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Best STEM Gifts for Kids: 2014 Picks!

November 28, 2014 By Kim
Tagged With: electronics, product review, robotics, STEM

The Maker Mom's top STEM Gifts for Kids

Click here for my 2015 list of great STEM gifts for boys and girls, tweens and teens. And don’t miss 2015’s 8 Crazy Days of STEM Giveaways! In 2015 I also created a list of wonderfully unique STEM-themed gifts for adults, many of which are produced by artisans who are also women with STEM careers.

One of the joys of writing this blog is getting previews of new books and products. If they spark something in me, I share them here. I also get to spread the news about a few of my favorites with a much larger audience thanks to my regular holiday appearances on WGN Morning News.

This year, I’m taking it up to 11. Not only did I get to highlight cool new tech and STEM items that are great for girls and boys, but I’m going to be running 7 giveaways of those items here on this blog!

Here’s a quick summary of what I presented this morning. In the coming days, I’ll post detailed reviews of many of Sticker Circuits, Osmo and the Hexbug VEX Robot. I link below to what I’ve already written about the other products.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.  

(See the 2012 hot holiday STEM gift list here. Here’s the 2013 list of top STEM picks. Stay tuned for the 2015 gift list and giveaways!)

Circuit Stickers review on TheMakerMom.com

Circuit Stickers Every year my list includes an item that introduces people to electronics. This year’s selection has a novel approach that makes it a good activity for parents and kids to do together. The “starter set” retails for $29.00. As of this writing, it’s only $25 on Amazon, but supplies are limited.

Osmo  I love how this iPad extension blends technology and real world play. And smart play at that. Is it educational technology or just fun? You decide. Every visitor who’s tried this at my house has been amazed at Osmo’s reflective technology  Osmo retails for $79.99 and comes with a base as well as supplies and three free Osmo apps.

Unofficial Cardboard Virtual Reality Headset It’s quick and easy build. And for $14.95 you can’t beat the price for a virtual reality headset. We spent about that much on lenses and supplies to make a similar headset from scratch, which took a bit more work. Unofficial Cardboard is available on Amazon, but the price is higher.

Build your own Hexbug VEX robot!

Hexbug VEX Robotics Playing with robots is fun, but playing with robots you build yourself is even better! The 4-in-1 kit retails for $149.99. The Scarab that I showed on TV and will be giving away, retails for $69.99. The kits are also sold on Amazon, but as of this writing, the price is not competitive.

Sphero is a robotic ball and Ollie is a robotic cylinder that operates via a bluetooth connection to iPhone, iPad, as well as Android and Windows phones/tablet (Sphero only). Drive them around and have fun, or learn to program with them! Read more about Sphero 2.0 here. They are competitively priced at Amazon at $99, but if you buy directly through Sphero you can take advantage of a holiday sale and get a free accessory (valued at around $10 and up) for the same price, so that’s probably your best bet.

The Maker Mom’s top tech toys of 2013:

  • Roominate
  • Goldie Blox and The Spinning Machine
  • littleBits

See the full list here.

My 2012 STEM gifts for girls and boys included items like:

  • Snap Circuits
  • LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0
  • Makey Makey

See the full list here.

Comments

  1. Stephanie precourt says

    December 2, 2014 at 5:22 pm

    so so awesome. Thank you!

    Steph

  2. Marcie says

    December 2, 2014 at 6:25 pm

    Great list, Kim. I added a few items to my own shopping list! Thanks!

  3. Kim says

    December 2, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    Thanks!

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About Kim

Kim headshot Summer 2012 I’m a Chicago-area mom / empty-nester who is passionate about sharing ideas and resources to raise kids who love Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). I’m a published author, blogger, vlogger, baker and maker. I love to travel, especially on trips that involve hiking and other active endeavors, farm tours, and learning new things in general.[Read More...]

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