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. I had an electronic kit that could be used to make a few basic circuits, including a working radio! It really helped me get excited about electronics which ended up turning into a career in computers 🙂

  2. When I was a kid we had a very basic microscope that taught me to have patience and perseverance as there were many times it was nearly impossible to focus the lens and get an idea of what we were trying to see but we kept on trying.

  4. I had a chemistry kit when I was 10, I used to make all sorts of concoctions with it, like ink!

  5. I remember when I was a kid, my dad bought us home a microscope, my sisters and I got many years of excitement with this toy and discovered so much with it. thanks for this contest , the Osmo Little Genius starter kit would be awesome

  12. I was given a bag of wooden blocks, spools and other shapes when I was 5 or 6. It was called ‘Bunch of Junk” and there were no instructions, you just had to use your imagination to make whatever you wanted!

  14. Any or all of these toys would make for happy play and learning and be wonderful to give to my niece for Christmas.

  15. I would love to have the TTS Easi-Detectors Outdoor ICDT Metal Detectors for Children, for when our grandchildren come over to visit.

  16. I would love all of these toys they would be amazing, for my Granddaughter she would have fun and be learning.

  18. the
    Moorebot Scout AI Home Monitoring Robot – Black – English, would be the toy I would want for my grandson

  19. When I was growing up Meccano was so good as it developed dexterity, creative thinking, following plans. And just plain fun to fil the winter hours.

  27. We had a microscope kit which I absolutely loved. We also had a lot of lego where my siblings and I could have building competitions

  28. I had a toy computer when I was a kid and used it to learn how to type…a skill which has served me in every single job I’ve had!

  31. In junior high we had apple computers and we practiced moving a triangular turtle across the screen with commands. This was the very beginning of coding for me.

  34. All of these toys are amazing, I would be happy to give any to my nephews or niece for a lovely Xmas gift!

  38. The Coding starter kid would make my son really happy, he loves anything that’s creative and functional

  40. The classic Lego blocks helped me develop my engineering skills as I was growing up, I think it’s considered a STEM toy now.

  44. Any of these prizes would make an amazing Christmas gift for all of my children, they are a large range of ages, so I would be grateful for either gift

  46. I had a rock, it helped me learn about gravity, buoyancy, aerodynamics, and hardness of one material vs another

  49. When I was younger, my brother and I had an awesome marble works set. The toilet bowl style attachment was always the best. You could be way behind, but if you made contact it was the place to pull ahead.

  50. I played with a deck of cards which help with hand coordination back in the day – this could be a STEM toy nowadays.
    I would love the coding starter kit for my son.

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