After teaching preschool for over 15 years and becoming a mom, I can confidently say I’ve seen a lot of toys. Many parents prefer to get their kids toys with some educational component, and I’m one of them.
But let’s face it. Toys are getting expensive these days.
My son was looking through an Amazon Wish Book, and some of the simpler items that caught his eye were still $50 or more! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I adore my son, but I also like to keep the lights on and the pantry stocked.
If you’re working with a tighter toy budget,** IKEA has your back with several quality STEM toys**, many under $15. Many of the items check all the boxes when it comes to providing children with a toy that fosters creativity, learning, and overall development.
What Makes a Good STEM Toy?
Photo Credit IKEAcom
The popular child psychologist Jean Piaget said, “Play is the work of children.” Therefore, to learn, grow and develop, children need to play, and their toys should support these needs.
STEM toys reinforce the concept that children learn through play, focusing on the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. But not all STEM toys are created equal, and just because a plaything claims to be STEM, it doesn’t mean it is.
So what makes a good STEM toy? In a nutshell, an effective STEM toy actively engages children in hands-on learning that encourages them to problem-solve, get creative, and think critically. They should also foster active learning, requiring children to interact and manipulate pieces and parts.
You can find different levels of STEM toys to fit children of various ages. For example, simple toys like stackable cups or basic puzzles are great for babies, helping develop hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness. Older kids might find more advanced options featuring robotics and other high-tech elements appealing.
10 IKEA STEM Toys That Make the Grade
IKEA’s STEM toys are STEM.org-authenticated and promote creative play that helps children develop foundational skills in the areas of science, math, engineering, tech, and beyond. Kids love them because they’re colorful and fun. Parents love them because of their educational value and affordable prices.
Here are ten stand-out picks from IKEA’s STEM Toy Series.
1. UPPSTÅ Stacking Rings
Photo Credit UPPSTÅ Stacking Rings | IKEAcom
The UPPSTÅ Stacking Rings puts a precious spin on a familiar classic. Children learn about shapes, colors, and size order while developing fine motor skills.
Determining which order the rings go in helps children improve and practice logical thinking in a fun way. Placing the rings over the stick also helps develop hand-eye coordination.
2. LILLABO Train Set
Photo Credit LILLABO Train Set | IKEAcom
Kids love trains. It’s simply a match-up that makes sense and has persevered across numerous decades. But playing with trains isn’t just fun; it also provides oodles of learning opportunities.
The 45-piece LILLABO Train Set helps kids problem-solve and even explore physics and gravity as the train races over the hill. The different blocks for building the town also help reinforce concepts of balance and spatial awareness.
3. BARKBORRE Doctor’s Set
Photo Credit BARKBORRE Doctors Set | IKEAcom
Role-playing games are excellent for encouraging creativity, developing social skills and fostering communication. However, they go way beyond expanding the imagination.
With IKEA’s BARKBORRE Doctor’s Set, children learn about real-world experiences and reduce fears about going to the doctor’s office. The 7-piece set also helps kids build fine motor skills and work on their hand-eye coordination.
4. DUKTIG Cash Register
Photo Credit DUKTIG Cash Register | IKEAcom
The DUKTIG Cash Register offers all sorts of play opportunities. It supports role-playing games like running a supermarket or being the cashier at a fancy boutique.
The working register adds and totals transactions, providing kids with opportunities to sharpen their math skills. Play money helps with counting and number order, fine-motor skills, and sorting.
5. UPPSTÅ Toy Hammering Block
Photo Credit UPPSTÅ Toy Hammering Block | IKEAcom
The UPPSTÅ Toy Hammering Block is a colorful, engaging way for babies and toddlers to develop hand-eye coordination and fine-motor skills. Children pound down pegs with the toy hammer, then flip the whole thing over and do it again. As they learn their colors, you can work with them on hammering a certain hue, doing the colors in order, or creating patterns.
6. UNDERHÅLLA Wooden Blocks
Photo Credit UNDERHÅLLA Wooden Blocks | IKEAcom
Building blocks are one of the most classic and timeless toys you can find. There are so many things kids learn when they’re working with blocks, including problem-solving skills, critical thinking, spatial awareness, balance, and fine-motor skills.
The UNDERHÅLLA Wooden Blocks deliver these same educational opportunities, plus give children a chance to learn colors and shapes. The different blocks also provide an opportunity to work on sorting skills.
7. UPPSTÅ Crane With Blocks
Photo Credit UPPSTÅ Crane With Blocks | IKEAcom
Cars, trucks, basically, anything on wheels, are always super enticing for kids of all ages. The UPPSTÅ Crane With Blocks holds this same appeal, but also offers a ton of educational value. This toy is literally loaded with learning opportunities.
Children can move the magnetic blocks with the crane, practicing dexterity and coordination. They can also simply build with the blocks, working on fine-motor skills.
Sorting blocks by color and shape and fitting matching shapes into the truck bed teaches spatial awareness. Plus, the long pull string encourages children to tow the crane along as they walk and run, encouraging physical play and building gross-motor skills.
8. UPPSTÅ Shape Sorter
Photo Credit UPPSTÅ Shape Sorter | IKEAcom
The UPPSTÅ Shape Sorter takes a familiar favorite and gives it a sweet story with a birdhouse theme. Children imagine that the different shapes are snacks for the birds living in the house, feeding them through the matching cut-outs. They can also stack and build with the shapes, which teaches about balance.
Shape sorters teach shape recognition, spatial awareness, and build fine-motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and dexterity. They also help kids develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, and since the shapes are different colors, they reinforce color recognition, too.
9. UNDERHÅLLA Abacus
Photo Credit UNDERHÅLLA Abacus | IKEAcom
The UNDERHÅLLA Abacus is an excellent tool for teaching children about adding, subtracting, creating patterns, and counting. It also reinforces colors and encourages dexterity and coordination as children slide the beads back and forth in the rows. This is a great toy to bring on the go, too, thanks to its convenient folding design.
10. UPPSTÅ Stack and Nest Cup
Photo Credit UPPSTÅ Stack and Nest Cup | IKEAcom
Nesting cups are another classic toy that kids have enjoyed playing with for ages. The UPPSTÅ Stack and Nest Cups offer children the chance to practice their colors, learn size order, stack, build, and more. Kids also love water play, so they’ll enjoy filling and pouring water out of the cups (over and over again).
As they play, children learn to think logically, problem-solve, use hand-eye coordination, and develop fine-motor skills. Plus, with the addition of water, they also learn about various concepts like capacity, volume, full vs. empty, and float vs. sink.
Which of These IKEA STEM Toys Would Make Your Kids Smile?
Photo Credit IKEAcom
Do you think your child would love some of the items on this list? Which ones do you think would be their favorites? The series offers a decent range of toys that cover a diverse range of ages and interests.
But you don’t need to buy a toy to encourage fulfilling playtimes. There are also a bunch of creative hacks that turn IKEA favorites into interactive play experiences. For example, try transforming the FLISAT table into a sensory play station, or what about learning how to run electric toys using solar power?
Does your child have a favorite STEM toy, or perhaps they already enjoy playing with one of these IKEA gems? We’d love to hear about it!
NEXT: More IKEA Hacks for Kids Toys and Playtime
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