With STEM being such a hot topic in today’s education world, it is crucial to find STEM toys that are both fun and educational. Melissa and Doug happen to be one of the best brands for STEM toys on the market, so we decided to put together this list of their 10 best STEM Toys, which includes:
- Pattern Blocks and Boards
- See & Spell Wooden Educational Toy
- K’s Kids Pull-Back Vehicle Set
- Geometric Stacker – Wooden Educational Toy
- Shape-Sorting Wooden Dump Truck Toy
- Shape Sorting Clock
- Deluxe Pounding Bench Wooden Toy With Mallet
- ABC-123 Abacus – Classic Wooden Educational Toy
- Stacking Train
- Match and Roll Shape Sorter
All of the options listed above are STEM toys that will help promote creativity and learning in an engaging way. Also, the Melissa & Doug STEM Toys are great for a wide range of ages, so below you might find the perfect option for your loved one.
So let’s jump into the details!
Pattern Blocks and Boards – Classic Toy With 120 Solid Wood Shapes and 5 Double-Sided Panels
Putting together colorful patterns is what sets the Melissa and Doug Pattern Blocks & Boards classic toy apart from other toys. This set of 120 wooden blocks in various shapes and colors provides hours upon hours worth of playtime for kids to assemble their favorite designs on 5 boards, making it a must-have addition to any family’s toy collection.
Why we like it:
This toy promotes STEM skills like spatial awareness, problem-solving, color recognition and hand-eye coordination.
The Pattern Blocks and Boards Classic Toy is a great gift for kids ages 3 to 6 years. Add the Melissa & Doug 100 Piece Wood Block Set if you want an experience for your loved one that’s hands-on and screen-free.
See & Spell Wooden Educational Toy With 8 Double-Sided Spelling Boards and 64 Letters
This toy is great for young kids because it teaches them new vocabulary through playtime with the shapes that make up each letter, which then have to be matched with a picture of an object or animal. The letters are easy to handle and fit nicely on the eight 2-sided cutouts boards that spell three-letter words or four-letter words.
Why we like it:
This STEM toy set is great for kids aged 4 to 6 years because it will help them learn letters in a fun way. The Melissa & Doug See and Spell is a fantastic way to help children learn sight-reading vocabulary, spelling skills, and fine motor control. In addition, it’s an easy toy that multiple kids can play with at once, improving their socialization with one another.
K’s Kids Pull-Back Vehicle Set – Soft Baby Toy Set With 4 Cars and Trucks and Carrying Case
Next on our list, we have the K’s Kids Pull-Back Vehicle Set. It features four safe and soft vehicles, including a school bus, family car, fire truck and a police car. This toy is designed so your toddler or baby can have a blast. With the rev-up mechanism inside each toy vehicle, it’s easy for them to get big acceleration with little input. They just need to pull them back and release them across the floor.
Why we like it:
This STEM car toy set promotes multiple skills like communication and gross motor development. It is recommended for any child aged 9 months and up because it’s easy to use with no small parts that could be harmful, which makes it not only safe but also educational as well.
Geometric Stacker – Wooden Educational Toy
The Melissa & Doug Geometric Stacker wooden educational toy features 25 geometric shapes like rectangles, octagons and rings that are easy to handle, stack and nest on three rods.
Why we like it:
This STEM toy stands out because it allows children to acquire skills such as shape and color recognition, spatial awareness and size differentiation. It can be a fantastic gift for kids aged 2 to 4 years because they can practice their grasping ability while playing with this set of wooden shapes that can be used in a variety of ways.
Shape-Sorting Wooden Dump Truck Toy
The Shape-Sorting Wooden Dump Truck Toy by Melissa and Doug is a STEM toy that will teach your little one shapes, colors and motor skills. When you place the colored wooden blocks in the truck bed of this truck toy, it can be pushed along to transport and dump these brightly-colored geometric shapes from Point A to Point B.
It has wheels that make it easy to move around where ever your kid wants. There are also two little people figures inside who can ride along on the adventure of driving this dump truck.
Why we like it:
This toy is designed for kids aged 2 to 5 years, promotes creativity and is made of high-quality materials. It’s a fantastic toy for STEM-loving children to play with and learn about the world of shapes, colors and physics.
Shape Sorting Clock – Wooden Educational Toy
Melissa and Doug’s Shape Sorting Clock STEM toy is a fantastic way for your baby or toddler to learn about telling the time. It comes with 12 removable blocks that are fitted inside each corresponding hour on the clock face, teaching kids how long it takes from one block to another when they move through a day.
Why we like it:
This STEM toy offers an excellent learning experience for kids aged 3 to 6 years. It’s a great way to teach them about time, numbers, shapes and colors. Moreover, this clock toy can be a simple yet unique way to share the events of the day with your kid. For example, share what happened during breakfast time, lunchtime, bedtime as you point at which event is happening on the hands that move around this little device.
Deluxe Pounding Bench Wooden Toy With Mallet
The Melissa & Doug Deluxe Pounding Bench STEM toy is a fantastic way for your little one to learn about healthy, active play while using their imagination. It comes with a mallet and a bench with 8 built-in pegs made from high-quality wood that go up and down when struck, playing peekaboo while taking turns showing off their friendly smiles.
Why we like it:
It’s an excellent STEM toy that will teach your child the importance of following instructions, motor skills, creative exploration and much more. The Melissa & Doug Deluxe Pounding Bench Toy is perfect for establishing developmental milestones in children while also giving them hours of entertainment with this fun STEM toy.
This toy is recommended for kids aged 2 years and up.
ABC-123 Abacus – Classic Wooden Educational Toy With 36 Letter and Number Tiles
Melissa and Doug’s ABC-123 Abacus STEM toy is a fantastic way for your little one to learn about objects, words, spell their name, and more. It comes with 36 double-sided tiles that show a number and a letter.
Why we like it:
This STEM toy is a great way for children aged two years and up to learn about numbers, letters, spelling their names and more. This STEM toy also helps them develop logical thinking skills as they practice counting the tiles.
Stacking Train – Classic Wooden Toddler Toy (18 pcs)
The Melissa & Doug Stacking Train STEM toy is one of the best STEM toys for toddlers who are 24 months and up. It comes with 15 pieces that can be stacked in different ways to learn about taking turns, colors, size differentiation and more.
Match and Roll Shape Sorter – Classic Wooden Toy
The STEM toy from Melissa and Doug is designed to teach your little one about shapes. It comes with a shape sorter that has all sorts of shapes made out of wood. The dozen or so different shapes can be dropped through the color-matched holes, then rolled along and poured out again.
Why we like it:
It’s an excellent STEM toy for toddlers aged 12 months and up who are just starting their adventures in STEM education. This STEM toy will teach them about shapes, colors and simple physics in a playful way.
Over to You
With STEM toys becoming more and more popular, the options for children are growing. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites from Melissa & Doug that we think would make excellent gifts.
For more than 30 years, Melissa & Doug has been designing products that NBC News called “the gold standard in early childhood play”. The company’s beautifully crafted toys and games are designed to not only inspire creativity but also build social skills.
If you know someone with kids who love to tinker or create things on their own, these will be sure hits. Share this guide with your family and friends so they can find the perfect toy too!