Educational toys can make learning about STEM subjects enjoyable for children, and they can help children develop their interest in STEM concepts and learn new skills in a fun and engaging way. Playing with blocks, models, or kits can help children hone their problem-solving abilities, hand-eye coordination, and understanding of fundamental ideas in various fields. This not only improves their comprehension of basic concepts, but also allows them to have fun and express their creativity.
It’s never too early to start teaching STEM to children, even 4-year-olds. This article includes the best toys that are great for teaching science, technology, engineering, and math to 4-year-olds. By playing these games and participating in these activities, your 4-year-old can learn valuable skills that will help them in school and in their future careers (1).
Our Top Picks
- Best Math Toy: Hape Math Monster Scale Toy
- Best For Budding Scientists: Magic Potion Science
- Best Robot Kit: Ruko 1088 Smart Robots for Kids
- Best Magnetic Tiles: Magna-Tiles 32-Piece Clear Colors Set
- Best Building Blocks: Brickyard Building Blocks
- Best Coding Toy: Fisher-Price Code ‘n Learn Kinderbot
- Best STEM Board Game: Think Fun Robot Turtles
- Best Chemistry Set: Crayola Colour Chemistry Lab Set
- Best Geography Toy: PlayShifu Educational Globe for Kids
- Best For Creativity: Kids Drill and Screw Set Toy
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best STEM Toys For 4-Year-Olds Picks
Hape Math Monster Scale Toy – Best Math Toy
- Great for learning math skills
- It comes with a little drawstring bag to store all the numbers
- Good quality
- Helps with counting
- It is light
With three different difficulty levels, your little one can take on logical thinking challenges and enhance their math skills in a monstrously entertaining way.
The soft weights on this monster scale are labeled with numbers, making it easy to perform simple addition and subtraction operations with your child. Join the delightful monster family as you explore the concepts of weight, measurement, and balance by placing the tiny monster weights on the scales.
Magic Potion Science – Best For Budding Scientists
- Age-appropriate
- Fun to learn
- Great amount of experiments to try
- Detailed instructions included
- Some cautions about not touching skin
This fun and interactive kit is perfect for introducing your child to the wonders of science. With activities like growing a crystal wand and making a balloon float without explanation, your child will be amazed and entertained while learning.
Not only is this kit a blast to use, but it also teaches important scientific concepts in a practical and engaging way. Plus, you won’t need to worry about finding any extra materials, as everything you need to complete each experiment is included in the kit. And don’t worry if you’re not a science expert yourself – the magician’s manual offers extra guidance and teaches the magic of chemistry to both kids and caregivers alike.
Ruko 1088 Smart Robots for Kids – Best Robot Kit
- Easy to learn
- Battery lasts long
- A lot of fun
- Durable
- The arm moves a bit slow
Get ready for some robotic fun with this RC robot toy! It comes with a 2.4GHz remote control and can also be controlled using your phone’s Bluetooth connection through the Carle App. The gravity sensor control makes it even more fun, as you can control the robot’s movements by simply tilting your phone. And if you want to see it dance, just say “Dance for me!” and Ruko will show off its moves.
You can rest assured that this toy is made of ABS, a material that is safe for the environment and gentle on young skin. The touch sensor on the helmet allows your child to give commands, and the 200-action robot faces emoji will change depending on the instruction. With programming options such as 10 songs, 24 hand gestures, 14 body movements, and 10 expressions, the possibilities are endless. Plus, powerful motors ensure a smooth and seamless programming experience.
Magna-Tiles 32-Piece Clear Colors Set – Best Magnetic Tiles
- Really great for imaginative play and construction
- Cleans up easily – and doesn’t take up a huge amount of space
- A toy for a large age range
- This set has all the basic shapes
- Expensive
With 32 solid color shapes and additional pieces like a vehicle, door, and more, the possibilities for imaginative designs are endless. The MAGNA-TILES are magnetic, making it easy for your little one to connect and build whatever their heart desires. These tiles are great for stacking, counting, matching, and constructing both 2D and 3D structures, which will help develop fine motor skills while having fun.
Brickyard Building Blocks – Best Building Blocks
- Grows with your child
- Guaranteed hours of fun
- Practices hand-eye coordination
- Challenges your child with problem-solving
- There are only 4 wheels included
Featuring 163 vibrant, non-toxic building blocks, including moving wheels, wrenches, bolts, and nuts, this kit has everything your child needs to create a masterpiece. With 42 concepts available for novice, intermediate, and expert builders in the included handbook, your child will be able to develop their skills at their own pace.
These building blocks are also Phthalate, Lead, Cadmium, and BPA-free, making them a safe and healthy option for children aged 4 to 8. And when playtime is over, the set comes with a convenient storage box to keep everything organized.
Fisher-Price Code ‘n Learn Kinderbot – Best Coding Toy
- There are a few features that would make it interesting as kids get older – like secret codes and whatnot
- Teaches following directions by pressing the right buttons
- It has a volume control
- Sturdy and easy to use
- The battery is not rechargeable
Introducing the Fisher-Price Code ‘n Learn Kinderbot, a super cool robot buddy that your preschooler will love to code and play with! By inputting different codes, kids direct their robotic pet and watch it come to life with flashing lights and exciting sounds. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to introduce basic math concepts, colors, shapes, and more in a fun and interactive way!
With three different play modes, a secret code book, and four machine accessories, your little engineer will never get bored. In Free Coding mode, children get to direct their robot friend’s movements using the direction buttons, and then press play to see it come to life! In Learning Challenges, kids work through a range of difficulties, learning counting, colors, and the concept of greater than and less than. And in Secret Codes, they can explore different shapes while changing their robot buddy’s personality!
Think Fun Robot Turtles – Best STEM Board Game
- Nice quality game board and pieces
- Lots of colors
- Can be a quick game if needed
- Teaching kids to code
- An adult must participate
Based on the Logo programming language, this board game is perfect for kids aged 4 and up.
Using Code Cards like Forward, Left, and Right, players direct their Robot Turtle tokens around the board, with the ultimate goal of collecting a gem. But watch out for obstacles like Ice Walls – players will need to use more advanced Code Cards to overcome them, like the laser card that melts the walls!
With Beginner to Advanced levels, this game will keep your family entertained for years to come. The set includes a large game board, 40 tiles, four robot turtle tiles, four jewel tiles, four code card decks with 45 cards each, and instructions. The first player to collect the Robot Jewel wins, but everyone wins by having a great time and learning important skills along the way!
Crayola Colour Chemistry Lab Set – Best Chemistry Set
- Age appropriate
- Come with a manual explaining the why behind the science
- The experiments easy to do
- If the materials aren’t in the set, they are basic ones
- Some experiments need a lot of out-of-the-box items
This innovative chemistry kit for kids features a 50-activity instruction booklet that is bursting with vibrant, colorful experiments that will keep your young one engaged and excited for hours on end.
With enough Crayola materials and equipment to conduct 16 mind-blowing experiments, including amazing volcanic eruptions, this set is guaranteed to provide endless educational fun for kids of all ages. And what’s more, every experiment has been designed and approved by real Crayola scientists!
This set is perfect for parents looking for a fun and engaging educational toy that encourages creativity and exploration. And the best part? No gloves or goggles are necessary, although adult supervision is advised.
PlayShifu Educational Globe for Kids – Best Geography Toy
- Good educational item
- Engages the kid with fun info and quiz
- Sturdy
- Easy to use and lots of fun
- The globe is not exact but blurred/inaccurate, more like a silhouette of continents
Designed for kids aged 4 to 10, this toy is jam-packed with exciting features such as visual narratives, music, animal information, voice interactions, global quizzes, globe puzzles, and challenges. With over 400 highlights and 1000 world facts in six categories, your child will be able to discover global cuisines, monuments, inventions, cultures, and animals in augmented reality.
Not only that, but they can also go on global scavenger hunts, participate in entertaining quizzes for every category, learn about the food chain, and even maintain the environment of their own national park!
Kids Drill and Screw Set Toy – Best For Creativity
- Great quality for the money
- Using tools and being creative is what this learning toy has all in one little handy case
- Very easy to do with little hands
- A lot of objects can be created
- There are a lot of pieces
Featuring removable panels, this mosaic drill set allows kids to design and build 3D structures, animals, and more! It’s the perfect toy for your child’s future role as an architect and designer. By snapping tiny mushroom nails into different pattern cards, young players will develop their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and creative thinking. And once they get the hang of it, they can freestyle and design anything they want!
How To Choose The Best STEM Toys For 4-Year-Olds?
- Interests: Think about what kinds of things your child is interested in. Do they like building things? Do they like experimenting? Do they like learning about how things work? Once you have an idea of your child’s interests, you can start looking for toys that will help them learn more about those topics.
- Difficulty: You want to make sure the toy is challenging enough to keep your child’s attention, but not so difficult that they become frustrated and give up. We included STEM toys in this article that offer different levels of difficulty, so you should be able to find one that is just right for your child.
- Open-Ended Play: STEM toys should encourage kids to experiment, explore, and problem-solve. Look for toys that offer an open-ended playing experience, rather than those with a single correct answer (2).
- Budget: STEM toys can be quite pricey, so you’ll want to make sure that you pick something that is within your budget.
Are STEM Toys Good For Kids?
STEM toys are designed to teach children about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. They are often interactive and can help kids develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Some research has suggested that STEM toys can help kids perform better in school. STEM toys can also be a lot of fun, which can help kids stay engaged and interested in learning.
When Should Kids Start STEM?
While most parents would wait until their child is at least 4 or 5 years old. There are many reasons why starting STEM earlier than that can be beneficial for kids. For one, it can help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills at an early age. Additionally, it can also introduce them to important concepts in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) that they can build on as they get older. Introducing kids to STEM at an early age can also help them develop a lifelong interest in these subjects.
Are Legos A STEM Toy?
Yes, Legos are considered STEM toys (3). This is because they can help children develop skills in science, technology, engineering, and math. Legos can help children learn to problem solve, plan, and build.
What Maths Should A 4 Year Old Be Able To Do?
Some basic mathematical skills that a 4-year-old should be able to grasp include counting up to 20, understanding basic shapes like circles and squares, and being able to identify numbers 1-10 (4 ). Additionally, 4-year-olds should start to be able to understand simple addition and subtraction problems.
