Top 5 Educational Toys for Little Creative Engineers

     A young engineering mind is not hard to spot at an early age. You can practically see the wheels in their head turning as they learn and explore new ideas, tools and materials. If you're looking for a toy kit that he or she will love AND learn from, here are my top five suggestions.

I've provided links to these toys on Amazon below.

1. Marble Genius Marble Run- We have this set in our preschool classroom (3-4 year olds)  and let me tell you... It is a hit!  It continues to be a hit in the Pre K classrooms as well. The marble is definitely a chocking hazard for anyone younger but under supervision an older two year old would love this just the same. The pieces are brightly colored and connect easily. The company offers different sized kits as well.

2. SASRL Magnetic Blocks Toys- This set allows your child to explore building, shapes, colors and magnets in one experience. Your child(ren) will love inventing with these colorful pieces. It is also a great tool for generating meaningful conversations with your child(ren) about their creations and the thought process behind them.

3. Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears!- I love when we put this toy out for our preschoolers. It exposes the children to concepts such as cause and effect, trial and error, design and motion. The gears come in different sizes and colors, with endless opportunities for creation.

4. Kids First Automobile Engineer Kit- Young children love to create! Their imaginations are running wild and it is important that we fuel that. As a passionate early childhood educator, I've noticed that children are always drawn to the wheel pieces of any building set. Making their creation move is exciting for them. This kit caters to just that and also offers kits to make aircrafts, robots and amusement parks.

5. Waterfall Discovery Wall Set- I love this new take on the traditional discovery table you would typically find in an early childhood classroom. This toy does take some assembling but is definitely worth it. Anything with water is fun, try experimenting with using sand or rice as well. I love the problem solving element children explore while enjoying this toy.

    Your child(ren) will definitely learn from and enjoy these toys on their own. These experiences will surely be enhanced when paired with meaningful discussions about what they are noticing, their thought processes and their overall ideas about their creations. Open ended questions are key here rather than direct instruction.

Stay Inspired Everyone!

                                                               

\\\