stem toy contest at Best buySTEM and STEAM education help prepare future generations with skills that will set them up for success. You likely have heard these terms and may be familiar with some of the benefits of STEM and STEAM toys that encourage skill development within the context of play and fun. This contest will help you understand a little bit about some of these toys, and gives you a chance to win amazing toy prize packages.

STEM and STEAM education in a fun interactive package

STEM toys help children learn skills related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEAM toys help spark creativity and imagination with artistic tasks that naturally align with the STEM skills. With most STEM toys, children are developing a range of technical and non-technical skills, making the distinction between the two terms less relevant. After all, even a basic game of gin rummy with a deck of cards involves counting (math), strategy, and planning. For that reason, I’ll stick to using the more common STEM in the rest of this article, with the understanding that children playing with these toys are developing a variety of abilities including creativity, language skills, spatial skills, etc … a combination of skills from a variety of domains.

With STEM toys, variety is the spice of life

Looking at the image at the top of this article, there are some toys that seem more obviously STEM than others. All of those toys are prizes in this contest, but not all will appeal to every child. A child who loves building might prefer the hands-on fun of the Vtech Marble Rush sets. Another child may really love the logistical challenges of the Osmo Coding kits. Yet another may be intrigued by conceptualizing a 3D plastic creation using the 3Doodler kits. You may look at these toys and know exactly which one is most appealing to your child. Or you may wish your child could experiment with a few to develop and stimulate their minds in a variety of ways.

Each of the STEM toys carried at Best Buy allows children to have fun and develop some skills that can prepare them for a successful future. One toy may help reduce screen-time while building listening and reading skills (LeapPods Max), while another might use a tablet screen for unique learning experiences (Snakebyte Pebblegear tablets) or even use a tablet to introduce complex scientific concepts like light diffraction (PlayShifu Tacto Laser). As you explore the range of STEM toys, you will quickly find some that will be perfect for your children.

Experimentation teaches value of failure and success

We all want our children to be happy forever. These toys are fun to play with, but they also teach the kind of lessons we only learn through trial and error. Lessons like: you can’t do something well without having done it poorly first. Many toys have a learning curve: skills improve over time. You know from your own childhood; there were many toys we had when we were young that would now be considered STEM toys. I remember my first model building experience; it was some kind of naval corvette, and needless to say, the boat sunk!

I did have fun though and that’s another thing that your child will learn and carry with them in the future: though it can take some work, science, technology, engineering, and math can also be a lot of fun. Which reminds me of a quote from American author Frank Sonnenberg: If work isn’t fun you’re playing on the wrong team.

The toys we are giving away in this contest will encourage children to ask questions, embrace failure, and be openly creative. The best part is that each winner will get a package of toys covering a variety of STEM skills! We’ll be reviewing most of these on the blog in the weeks to come so return to the blog often to learn more.

How to enter

Entering this contest is easy and you can enter in two different ways:

  1. In a comment below, tell us about one toy that you had when you were a child that would now be considered a STEM toy AND tell us what skills it helped you to develop.
  2. In a comment below, tell us which of the toys mentioned in this article, or shown on Best Buy’s toy page do you most want in your home for your children.

What you can win

At the end of this contest we will randomly draw six (6) winners from all eligible entries. Each winner will receive one of six prize packages; each package will include up to four of these toys:

3DOODLER START PLUS
3DOODLER CREATE PLUS BLACK
LEAPFROG LEAPPODS MAX EN / FR
OSMO CODING STARTER KIT
OSMO LITTLE GENIUS STARTER KIT
SHIFU TACTO COMBO CLASSICS AND LASER
SNAKEBYTE VDF PEBBLEGEAR CARS 7″ TABLET
SNAKEBYTE VDF PEBBLEGEAR FROZEN 7″ TABLET
SNAKEBYTE VDF PEBBLEGEAR TOYSTORY4 TABLET
VTECH MARBLE RUSH CORKSCREW RUSH SET
VTECH  MARBLE RUSH ULTIMATE SET
VTECH KIDIZOOM CREATOR CAM

 

This contest runs from Oct 1st to Oct 16th.

Remember you can enter in a variety of ways as discussed above. Spread the word with all of the parents you know. Your child will likely be playing with their children so no matter which family wins, your child will benefit.

Win STEM toys Contest Rules and Regulations

Good Luck!

Martin Renaud
Martin Renaud
Editor in Chief
Martin loves working with the talented editors and writers on the Best Buy Blog as Editor-in-Chief. During his spare time he is either working on his next novel, cooking up a masterpiece in the kitchen, or adding some smart tech to his new home on Mayne Island in British Columbia.
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608 COMMENTS

  1. All the toys mentioned in this article would be wonderful for my grandsons. I also really like the Osmo Creative Starter Kit
    Model Number: Creative Starter Kit (Web Code: 14139598) from the Best Buy toys page. Thanks for the chance to win such great prizes!

  3. Most of the toys I received as a child were learning toys. I remember LOTS of puzzles and books. Plus a Spirograph for drawing. My dad also made my sisters and I a wooden toboggan that really flew down snowy slopes. I guess you could say we learnt about acceleration 🙂

  4. These are all amazing toys I would love in my home for my kids but probably most the vtech marble rush ultimate set sounds like so much fun! Amazing giveaway. Thanks so much for the chance!

  7. I had deck of cards as a kid I think would be considered a stem toy. We would play lots of games and it helped me with math.

  8. I’d love to have the Wonder Workshop Cue Interactive Robot for my son, he’s a little young now, but I think he’d love it

  10. We had pretty basic toys with the standbys of Lego and Chatty Cathy doll that actually “talked” when you pulled a string.

  11. I had a chemistry kit that was considered “vintage” It taught me the importance of not mixing together chemicals that you don’t know anything about lol.

  12. I had one of those 75 in 1 electric project kits. I would say that it was then and still now considered a STEM toy. It helped me develop understanding of electric circuits and components.

  14. Love the VTech Marble Rush Ultimate Set. it would be fun for my child and the child in me!!

  21. I loved the game mousetrap as a kid and would build it without playing the game just for the fun of it.
    So seeing the VTech Marble Rush Corkscrew Rush Set brings back memories of that game. I would love to have that to play with my grandchildren

  23. I had a microscope which I used to look at hair and grass magnified. It started my interest in science.
    I would like the Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit for grandnephew.

  26. No STEM toys for me in the 1940s. I did have my own small vegetable garden if that could be considered a toy. I learned about responsibility (watering, weeding, etc.) how plants grow and what they need to thrive, etc.

  27. My family had a Meccano set that let us problem-solve & think creatively, to make working devices & models.

  30. I feel like Lego was a STEM like toy growing up, leading to building and creativity, especially if children made their own original designs.

  31. One of the pebblegear tablets would be my top pick, I haven’t got kids but I am planning on a donation to a local toy christmas drive again this year.

  34. I didn’t have too many toys growing up. The closest toy to a stem toy was my Easy bake oven which gave me the love for cooking and taught me cooking skills.

  37. I want an Osmo Coding Starter Kit because it enhances a child’s problem-solving skills and logical thinking.

  38. I had an Etch A Sketch which would be considered a STEM toy because it encourages creativity and it stimulates the imagination. It helped me develop both those skills.

  39. We did not have anything like Stem toys – we played outside in streams and fields and learned to appreciate nature and the different interactions in the natural world first hand – that was our Stem.

  40. My granddaughter is a talented artist and I think the 3Doodler Create Essentials 3D Printing Pen Set would bring out more creativity in her.

  41. STEM toys were not part of my childhoos but chess and checkers taught me strategy and planning which helped me in later years.

  42. I think the Vtech Kidistar DJ Mixer would be perfect for my granddaughter. Learning skill while having fun.

  45. I am planning on getting my 5 & 3 your old the Oslo starter kit. Looks like so much fun and educational.

  46. My grandma has the tinkertoy set and we loved playing with that every Sunday visit. Skilled developed was building

  47. I think that the 3Doodler Create+ (Plus) Essentials 3D Printing Pen Set would be the best toy for my home.

  48. Back in the day, the only item that I had that could be considered to be a STEM toy would be a deck of cards which helped me with my additions.

  50. The Sega IR7000 communicator which was ahead of it’s time. I got in 1994 and you could basically text other people before texting was a thing by sending messages to other people that had it. It also was like a mini computer that was used as a diary, planner, and saved phone numbers and addresses. It had educational games like brain drain and you could create pictures of contacts 400 different facial features. It had a calculator and calendar, alarm, memo pad, world map, 10 different languages settings. You could even use it as a remote for your TV.

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