STEM Toys Archives - NAPPA Awards

December 19, 2023 by

Surprise Powerz Talking STEM Doll – Astro The Astronaut
This talking doll is full of knowledge about planets, moons and stars. With 75+ phrases, sound effects, and singalongs, Astro helps build STEM vocabulary and ignites imaginative play for budding young astronauts. $49.99, ages 2-5, surprisepowerz.com

PYXEL A Coder’s Best Friend
A pet that teaches coding. Use a computer or tablet to code this four-legged friend and learn up to two coding languages: Blockly and Python. Kids can code PYXEL to perform tricks, change colors, make and react to sounds, and express emotions. $124.99, ages 8+, educationalinsights.com

Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst STEM Kit
Ignite curiosity and innovation in your young inventor. With 50+ components and 10 engaging challenges, kids can invent their own unique creations. $65, ages 8-13, tinkeringlabs.com

Sumology
A fast-paced tile placement game where you build equations by combining new and existing tiles. Sharpens math and strategy skills. $40, ages 8+, simplyfun.com

December 16, 2020 by

One of our favorite childhood memories is looking through toy catalogs and circling the ones we loved and hoped would arrive wrapped with a big bow. Flipping through the pages and dreaming about each item was a big part of the whole holiday experience – the anticipation of something wonderful. We want to give you that feeling again with our Jingle Holiday Gift Guide. We have been busy all year testing and evaluating to bring you this wonderful collection featuring more than 250 award-winning toys, games, books, family music and other unique finds. NAPPA Awards has been celebrating the best in family products for 30 years. This year’s selection includes products with positive messages of kindness, inclusion and community – products that celebrate diversity and uniqueness. This year, watching those smiles on our kids’ faces when they rip open their holiday gifts will be even more special. Happy Gifting!

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

Gifts with a Positive Message
Unique finds, including items perfect for those who love cozy and warm
Toys to spark imagination
Products that are all about creativity
Outdoor Fun
Book, music and games

November 12, 2019 by

If you’re looking for toys that also teach, check out our Fun & Learning selection of award-winning toys and games.

Botzees

An augmented reality robotics kit that combines construction, coding and creativity. Kit contains 130 uniquely shaped, easy-to-grip blocks, plus 30 interactive augmented reality puzzles. $99.99, 4+, www.pai.technology

Moving Creations with K’nex

Learn to apply STEM principles just like an engineer using experiments and “Think Bigger” challenges. $39.99, 8-14, www.hand2mind.com

Novie

Train the Interactive robot to do more than 12 awesome tricks. $24.99, 6+, www.spinmaster.com

Coding Critters

Interactive pets that introduce critical thinking, problem-solving and STEM skills. $39.99, 4+, www.LearningResources.com

Remote-Control Gear-Bot

Create and control your robot by connecting any combination of gears, claws and heads to a motorized base. $49.99, 4+, www.lakeshorelearning.com

STEM at Play POWER!

A great introduction to electricity with easy-to-use snap circuits. $49.95, 8+, www.hand2mind.com

Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit

Combines hands-on play of Friedrich Froebel’s and Maria Montessori’s manipulatives with advanced computer vision for a personalized and highly engaging experience. $79, 3-5, www.playosomo.com

LeapBuilders ABC Smart House

Build, create and learn with this interactive 61-piece house-themed block set.$39.99, 2-5, www.leapfrog.com

Color Chemistry Arctic Lab

STEAM-infused, playful experiments exploring color, texture and temperature. $24.99, 7+, www.shop.crayola.com

Design & Drill Space Circuits

With 20 different space-themed missions, kids create circuits that really work. $49.9, 6+, www.educationalinsigts.com

LeapStart Go

Sleek, easy-to-carry stylus brings compatible books and activity sets to life and uses video to provide a deeper learning experience. $49.99, 4-8, www.leapfrog.com

Beaker Creatures Alien Experiment Lab

Mix up some fun with slime science, fizz science and more. $19.99, 5+, www.beakercreatures.com

Marbleocity 4-Bar Link

Use the hand crank or attach a motor (sold separately) to watch the marbles ascend and then flip-flop down again. $24.99, 9+, www.playmonster.com

Play Smart Preschool Workbook Series

Features fun-first activities specially designed to keep little ones entertained as they develop school-readiness skills. $6.99 – $12.99, 2-4, www.amazon.com

Smithsonian Planetarium Projector

Three disks feature 24 high-definition space images that you can project alongside the stars, planets, nebulae, moons, asteroids and other celestial bodies. $39.99, 8+, www.nsi-intonline.com

Just Add Egg

Add parts of an egg for multiple bio-organic experiments and art activities. $29.95, 8+, www.griddlygames.com

Little Songs, Big Science: Musical STEAM for Kids

Musical inquiry of STEAM, plus a full kids’ science curriculum connected to each song. $15, www.jeffandpaige.org

Canta las letras

Latin Grammy-winners present 38 bright and catchy songs to learn all about letters and letter sounds in Spanish. $15 CD, $8.99 digital, www.123andres.com

Techno Kids Stack & Spin Playland

Put together the base plates in any configuration, add the gears and play with your kid-powered machine. $23.99, 2+, www.tlji.com

Visit nappaawards for more gift ideas. #holidays

June 26, 2019 by

Kids are out of school, but that doesn’t mean the learning has to stop. Check out these latest NAPPA Award winners that keep the fun and learning going all summer long.

ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy by Age of Learning, Inc.

ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy is the leading and most comprehensive online early learning resource for children ages 2–8. It offers an expert-designed curriculum for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades. With more than 9,000 individual learning activities and 800+ complete lessons along their Step-by-Step Learning Path™, ABCmouse.com encompasses reading and language arts, math, science, social studies, art, and music. It is available on computer, tablet, or smartphone. Ages 2-8, 9.95/monthly or $59.95/annually.

Smithsonian Mega Science Lab

Learn about volcanos, weather, outer space and more. The Smithsonian Mega Science Lab is six different STEM kits in one. Observe the process of crystal formation; assemble and paint a model of the earth and moon; and erect and erupt your very own volcano. Create an Eco Dome Habitat where you can catch, collect and study bugs. Assemble and install your own weather station and start logging temperature, wind direction and speed, barometric pressure, humidity, clouds and precipitation. Put on your safety goggles and chisel away at your sand block as you excavate bones that you can assemble into a model dinosaur. This kit is a science sampler that offers six amazing adventures that are safe and easy to do. Detailed instructions are included. Ages 10+, $34.99.

Smithsonian Planetarium Projector

The Smithsonian Planetarium Projector brings the nighttime sky into your room. Just aim the projector at a light-colored wall or ceiling, and project a rotating star pattern of the northern sky. Three disks also feature 24 high-definition space images that you can project alongside the stars: planets, nebulae, moons, asteroids and other celestial bodies, as well as a satellite, space station, astronaut, space shuttle and more. Project more than 50 different image combinations. The Smithsonian Planetarium Projector features a 15-minute auto-shut-off, so you can fall asleep under a magical night sky. It comes with STEM educational content and requires 3 AA batteries (not included). Ages 8+, $39.99.

For more educational toys, apps and products, visit nappaawards.com

August 14, 2018 by

Your kids will love discovering the incredible world of technology with these STEM-related games. #PlayLearnConnect

Bright Creatures Kit

The perfect introduction to STEAM learning – Bright Creatures Kit gets kids building with dough and making simple circuits to add light to their creations. Part of the Dough Universe, the kit comes with three pots of dough, a smart controller, and LED light helpers. And with the projects and games in the interactive storybook app, they’ll be exploring and inventing for months to come!
$49.99
For Ages: 4+

Botley the Coding Robot

Meet Botley the Coding Robot! With the Botley, children as young as 5 can learn to code. Botley’s advanced features will allow your kids to grow with him. Botley is ready to use right out of the box, 100% screen free and includes a 77-piece activity set. Botley can detect objects, be programmed for if/then logic, follow looping commands and take on obstacle courses.
$79.99
For kids 5+

Itty Bitty City

Created for hobbyists, makers, inventors, and tinkerers, Itty Bitty City is a fun-filled collection of Microduino mCookie modules, sensors and accessories which creators use to build eight exciting projects, including a windmill, lighthouse, night light, piggy bank, and music box. Widely used by students and teachers within schools’ STEM/STEAM programs.
$129.00
For kids 10+

Robots on the Line

You’re one of the lucky robot factory workers invited to an exclusive event. Pick refurbished or out-of-date parts to build robots that meet eager buyers’ requirements. Sell your completed robots to earn points; but hurry because other players may be building their own robot. Can you outsmart your opponents and assemble a four-wheeler robot with two heads, or a robot with six eyes and four hands before they do?
$54.95
For kids 8+

Kidlo Coding Games For Kids

Get your kids coding in no time with Kidlo Coding Games For Kids, a fun app to teach kids (5-9 yrs) basic programming concepts like sequencing, loops and functions. Includes 50+ interesting games.
Free with app
For kids 5-9

mPuzzle

Designed for children ages 5 and up, mPuzzle is a collection of easy-to-use, snap-together magnetic components that teach basic electronic circuitry concepts. With mPuzzle, children learn how things work by seeing cause-and-effect relationships and outcomes. The product offers everything kids need to construct common objects found in our everyday world, such as a street lamp that illuminates at dusk, or a TV remote control with a red LED light that shines when it’s turned on.
$99.00
For kids 5+

mPie

Designed for children ages 7 and up, mPie builds upon mPuzzle’s foundational circuity lessons and hardware components to teach kids introductory hardware coding and more advanced electronic and product design concepts. With mPie, kids discover the world of hardware coding, which helps them visualize the logical and sequential order of things in a physical and engaging way.
$99.00
For kids 7+