STEM toys

My son is all about LEGO these days, which is why I was intrigued when I heard about Brikit , a new iPhone app that takes stock of the LEGOs you have and makes suggestions -- complete with instructions -- on what to build. Turns out, it'…

Tech gifts are at the top of every one of my kids' wish-lists this year, from my 6-year-old to my 15-year-old. But with so much time spent on their computers for remote schooling this year, I'm leaning toward some of these awesome no-scr…

I was so honored to return as a judge for the second annual Seriously STEM awards, honoring the best educational STEM toys. In collaboration with STEM.org, and with judges including educators, journalists, science museum directors, and i…

This summer, July 20, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Lunar Landing. Even though space travel has been a reality my kids' entire lives -- and mine, too -- they're still incredibly curious about the cosmos. And since they're…

One of our favorite tech discoveries at this year's New York Toy Fair was this adorable new drawing robot Artie 3000 . What makes him so special you ask? Well, let's just say he teaches kids ages 7-12 how to code using activities created…

Even if you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet, we've got you covered with these tech gifts you can still order on Amazon Prime and receive before Christmas. Brilliant, right? And, true to form, these last minute Amazon Prime tec…

Next up in our Holiday Tech Gift Guide 2018 , we're featuring cool tech toys for tweens and big kids. Hey, we know first-hand how hard older kids can be to shop for, but having consulted with them we're pretty sure these tech toys, gifts…

The MAKERphone is about to give an answer to that nagging question parents frequently get, because now when kids ask for a mobile phone, parents can just say: Go make it yourself. Related: A DIY Bluetooth speaker kit for kids that totall…

What Potterhead among us hasn't wanted to accio our own working wand and perform a little magic? Like, I don't know...make some Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans get bigger, disappear a few Mandrakes, or summon some chocolate frogs? Well,…

Of all the STEM coding toys that have come through our door, our favorite has been Cubetto . Maybe it's the heirloom quality of the robot's square wooden housing, with a personable little smile on the front. Or the fact that they don't h…

Barbie has come a long way over the last couple of years, with everything from Curvy Barbie to Game Developer Barbie , and now, Robotics Engineer Barbie . But this goes beyond a STEM-loving girl with a stylish pair of lab glasses. Barbie…

I'm always happy when companies find a way to take their kids' toys, games and activities and add components or extensions that keep them fresh for kids to play with. One of the best tech companies at this: Wonder Workshop , whose robots…

Our Cool Mom Picks' editor, Liz, had the awesome opportunity to check out the latest Crayola creations at the 2018 Toy Fair, and we are pleased as tropical punch (aka magenta) to sneak peek their brand new and upcoming releases with you!

We hear a lot about STEM concepts, but not so much about neuroscience, which is where Backyard Brains is hoping to fill a gap. Their super cool neuroscience experiment kits that give kids first hand experience on how the brain really wor…

I've been back several days from CES 2018, the Consumer Electronic Show, and I'm so happy to discover so many innovative new coding toys for kids this year that are giving new meaning to "best coding toys for kids." Wow, how far we've co…

Big news today, especially for American Girl doll lovers. They announced their 2018 girl of the year, who just so happens to love STEM. How cool is that? Related: Finally, the first American Girl boy Doll Meet Luciana Vega , the 2018 gir…

Like so many of you, I'm like, whoops -- 9 days til Christmas and my list is not done at all! So I just clicked over to Amazon and whoa. Deals galore. Here are 10 I think are awesome that you might want to check out too. Just know some o…

STEM toys have become one of the hottest gifts for kids, and we couldn't be happier. In fact, we think they're especially great for those tweens who've kind of started to outgrow "toys" but still want something fun to play with around th…

Raise your hand if you already have tickets to see The Last Jedi . Yep, we're obsessed too at our house, so I'm (obviously) looking for hot new Star Wars gifts for my kids this holiday season. At the top of my list: Bloxels Star Wars . T…

It's fantastic to see the popularity of STEM over the last couple of years, with so many options that are truly inspiring kids to pursue their geeky passions. But we parents know that one of the best ways to get excited about something i…

If you were obsessed with Lite-Brite as a kid like I was, I bet you, er, your kids will love Pixel Kit , a new Lite-Brite-esque coding toy from Kano . It's all the best of the quintessential '80s toy, with the cool tech updates a 21st-ce…

May we introduce you to BB-9E , the newest Star Wars droid? This evil counterpart of the beloved BB-8 will make his appearance in the upcoming The Last Jedi movie. But if you don't want to wait to see him on the big screen, you can bring…

With all this solar eclipse talk (or The Great American Eclipse , if you're fancy), our kids' interest in space has been piqued. Well, even more than it already is, which is why this indoor space play tent caught our eye. Related: Where …

We're big fans of Sphero , as you might guess considering we've featured lots of their cool tech toys here on Cool Mom Tech ( BB-8 anyone?), so it's no surprise we're intrigued by their newest launch, Spider-Man . But unlike their other …