For anyone looking for a unique holiday gift this year for anyone interested in digging into or just fiddling around with science, technology, engineering, or math “STEM” projects (also called STEAM, adding in the A for the arts”), we’ve reviewed dozens of great products over the past several years you may want to look at for your gift-giving this season.  Check them out below.

At this year’s annual Toy of the Year Awards, determined by toy industry experts and held by the Toy Foundation, top awards this year went to STEM products including the Construction Toy of the Year: the Disney and Pixar ‘Up’ House, available here.  In the Creative Toy of the Year Award category, the winner was the National Geographic Hobby Pottery Wheel by Blue Marble, available here.  In the Specialty Toy category, the winner was KAI: The Artificial Intelligence Robot by Thames & Kosmos, available here.  The Award’s own STEAM Toy of the Year award went to LEGO’s Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance, available here.

Or how about these?

Electronics kits are an entry point to the world of circuits and circuit boards, with basic electricity principles as a focus, but they also are springboards into computer coding and programming.  We looked at one of those lab kits from RadioShack here.  Although that specific kit is no longer available, you can find hundreds with similar features and at different price points here at Amazon.

You can build robots, like Tamiya’s Chain-Program Robot kits discussed here, and get one for less than $20.  Even more advanced kits are available now here at Amazon on its robotics page, including this great solar-powered robot.

If you’re budding scientist is interested in how all kinds of engines work, you might want to check out any of the STEM kits from UGEARS.  We discuss and reference many in our review of the Variator Transmission system here.  We rated the STEM kits from UGEARS at the top of the model company’s products, all with explanatory material discussing how and why the science works, and each a tool even college engineers or professionals could proudly display on their shelves.  All the best UGEARS models, including advanced kits, can be found here at Amazon, most shipping in time for Christmas.

If you’re looking to get your kids on the STEM path at a younger age, consider LEGO building kits, found here, or classic Meccano Erector sets, found here.

Is architecture what has your kid excited?  Find lots of young architect kits here.  Magnet kits one from Wonderboard available here, help understanding principles of design and relationships, and it’s available for less than $15.

Whatever the field of interest and the science it explores, you have plenty of options to help build the future of tomorrow with the young people of today.  Get started now!

C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg