"As Partners in Play we occupy a unique part of the educational world. As learners and as teachers, we are not bound by conventional places and ways of learning. We can teach and learn outside of school and without curriculum that might be too scrupulous for its own good. We get to choose what to study and how to study it. We also determine for ourselves when we are satisfied with having learned. Teaching and learning through play is therefore the most meaningful and the most satisfying way to experience the world."
Read the rest of this article at the Fat Brain Toys PLAY blog...
Monday, November 23, 2015
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Color Me Curious
The Fat Brain Toys catalogue arrived in the mail today. As I flipped through the pages a handful of toys piqued my interest. They are all mechanically interesting. Just in case you value my critical eye, I am sharing them here. And in the event you have experience with any of these treasures, please let me know!!
Ukelele (This one we played with at Grandrabbits and the sound is lovely. I think because it is made by an instrument company, not a toy company.)
Monday, November 16, 2015
Inviting My Reluctant Son to Do Art
Yours truly, featured over on the Fat Brain Toys PLAY blog.
"I want to encourage you to listen to your children and find ways that support their creativity. If you need to know how then just try this: make something they've created valuable by connecting it to something big. For example, find your child's version of Mikey's Zentangle Starter Page. Or read a book that shows value in different ways of being creative, like Art, Beautiful Oops, or The Dot. Get them a coloring book that values the scribble. Slowly but surely you and your child will discover the value of his or her art."
"I want to encourage you to listen to your children and find ways that support their creativity. If you need to know how then just try this: make something they've created valuable by connecting it to something big. For example, find your child's version of Mikey's Zentangle Starter Page. Or read a book that shows value in different ways of being creative, like Art, Beautiful Oops, or The Dot. Get them a coloring book that values the scribble. Slowly but surely you and your child will discover the value of his or her art."
Read more here...
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Even Onions Blossom
After hearing about "Leo the Late Bloomer" I had to give it a read. It was a lovely story about a tiger who was not doing all the things his peers were doing. He couldn't read or write. He was a messy eater. And Leo's father worried. Leo's mother advised, "Just wait." Sure enough, left to learn and play and grow, Leo, in his own time, learned to read and write and eat without being too messy.
Teachers, doctors and parents often use flower metaphors to describe children coming of age. They blossom, bloom, and grow. Children are seeds in a garden, requiring some the right amount of care in order to grow. They cannot be rushed. A lover of all things outdoors, I like these metaphors.
Many years ago my friend took me for a tour of his garden. I marveled. I am not a gardener and I was surprised that he was. I admired as he pointed out the potatoes coming up just beneath the soil and the strawberries hiding beneath their own leaves. All these beautiful things he had cultivated. Then I asked what the beautiful flower was. He seemed embarrassed to tell me it was an onion and that it should not have gotten to bloom. But he was a new father and in those mid-summer days the garden was taking care of itself more than usual.
I smelled it and should not have been surprised that it smelled like an onion and not a rose. Still, it was breath-taking and I had to take a picture. This is the picture that came to my mind when I read "Leo." The little stinkers who seem like they will never be ready to learn to go to the bathroom themselves? Someday they will. Learn to write? Of course. Read? Indubitably. Count? Do science? Absolutely. You just have to wait and watch. Even the onions blossom.
Friday, November 6, 2015
STEAM Gifts Index
The activity that surrounds common science learning suggests that all STEM learning is always visually and viscerally exciting. The oohs and ahhs of baking soda and vinegar volcanoes are fun to hear. People enjoy their racing hearts and joyful jumping when a catapult launches. But a lot of STEAM learning is quiet and slow. It has nothing to do with chemistry and everything to do with interesting materials.
What makes these STEM or STEAM gifts?
Some gifts provide experiences at science-centered places like zoos and aquariums and national or state parks. Each of these places provide education-opportunity-rich environments for children and their adults to learn about animals, habitats, and stewardship, and the tools and processes for caring for those animals. Other places, like children's museums, offer variety and novelty of toys, tools, and activities that parents and school simply cannot provide because of logistics.
Other gifts are toys that invite children to observe, to experiment, and to learn about fundamental science, technology, engineering, art, or math subjects. Novel materials, like baby paper, encourage observation and curiosity. Variety of building materials including magnets, wooden blocks, rubber suction cups, and interlocking "fingers" allows for children to explore technology available. Building with those materials is some of the first engineering a young child will do. Sorting by material, color, shape, size is fundamental science and math.
I do not list chemistry-style toys because those toys and activities usually require a lot of parent involvement. My focus is on toys that help foster independent STEAM learning.
The lists I provide here are divided mostly by age. I provide brief description of the gifts I've selected and sometimes point out what makes the gift STEMy or STEAMy. I encourage you to browse each list and imagine the learning possibilities these toys provide!
Gear for Outdoor Adventures
STEM Gifts for Babies
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - One Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - Two Year Olds
What makes these STEM or STEAM gifts?
Some gifts provide experiences at science-centered places like zoos and aquariums and national or state parks. Each of these places provide education-opportunity-rich environments for children and their adults to learn about animals, habitats, and stewardship, and the tools and processes for caring for those animals. Other places, like children's museums, offer variety and novelty of toys, tools, and activities that parents and school simply cannot provide because of logistics.
Other gifts are toys that invite children to observe, to experiment, and to learn about fundamental science, technology, engineering, art, or math subjects. Novel materials, like baby paper, encourage observation and curiosity. Variety of building materials including magnets, wooden blocks, rubber suction cups, and interlocking "fingers" allows for children to explore technology available. Building with those materials is some of the first engineering a young child will do. Sorting by material, color, shape, size is fundamental science and math.
I do not list chemistry-style toys because those toys and activities usually require a lot of parent involvement. My focus is on toys that help foster independent STEAM learning.
Gear for Outdoor Adventures
STEM Gifts for Babies
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - One Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - Two Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Preschoolers - Five Year Olds
Five year olds are ready for more. They can play with more of everything from the list of STEAM Gifts for Three Year Olds and STEAM Gifts for Four Year Olds. They play in increasingly interesting ways with "old" materials. They can also work quieter and longer with something like Perplexus. And they can work with more dangerous things like the catapult. Take a peak below and some ideas for some STEAMy experiences and toys for five year olds.
As young children grow, so can their experience of the world. At four years old, I think they are ready to explore national and state parks with their grown up. Consider buying admission to a park near you. By exploring the outdoors together a five year old and his or her grown will be steeped in all things STEAM.
National Parks Pass. Here is the link to learn about and purchase the American the Beautiful National Park Pass. ($80) Not sure if there is a national park near your Preschool Engineer? Search by state on this page: http://www.nps.gov/index.htm.
Junior Rangers Program. The National Parks Service have a great learning program called "Junior Rangers" wherein the child explores and learns about the national park. It is free of charge, easy to do (even my 3yo did it), and a great way to add to the experience of being outdoors.
State Parks Pass. You will have to do some digging to find your state park. Start here: http://www.americasstateparks.org/Find-A-Park. From there you will have to navigate to your state of interest and hunt around. The passes are often called "Passports." For example, this is what I found for purchase in a handful of states: Michigan, Colorado, and California.
And if you want to supplement your child's outdoor adventure with some gear then check out my post here.
My favorite STEAMy gift is a family pass to a children's museum. A children's museum is a place where children have practically free reign over the space. There are hands-on activities designed with children in mind. The museums offer variety and novelty that are just unreasonable to expect to offer at home.
All of the museums I've been to have spaces dedicated to babies (Missoula, Montana; Phoenix, Arizona; Mesa, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan). The best museums have dedicated baby spaces at every exhibit, like the "Baby Zones" at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Use the search tool at the Association of Children's Museums website to find your local museum, or just Google "children's museum [name of city]".
Consider finding the local zoo for your little person and buying their family a year's pass. You will open their experience of the world to include exotic animals and their care. Search the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to find an animal adventure near you. Search here.
Perplexus. This is a three dimensional puzzle. A small ball rolls around and the child tilts the large ball this way and that way to keep the ball on a track. Everyone in my circle who has received this gift has loved it. It is like a teeny tiny marble run that M.C. Escher designed. You get to play with gravity and shapes in a new and interesting way.
Catapult. In all honesty, I don't have experience with this toy. But man it looks so awesome. Just imagine all the physics learning with projectile motion, gravity, and technology!
Safari Binoculars. For seeing far away things, closer. Observation is the first step in doing science. And having a new tool for observing interesting things is a wonderful gift.
Lego Ninjago Flyer. Listed for six year olds and up, this spinning flier will be a great introduction to the world of LEGO Ninjago. Some preschool engineers are so in love with trucks that they will want to pursue LEGO City and all the trucks available in that series. However, if the interest in trucks lies in the fact that they are mechanically interesting, then Ninjago is a wonderful world to discover. The vehicles that you build with LEGOs are like small Rube Goldberg machines with a lot of moving parts, interlocking gears, rubberband sprung motion, and much much more. The books that accompany the series are pretty good, too...especially the graphic novels.
Microscope. This microscope is not listed as a toy nor does it have age recommendations. But the price is right and it looks like it gets rave reviews. It is currently on my son's wishlist. When we acquire it I will update this with a brief review.
More Gift Ideas
Gear for Outdoor Adventures
STEM Gifts for Babies
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - One Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - Two Year Olds
Experiences
As young children grow, so can their experience of the world. At four years old, I think they are ready to explore national and state parks with their grown up. Consider buying admission to a park near you. By exploring the outdoors together a five year old and his or her grown will be steeped in all things STEAM.
National Parks Pass. Here is the link to learn about and purchase the American the Beautiful National Park Pass. ($80) Not sure if there is a national park near your Preschool Engineer? Search by state on this page: http://www.nps.gov/index.htm.
Junior Rangers Program. The National Parks Service have a great learning program called "Junior Rangers" wherein the child explores and learns about the national park. It is free of charge, easy to do (even my 3yo did it), and a great way to add to the experience of being outdoors.
State Parks Pass. You will have to do some digging to find your state park. Start here: http://www.americasstateparks.org/Find-A-Park. From there you will have to navigate to your state of interest and hunt around. The passes are often called "Passports." For example, this is what I found for purchase in a handful of states: Michigan, Colorado, and California.
*=*=*
All of the museums I've been to have spaces dedicated to babies (Missoula, Montana; Phoenix, Arizona; Mesa, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan). The best museums have dedicated baby spaces at every exhibit, like the "Baby Zones" at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Use the search tool at the Association of Children's Museums website to find your local museum, or just Google "children's museum [name of city]".
*=*=*
*=*=*
Toys
Some of these toys are recommended for six year olds but I'm not sure why. Please use your discretion.
 |
| Perplexus |
Catapult. In all honesty, I don't have experience with this toy. But man it looks so awesome. Just imagine all the physics learning with projectile motion, gravity, and technology!
 |
| Catapult |
Safari Binoculars. For seeing far away things, closer. Observation is the first step in doing science. And having a new tool for observing interesting things is a wonderful gift.
 |
| Backyard Safari Binoculars |
Lego Ninjago Flyer. Listed for six year olds and up, this spinning flier will be a great introduction to the world of LEGO Ninjago. Some preschool engineers are so in love with trucks that they will want to pursue LEGO City and all the trucks available in that series. However, if the interest in trucks lies in the fact that they are mechanically interesting, then Ninjago is a wonderful world to discover. The vehicles that you build with LEGOs are like small Rube Goldberg machines with a lot of moving parts, interlocking gears, rubberband sprung motion, and much much more. The books that accompany the series are pretty good, too...especially the graphic novels.
 |
| Ninjago Flyer |
 |
| Beginner's Microscope |
More Gift Ideas
Gear for Outdoor Adventures
STEM Gifts for Babies
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - One Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - Two Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Preschoolers - Four Year Olds
Four year olds are on the cusp of something great. They are able to use the STEAM Gifts for Three Year Olds in increasingly interesting ways. So those gifts are relevant for four year olds, too. But they are also rapidly approaching kindergarten. This age in between makes it hard to distinguish a gift just for four year olds but take a peak here at things to add to your list.
As young children grow, so can their experience of the world. At four years old, I think they are ready to explore national and state parks with their grown up. Consider buying admission to a park near you. By exploring the outdoors together a four year old and his or her grown will be steeped in all things STEAM.
National Parks Pass. Here is the link to learn about and purchase the American the Beautiful National Park Pass. ($80) Not sure if there is a national park near your Preschool Engineer? Search by state on this page: http://www.nps.gov/index.htm.
State Parks Pass. You will have to do some digging to find your state park. Start here: http://www.americasstateparks.org/Find-A-Park. From there you will have to navigate to your state of interest and hunt around. The passes are often called "Passports." For example, this is what I found for purchase in a handful of states: Michigan, Colorado, and California.
And if you want to supplement your child's outdoor adventure with some gear then check out my post here.
My favorite STEAMy gift is a family pass to a children's museum. A children's museum is a place where children have practically free reign over the space. There are hands-on activities designed with children in mind. The museums offer variety and novelty that are just unreasonable to expect to offer at home.
All of the museums I've been to have spaces dedicated to babies (Missoula, Montana; Phoenix, Arizona; Mesa, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan). The best museums have dedicated baby spaces at every exhibit, like the "Baby Zones" at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Use the search tool at the Association of Children's Museums website to find your local museum, or just Google "children's museum [name of city]".
Consider finding the local zoo for your little person and buying their family a year's pass. You will open their experience of the world to include exotic animals and their care. Search the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to find an animal adventure near you. Search here.
B. Pop Art. There are so many novel things about these toys: color, texture, shape. If your child wants to wrap their creation around his or her wrist, or make a necklace for you, they have an opportunity to learn about length, circumference, and the relationship between the two. What wonderful toys!
Gears. These gears adorn my refrigerator. While everyone from babies to toddlers enjoy spinning them, four year olds are the ones who start really building with them. Magnetic backing on each one is strong enough to stick to the surface of the 'frig but not so strong that a child cannot easily remove and replace it somewhere else. The prongs of the gears fit together nicely and the motion of interlocking gears is perfect. It is easy for me to recommend this toy.
Marble Run. Marble runs are classic for a reason. Building towers and watching marbles come tumbling down is delightful. This is another toy rated for three year olds and up. And it is nice to watch three year olds experiment and learn how to build with them but things start getting really interesting when the builder is four years old. If you want to avoid plastic toys then there are wooden versions of marble runs, too.
Squigz. These little suction-cup toys are so pick-up-able. Grow-ups who visit our house often where them stuck to their foreheads. Our kids play with them from everywhere from the toy room to the bathtub. And if you like them, then you can make a Squigz-themed gift-giving extravaganza and give different-sized Squigz to different people because Squigz are also available in extra large size for babies and tiny size rated for five years and up.
Conveyor Belt. I haven't listed trucks or working machines in the STEAM gift lists yet. Instead I've focused on more open-ended stuff. But this machine is so cool that I couldn't resist including it here. When my four year old opened this gift he was delighted. It is a bonafide working conveyor belt that works indoors and outdoors. It is a unique toy for exploring how certain technology helps do our work.
Lastly, I recommend adding on to existing collections of builders. From my standpoint as a parent, it is easier to handle an influx of toys if they are just more of the same thing. More magna-tiles get added to the magna-tile bin. More Squigz get added to the Squigz bin. With more of the same materials, larger and more complex building can happen. Higher numbers are counted. There is more STEAM, more of the time.
More Gift Ideas
Gear for Outdoor Adventures
STEM Gifts for Babies
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - One Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - Two Year Olds
Experiences
As young children grow, so can their experience of the world. At four years old, I think they are ready to explore national and state parks with their grown up. Consider buying admission to a park near you. By exploring the outdoors together a four year old and his or her grown will be steeped in all things STEAM.
National Parks Pass. Here is the link to learn about and purchase the American the Beautiful National Park Pass. ($80) Not sure if there is a national park near your Preschool Engineer? Search by state on this page: http://www.nps.gov/index.htm.
State Parks Pass. You will have to do some digging to find your state park. Start here: http://www.americasstateparks.org/Find-A-Park. From there you will have to navigate to your state of interest and hunt around. The passes are often called "Passports." For example, this is what I found for purchase in a handful of states: Michigan, Colorado, and California.
*=*=*
All of the museums I've been to have spaces dedicated to babies (Missoula, Montana; Phoenix, Arizona; Mesa, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan). The best museums have dedicated baby spaces at every exhibit, like the "Baby Zones" at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Use the search tool at the Association of Children's Museums website to find your local museum, or just Google "children's museum [name of city]".
*=*=*
*=*=*
Toys
A lot of these toys are recommended for three year olds but, in my experience, they are better for four years. Four year olds have a little more dexterity and strength and are able to play with these toys with more purpose and with more independence than three year olds.
 |
| B. Pop-Arty Beads |
Gears. These gears adorn my refrigerator. While everyone from babies to toddlers enjoy spinning them, four year olds are the ones who start really building with them. Magnetic backing on each one is strong enough to stick to the surface of the 'frig but not so strong that a child cannot easily remove and replace it somewhere else. The prongs of the gears fit together nicely and the motion of interlocking gears is perfect. It is easy for me to recommend this toy.
 |
| Magnetic Spinning Gears |
Marble Run. Marble runs are classic for a reason. Building towers and watching marbles come tumbling down is delightful. This is another toy rated for three year olds and up. And it is nice to watch three year olds experiment and learn how to build with them but things start getting really interesting when the builder is four years old. If you want to avoid plastic toys then there are wooden versions of marble runs, too.
 |
| Marble Run |
 |
| Hape Marble Run |
Squigz. These little suction-cup toys are so pick-up-able. Grow-ups who visit our house often where them stuck to their foreheads. Our kids play with them from everywhere from the toy room to the bathtub. And if you like them, then you can make a Squigz-themed gift-giving extravaganza and give different-sized Squigz to different people because Squigz are also available in extra large size for babies and tiny size rated for five years and up.
 |
| Squigz |
Conveyor Belt. I haven't listed trucks or working machines in the STEAM gift lists yet. Instead I've focused on more open-ended stuff. But this machine is so cool that I couldn't resist including it here. When my four year old opened this gift he was delighted. It is a bonafide working conveyor belt that works indoors and outdoors. It is a unique toy for exploring how certain technology helps do our work.
 |
| Bruder Conveyor |
Lastly, I recommend adding on to existing collections of builders. From my standpoint as a parent, it is easier to handle an influx of toys if they are just more of the same thing. More magna-tiles get added to the magna-tile bin. More Squigz get added to the Squigz bin. With more of the same materials, larger and more complex building can happen. Higher numbers are counted. There is more STEAM, more of the time.
More Gift Ideas
Gear for Outdoor Adventures
STEM Gifts for Babies
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - One Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - Two Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Preschoolers - Three Year Olds
Ah, three year olds. For some reason, rooted in development I'm sure, three year olds are ready for toys with more moving parts and smaller parts that are generally more "dangerous" than the things appropriate for babies and toddlers. Here is my list for STEAMy gifts for Three Year Olds.
All of the museums I've been to have spaces dedicated to babies (Missoula, Montana; Phoenix, Arizona; Mesa, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan). The best museums have dedicated baby spaces at every exhibit, like the "Baby Zones" at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Use the search tool at the Association of Children's Museums website to find your local museum, or just Google "children's museum [name of city]".
Consider finding the local zoo for your little person and buying their family a year's pass. You will open their experience of the world to include exotic animals and their care. Search the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to find an animal adventure near you. Search here.
Tea Set. This tea set is perfect for learning science and math concepts like chemistry (mixing sugar, milk and tea together) and pre-math lessons in volume, quantity and sorting. Don't miss the STEM learning that happens during a tea party!!
Silks. I love the geometry learning that playing with fabric provides. Scrunching, folding, rolling, or laying flat, a preschooler will be experimenting with his or her math skills when they play with these. The fabric can also double as green grass or blue rivers, or they can be used to build small tents for toys to gain shelter. I know that you could let your child play with towels, wash clothes, sheets and blankets the same way. But, oh - the touch of silk? It is special.
Nino Percussion. Musical instruments land solidly in the "A" of STEAM. And there are many instruments out these. I'm listing these two because they sound beautiful and they are mechanically interesting, which make them ideal for preschool engineers. Nino makes a variety of instruments but the Nino Shaker and the Nino Cabasa are my favs.
Haba Block and Tackle. We have this set of pulleys and they invite comments from everyone who visits our house. Young people study physics. They also get to explore how this technology aids new ways for lifting things, which is the definition of engineering.
Magnetic Builders. Check out these two sets of magnetic builders! Our magnetic toys are our go-to toy for playdates. Magna-Tiles have been used to make "airplanes," "houses," and Octonaut's "gups." They are solid, which make for good structures. Magformers have stronger magnets and snap together well but they have openings in each shape, which make great windows but not doors or walls. Both styles have cool add-ons like Playmags magnetic car beds, which work well with Magna-Tiles and Magformers motion set that has gears and cranks.
These toys scream STEAM. From experimenting with the ways magnets and shapes go together to building innovative structures. When people play with these toys there is counting, sorting, and building in two dimensons and three dimensions. Children explore the sometimes paradoxical relationship between form and function. And the list goes on and on. These toys grow with the child and are a perennial favorite gift...adding to the magnetic toy stash at birthday celebrations and other gift-giving holidays always go over well.
Traveling Magnets. Mindware makes a set of traveling magnetic shapes, complete with a container that doubles as a foundation. Your preschool engineer can free-build some two dimensional sculptures or he or she can try to build to match a card!
I have an entire section of my Amazon aStore dedicated to Building Toys. I break them out by Fat Brain Exclusives, Wooden Shapes, Hex Bug, and Other Building Fun. But for this list I'm going to suggest you check out these novel builders by Fat Brain Toys. They are called Joinks. In true Fat Brain Toys fashion, these builders are intuitive and unique. They are unlike other builders out there. Lessons in physics and engineering and maybe even some chemistry modeling are laying in wait in your first box of Joinks.
Butterfly Wings. Pretending to be a butterfly is fun but it is also preschool performance art. Children flap their arms to be anything from a bird to a bug to a butterfly. Check these wings out to add to their imaginative play (available in many colors).
For additional science learning grab a non-fiction book (My, oh my -- A Butterfly!) or some music (Mighty Wolf) about butterflies.
Speaking of Preschool Performance Art, I will add another really novel dress-up item. Jeff and Paige made bobcat shirts that have been a huge hit with 3 year olds, 4 year olds, and the grown-ups they frighten. On the front of the shirt there is the kind face of a bobcat. But there is also a flap on the front of the shirt that when lifted reveals the ferocious teeth and chomping mouth of a bobcat! Available to buy exclusively at Jeff and Paige's website.
Artist Travel Desk. My kids both love this personal artist desk. Consider it a pint-sized artcart...perfect for small spaces as well as on-the-go creative work. Don't forget to stock it with paper, stickers, washable crayons and markers, and, perhaps, scissors and glue. (For those of you in hot climates, be aware that if this is left in the car then the crayons might melt!)
Last but not least is a Magnifying Glass. This tool is made for children 3 years old and older. I like the size. I like the magnifying power. And I like that it can be propped up on the ground so a child can do hands-free observation. The tweezers are an added bonus because anything that grabs usually goes over well with Preschool Engineers.
So there you have it. My list for STEAM gifts for three year olds. I believe these gifts sustain their value because as the child grows, the gift grows. The play (i.e., learning) supported by these gifts changes, becomes more sophisticated, and ultimately makes your child smarter. That is what makes this list of STEAM gifts different from other lists you might find out there. I hope that makes it a valuable gift giving guide. Tell me, what do you think?
More Gift Ideas
Gear for Outdoor Adventures
STEM Gifts for Babies
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - One Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - Two Year Olds
Experiences
My favorite STEAMy gift is a family pass to a children's museum. A children's museum is a place where children have practically free reign over the space. There are hands-on activities designed with children in mind. The museums offer variety and novelty that are just unreasonable to expect to offer at home.All of the museums I've been to have spaces dedicated to babies (Missoula, Montana; Phoenix, Arizona; Mesa, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan). The best museums have dedicated baby spaces at every exhibit, like the "Baby Zones" at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Use the search tool at the Association of Children's Museums website to find your local museum, or just Google "children's museum [name of city]".
*=*=*
*=*=*
Toys
Silks. I love the geometry learning that playing with fabric provides. Scrunching, folding, rolling, or laying flat, a preschooler will be experimenting with his or her math skills when they play with these. The fabric can also double as green grass or blue rivers, or they can be used to build small tents for toys to gain shelter. I know that you could let your child play with towels, wash clothes, sheets and blankets the same way. But, oh - the touch of silk? It is special.
Nino Percussion. Musical instruments land solidly in the "A" of STEAM. And there are many instruments out these. I'm listing these two because they sound beautiful and they are mechanically interesting, which make them ideal for preschool engineers. Nino makes a variety of instruments but the Nino Shaker and the Nino Cabasa are my favs.
 |
| Nino Shaker |
 |
| Nino Cabasa |
Haba Block and Tackle. We have this set of pulleys and they invite comments from everyone who visits our house. Young people study physics. They also get to explore how this technology aids new ways for lifting things, which is the definition of engineering.
Magnetic Builders. Check out these two sets of magnetic builders! Our magnetic toys are our go-to toy for playdates. Magna-Tiles have been used to make "airplanes," "houses," and Octonaut's "gups." They are solid, which make for good structures. Magformers have stronger magnets and snap together well but they have openings in each shape, which make great windows but not doors or walls. Both styles have cool add-ons like Playmags magnetic car beds, which work well with Magna-Tiles and Magformers motion set that has gears and cranks.
These toys scream STEAM. From experimenting with the ways magnets and shapes go together to building innovative structures. When people play with these toys there is counting, sorting, and building in two dimensons and three dimensions. Children explore the sometimes paradoxical relationship between form and function. And the list goes on and on. These toys grow with the child and are a perennial favorite gift...adding to the magnetic toy stash at birthday celebrations and other gift-giving holidays always go over well.
 |
| Magna-Tiles |
 |
| Magformers |
Traveling Magnets. Mindware makes a set of traveling magnetic shapes, complete with a container that doubles as a foundation. Your preschool engineer can free-build some two dimensional sculptures or he or she can try to build to match a card!
 |
| Traveling Magnets |
I have an entire section of my Amazon aStore dedicated to Building Toys. I break them out by Fat Brain Exclusives, Wooden Shapes, Hex Bug, and Other Building Fun. But for this list I'm going to suggest you check out these novel builders by Fat Brain Toys. They are called Joinks. In true Fat Brain Toys fashion, these builders are intuitive and unique. They are unlike other builders out there. Lessons in physics and engineering and maybe even some chemistry modeling are laying in wait in your first box of Joinks.
 |
| Joinks |
Butterfly Wings. Pretending to be a butterfly is fun but it is also preschool performance art. Children flap their arms to be anything from a bird to a bug to a butterfly. Check these wings out to add to their imaginative play (available in many colors).
 |
| Butterfly Wings |
For additional science learning grab a non-fiction book (My, oh my -- A Butterfly!) or some music (Mighty Wolf) about butterflies.
Speaking of Preschool Performance Art, I will add another really novel dress-up item. Jeff and Paige made bobcat shirts that have been a huge hit with 3 year olds, 4 year olds, and the grown-ups they frighten. On the front of the shirt there is the kind face of a bobcat. But there is also a flap on the front of the shirt that when lifted reveals the ferocious teeth and chomping mouth of a bobcat! Available to buy exclusively at Jeff and Paige's website.
Artist Travel Desk. My kids both love this personal artist desk. Consider it a pint-sized artcart...perfect for small spaces as well as on-the-go creative work. Don't forget to stock it with paper, stickers, washable crayons and markers, and, perhaps, scissors and glue. (For those of you in hot climates, be aware that if this is left in the car then the crayons might melt!)
 |
| Desk To Go |
Last but not least is a Magnifying Glass. This tool is made for children 3 years old and older. I like the size. I like the magnifying power. And I like that it can be propped up on the ground so a child can do hands-free observation. The tweezers are an added bonus because anything that grabs usually goes over well with Preschool Engineers.
 |
| Magnifying Glass |
So there you have it. My list for STEAM gifts for three year olds. I believe these gifts sustain their value because as the child grows, the gift grows. The play (i.e., learning) supported by these gifts changes, becomes more sophisticated, and ultimately makes your child smarter. That is what makes this list of STEAM gifts different from other lists you might find out there. I hope that makes it a valuable gift giving guide. Tell me, what do you think?
More Gift Ideas
Gear for Outdoor Adventures
STEM Gifts for Babies
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - One Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - Two Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - Two Year Olds
Two year olds are in an awkward phase of early childhood. They are more sophisticated and opinionated than their one year old friends but they are not mature enough (necessarily) to safely handle toys rated for three year olds. The toys listed here are recommend by manufacturers for at least 18 months, usually 24 months old and up.
My favorite STEAMy gift is a family pass to a children's museum. A children's museum is a place where children have practically free reign over the space. There are hands-on activities designed with children in mind. The museums offer variety and novelty that are just unreasonable to expect to offer at home.
All of the museums I've been to have spaces dedicated to babies (Missoula, Montana; Phoenix, Arizona; Mesa, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan). The best museums have dedicated baby spaces at every exhibit, like the "Baby Zones" at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Use the search tool at the Association of Children's Museums website to find your local museum, or just Google "children's museum [name of city]".
By the time they are two years old, most toddlers are so sure on their feet that they start looking up a little more. And I think it is an ideal time to step into the zoo or aquarium. Consider finding the local zoo for your little person and buying their family a year's pass. You will open their experience of the world to include exotic animals and their care.
Search the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to find an animal adventure near you. Search here.
My go-to gift for two year olds is a set of utensils. First of all, two year olds are beginning to use utensils on their own at the table. Second of all, these items are things my 6 year old and 3 year old fight over at every meal. The constructive eating spoon (front loader), fork (fork lift) and "knife" (bulldozer) are cool things for scooping, stabbing and pushing food. These are STEAMy gifts because they are tools... Your preschool engineer will explore how tools help shape our lives. Is that a stretch to make them STEM toys? OK. Then they are just too cool not to have. ;)
Stackadoos are so pick-up-able. Every time I see them in a waiting room they are being used. They stick together beautifully and are easy enough for young children to figure out. These builders offer a unique experience because they can push the boundaries of stacking, shape, balance and gravity. Not to mention the colors and shapes for sorting and matching. The learning opportunities are limitless and grow with the child!
This toy has been loved in our house and coveted by others at the playground. It conveniently packs a rake and shovel onto the sides of the structure. But the real appeal for a preschool engineer is the funnel that feeds water or sand to two subsequent spinning wheels. This tool supports learning about fluid dynamics, volume and circular motion. Plus it is super fun.
STEMy Music. Music is something that is due to all children. But at age two they might start connecting to the stories and information in the music in a bigger way. My son - who is the original preschool engineer - is pretty picky about his music. He prefers informational music over poetic music. Our favorite informational music focuses on two themes: trucks and environmental science. So here are links to our favorite STEMy music.
Truck Tunes are written by Rob Gardner. They are the first songs with which my son connected. Three volumes of songs are available for you to learn alongside your child.
Jeff and Paige sing about natural and environmental science. Three of their five albums offer stories. Listening to "Mighty Wolf," "Get Outdoors," or "21st Century Superheroes" is like listening to a book on tape/musical. Listeners go on an outdoor adventure with Jeff and Paige and learn about bats, birds and bugs along the way (and more). "Songs from the Trail" and "Rocky Mountain Tunes" are also awesome, and stuffed with STEM info like photosynthesis and energy conservation (turn out the lights).
The third artist that offers STEM music is Brent Holmes. We like Moose Tunes, Bear Tunes, and Sea Tunes. But there are so many more from which to choose! There are good lessons in math and natural science in his songs. Plus some good old-fashioned fun.
Meoow and the Big Box. Here's another book about building and creative energy that will resonate with the youngest engineer. Meoow transforms a cardboard box...and we all know how wonderful an empty box is.
More Gift Ideas
Gear for Outdoor Adventures
STEM Gifts for Babies
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - One Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Preschoolers - Three Year Olds
Experiences
All of the museums I've been to have spaces dedicated to babies (Missoula, Montana; Phoenix, Arizona; Mesa, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan). The best museums have dedicated baby spaces at every exhibit, like the "Baby Zones" at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Use the search tool at the Association of Children's Museums website to find your local museum, or just Google "children's museum [name of city]".
*=*=*
Search the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to find an animal adventure near you. Search here.
*=*=*
Toys
 |
| Constructive Eating |
Stackadoos are so pick-up-able. Every time I see them in a waiting room they are being used. They stick together beautifully and are easy enough for young children to figure out. These builders offer a unique experience because they can push the boundaries of stacking, shape, balance and gravity. Not to mention the colors and shapes for sorting and matching. The learning opportunities are limitless and grow with the child!
 |
| Stackadoos |
This toy has been loved in our house and coveted by others at the playground. It conveniently packs a rake and shovel onto the sides of the structure. But the real appeal for a preschool engineer is the funnel that feeds water or sand to two subsequent spinning wheels. This tool supports learning about fluid dynamics, volume and circular motion. Plus it is super fun.
Books & Music
Truck Tunes are written by Rob Gardner. They are the first songs with which my son connected. Three volumes of songs are available for you to learn alongside your child.
 |
| Truck Tunes |
Jeff and Paige sing about natural and environmental science. Three of their five albums offer stories. Listening to "Mighty Wolf," "Get Outdoors," or "21st Century Superheroes" is like listening to a book on tape/musical. Listeners go on an outdoor adventure with Jeff and Paige and learn about bats, birds and bugs along the way (and more). "Songs from the Trail" and "Rocky Mountain Tunes" are also awesome, and stuffed with STEM info like photosynthesis and energy conservation (turn out the lights).
The third artist that offers STEM music is Brent Holmes. We like Moose Tunes, Bear Tunes, and Sea Tunes. But there are so many more from which to choose! There are good lessons in math and natural science in his songs. Plus some good old-fashioned fun.
Meoow and the Big Box. Here's another book about building and creative energy that will resonate with the youngest engineer. Meoow transforms a cardboard box...and we all know how wonderful an empty box is.
More Gift Ideas
Gear for Outdoor Adventures
STEM Gifts for Babies
STEAM Gifts for Toddlers - One Year Olds
STEAM Gifts for Preschoolers - Three Year Olds