2018 STEM Toys Holiday Gift List

STEM is often overused as an acronym these days. But as a mechanical engineer and a mom, I know that I can spot the toys that will add value and encourage our kids to ‘use their noodle.’ Design News asked me to make a list of STEM toys that can do just that.

For a STEM toy to be effective, you must initially explore and discover the toy WITH your child.  Everything—even down to grabbing the Phillips screwdriver to insert the AA battery—is important to walk through together. The initial discovery together is the way to optimize the benefits of the toy. Then, they can further explore the possibilities independently. 

As parents, we are conflicted by screen time. Unsupervised outdoor play is no longer a safe option for our children, so we need to choose how to enrich their lives and develop their minds in this new, almost alternate universe. We are pioneers for generations to come to re-invent childhood, so let’s do it right. 

Here are my choices for this season. Enjoy! 

Amee Meghani is a mechanical engineer graduate from The University of Texas at Austin. Her industry experience is in material handling and consumer products, focusing on product development. Amee is an engineering manager at GoEngineer. Her duties include product demonstrations, customer technical support and troubleshooting, and publishing content related to SOLIDWORKS products.