t miss.
Related Posts:
Best STEM Toys for 10-Year-Olds
1. Best STEM Robot for 10-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Programmable through a free phone app
- Various programming levels
- Can perform actions and play games
- Uses artificial intelligence to detect your emotion
UBTECH JIMU Robot is more than just a STEM toy for kids to learn programming, it is also a companion that can give your child emotional support. Through a free phone app, your 10-year-old can command this robot through a sandbox, a constructor, or advanced Python SDK.
What can he do? He can dance for your kiddo and play games with him. But most impressively, he can memorize your child’s voice and face and detect his emotions. Highly praised by CNET and WIRED, this robot toy teaches your child technology through programming as well as friendship by being a loyal friend.
RELATED: Best STEM Robotics Toys for Kids
2. Best STEM Race Car for 10-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- 25 different building variations
- 328 pieces to promote your child’s mechanical engineering skills
- Comes with a working 6-volt electric motor
The best way to learn Engineering is to build things using real tools. Better yet, to build things that a child is passionate about. The 25-in-1 Erector Supercar is a fantastic toy that any car lover will adore.
To put the 328 pieces of metal pieces together into a high-speed monster, your 10-year-old needs to use hand tools as well as his problem-solving skills. On top of that, he has 25 different options to explore. What a great way to cultivate a sense of accomplishment!
3. Best Electronic Engineering Toy for 10-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Various electronic engineering experiments
- Doesn’t require soldering or tools
- 305 different project possibilities
Snap Circuits is a well-known toy maker for electronic engineering toys. The Classic SC-300 model is one of the best STEM toys for 10-year-olds regardless of their level of familiarity in electronic engineering.
There are 60 parts in this building kit but it can turn into 305 different projects. Additionally, beginners can start with a simple light and switch project while advanced players can build more exciting things such as a water-detection alarm. Another great feature is that all parts are snap-on, thus you don’t need to worry about getting additional tools or a soldering gun.
4. Most Interesting STEM Toy for 10-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- No programming knowledge needed
- Easy setting-up with food and fruits
- Can turn into game controllers and musical instruments
STEM toys are not only about teaching a subject but also about exercising a child’s imagination in creating new things. The Makey Makey Invention Kit is no doubt one of the most robust and versatile STEM toys for 10-year-olds.
Invented by MIT PhDs, this open-ended STEM toy looks simple because it can work with any everyday object. With food, vegetables, play-dohs… your little inventor can turn this kit into a keyboard, a game controller, smart sensors, and a musical instrument. Furthermore, there are 1000 plus game guides available on Makey Makey.
5. Best STEM Lab Toy for 10-Year-Olds
Thames & Kosmos C500 Science Kit
Why We Love It?
- 28 classic experiments
- Interesting experiments such as invisible ink, foamy reaction
- Works with everyday household items
If your 10-year-old kiddo is interested in chemistry but you don’t want to expose her to dangerous chemistry reactions, the Thames & Kosmos C500 Science Kit is a great introductory toy to get her started.
This toy kit comes with a 28-page detailed instruction manual with step-by-step guidance. Most experiments can be done with standard household objects such as baking soda and alcohol. Therefore, it makes a wonderful hands-on exploratory kit for parents and kids to play together.
6. Best STEM Laser Maze for 10-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Learn to direct laser using different objects
- Develops critical thinking skills
- 60 fun-filled multi-level challenges
Think Fun has a lot of intriguing STEM toys but the Laser Maze is one of the biggest hits among 10-year-olds. Once your child opens the package, he will eager to examine all the pieces and try to figure out their uses. Using mirrors and beam splitters, your kiddo needs to design different paths to direct the laser.
The included 60 games are entertaining but can get challenging after level 40. This is a STEM toy that requires minimum instruction but tremendous experimentation. One thing to keep in mind though, it’s very difficult to find a replacement laser if the included one is broken.
7. Best Experimental Toy for 10-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Comes with display domes for grown crystals
- Grow 7 colorful and glowing crystals from compounds
- Stunning crystals can be used for decoration
We all know how plants and flowers grow, but do you know that you can grow your all crystals? The 4M Crystal Growing Kit fascinates 10-year-old kids like a charm because they can create shinning stones from powders.
Like growing plants, your child needs to dissolve the crystal mixture in water and drop in crystal seeds. She will be amazed to see progress overnight! After 4 to 7 days, your child will harvest 7 stunning colorful crystals of different sizes. Even better, she can use the display dome to save them for decoration or give them to friends as a gift.
8. Best Coding STEM Toy for 10-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Teaches programming logic through board games
- Doesn’t require mobile devices or installation
- 60 multi-level games
While most programming toys require a mobile device, the ThinkFun Logic Board Game is an exceptional screen-free coding toy that doesn’t come with distraction. The goal of the toy is to use logical reasoning to come up with ways to collect points.
Playing with this game will teach your child the principles of programming without the need to hook up electronic parts. Besides, you will enjoy sitting side-by-side with your kiddo while watching him solve the puzzles at each level.
9. Best Construction Toy for 10-Year-Olds
Thames & Kosmos Bridges & Skyscrapers
Why We Love It?
- Can build 20 different constructions
- Teaches engineering concepts such as force, load, tension, and compression
- Requires minimal guidance from adults
It’s no secret that 10-year-old kids like to build stuff. The Thames & Kosmos Bridges & Skyscrapers Building Kit is a remarkable toy to tear your kiddo away from video games. With 323 building pieces, your little Engineer can experiment with 20 different geometric structures of various sizes.
While creating each construction, your child will learn engineering principles such as tension and force. Furthermore, you will love how detailed and clear the instruction manual is as it doesn’t require you to provide additional guidance.
10. Best Physics STEM Toy for 10-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Demonstrate complex scientific concepts through simple play
- Teaches various physics principles
- Can build 8 interactive models
- Free 3D app illustrations
This Discovering Newton’s Laws Kit is more than just a screen-free STEM toy, it demonstrates complex physics principles such as inertia, kinetic energy, momentum in the simplest and most interesting way. Therefore, your 10-year-old will be excited to build cool toys such as a gravity fan, a balloon-powered plane, or even a dragster car.
What’s more, your child can download a free 3D app to view the illustrations of each build. Rocking a 4.4 star, parents love how engaging and educational this toy is.
Summary
It is natural for parents to worry about the academic performance for their 10-year-olds. The best way to guide a child to learn better is through playing with educational toys and engaging in fun activities. These best STEM toys for 10-year-olds will help your child learn some of the most difficult subjects while bringing them happiness.
Cecilia Yeung is a successful entrepreneur and product researcher. She has a background in psychology and children’s education. As a working mother of two, she loves to write about children’s education and development.