How STEM toys help kids in programming

Coding seems to be an ‘adult’ skill to learn. But did you know you can introduce coding to children as young as preschoolers by enrolling them at coding for beginners classes? In this article, let’s talk about STEM toys. Kids love playing around with toys and they learn a lot from these toys too. It is fascinating to see how a child’s development is deeply rooted in the kind of play they engage in at an early age. 

How to decide toys for preschoolers

Before getting into ‘which’ STEM toys are the best for children, let’s take a look at the guide to buying these toys in the first place. Some things to keep in mind while buying toys for preschoolers: 

1. Compatibility with Devices – Toys might need an app or a device to support them. Check if you have these devices available or if the apps are compatible with your current devices. Because if not, it might add to your cost for the toys. 
2. Material Quality – Quality should always be a top priority while buying toys for preschoolers. Given that they are really sensitive and curious, the quality of their toys should be top-notch. 
3. Accessories – Several toys come with accessories to increase their functionality and help children learn coding in a variety of fun ways. Always lookout for these additional accessories to enhance your child’s experience with these toys. 
4. Do It Yourself – Just like playdoh and jigsaw puzzles, coding toys also have several DIY or Do it Yourself features. It is important to get toys that have more DIY activities because these features will give your child an essence of coding in the truest sense. 
5. Academic Purpose – These toys are supposed to have an academic purpose where the child is able to learn different coding and programming concepts in a fun and age-appropriate manner. 

Top 10 Coding toys for kids

Now that we have discussed what to look for while buying toys for children, let’s take a look at the top 10 toys for children:

1. Learning Resources Artie 3000 Drawing Coding Robot – This is one of the best coding toys for toddlers. It is a robot in which children can drop and drag code to make beautiful designs. Because it is so visual in nature, it is easier for children to grasp these concepts at an early age. 
2. LEGO 17101 Boost Creative Toolbox Robotics Kit – Another great addition to our top 10 toys list. This is a multi-functional robot made out of Legos. Today’s children are well versed with Legos and they really enjoy building things.
3. Learning Support Robot Mouse – This is an interesting toy for toddlers and preschoolers to learn coding. Here, children have to program a shiny attractive mouse through a maze to get a piece of artificial cheese as a reward. This game helps children understand how to program a machine giving them early exposure to coding. 
4. Botley 2.0 Coding Robot – If increased screen time is an issue with your child, this toy is the best option for them. Here, cards are used instead of tablets or phones to program the robot and it is an interactive way to learn the concept of teaching a machine to behave in a certain way through code. 
5. Kano Harry Potter Coding Kit – Harry Potter has a huge fandom among young children. Magic and fantasy really tend to grab their attention at a tender age. This game inculcates the ideas of Harry Potter and lets children experiment with their coding magic kits making a great addition to our top 10 toys list for preschoolers. 
6. Squishy Circuits Deluxe Kit – This toy is an amalgamation of play-doh and circuits. The goal is to help children learn these concepts in a fun way. This toy has the concepts of coding while retaining the tactile nature of play-doh. 
7. Galt Cosmic Coding Game – Gallt’s cosmic coding game makes up for a great gifting option for children interested in astronauts and space. It is really affordable and helps children experience their cosmic curiosity with the help of code. 
8. Fisher Price Code-A-Pillar – This toy is aimed for children as young as 3 years of age. It comes with flashy lights and cheery music to engage young minds and introduce them to the world of coding in a really fun and interactive way. 
9. Wonder Workshop Dash Robot – To get children a little more complex game, this is the best option. It interacts with 5 toys and has a wide range of options from basic coding to complex programming. It really helps children get into the flow of coding. 
10. ThinkFun Robot Turtles Logic and Coding Game – This is a low-tech option for all the board game lovers out there. This coding toy helps children to learn the basics of coding while playing an interesting board game throughout. 

How STEM learning toys can help in coding

There are a lot of ways in which STEM toys can make learning code really easy for children. Let’s look into how they help children foster curiosity towards coding: 

1. Interactivity – the level of interaction that a toy or a game gives to a child instantly increases the level of attention they will pay to the concept and how receptive they are to the lessons as well. 
2. Collaborative Effort – While children play together very easily, it becomes easier for them to collaborate on the concepts of coding as well. 
3. Relatable – Playing games is the most relatable thing that children engage into. It makes it super easy for them to have fun and become very receptive to the coding part of these toys and games. 
4. Cost Effective – Even before going for full-fledged courses on coding, children can start experimenting with these toys to see if it sparks their interest. It is a really cost-effective approach to exploring curiosity towards coding.
5. Encourages Human Interaction – While these toys can be played with alone, children tend to work with other children. They tend to reach out for help to adults or explore the toys along with their friends. This interaction really enhances the learning opportunities that the child has. 

These are only some ways in which toys help children learn to code. There are several other benefits like enhanced problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, less screen time for toys that do not require screens, and much more. 

Conclusion

In this article, we saw things to keep in mind while buying stem learning toys for children. We also delved deeper into the top 10 toys that you can check out for your children. Other than that we also understand how these toys for preschoolers work and encourage a learning environment for them. So, why wait and Book a FREE trial class today.