With summer upon us, parents have to become inventive and try to figure out two things: how to keep their kids occupied and how to make sure they don’t get out of the learning groove. Fortunately there’s a solution for both. In my earlier post, “What is the new STEM Learning? And How Can I incorporate it at Home,” I shared a few ideas for introducing STEM learning tools at home that help kids with important skills for critical thinking and science exploration. Here, I’ve gathered some of the Top ideas for STEM learning to help you (and your kids) through the summer as well as the upcoming school year.

*Lucky* 13 STEM Learning Tools for Kids

When it comes to summer slump, you can make a change and actually boost their enthusiasm for science and math classes by making learning fun. One way to make a routine of introducing the topic is through subscription boxes and other fun activities that help learning.

Green Kid Crafts is another subscription box that have options for one time boxes or monthly boxes. Choose from Discovery Boxes which facilitate thinking, questioning, inquiring, and original creation as we guide children through the scientific inquiry and engineering design process. For kids ages 3-10.

Nest Learning is an online resource with tons of science options, but it actually can almost become a one-stop shop for finding curriculum either for the summer or for year round for those who homeschool or choose to supplement learning at home.

No scientist can go without their science kit! One of my personal favorites is the

Project MC2 Ultimate Lab Kit. We bought this for my {then} 6 year old last Christmas and it was integral in sparking her love for science.

This Learning Resources brand kit is another, less expensive science great for kindergarten through most elementary-aged projects and will help you through the many projects there are to come in your science-loving child’s career. Okay, maybe not that long, but you can remember this as something that got them started in their love for science.

If your child has attended a Montessori school, or if you’re just a fan of learning, consider these resources for physical science and beyond.

Robot Turtle is a fun board game that teaches early programming skills, without needing a computer! Kids get to write program with playing cards. For kids ages 4 and up

Keep the wheels cranking with fun with gears. You can have magnetic gears for the refrigerator or choose to find games which help teach this hands on fun. This is also a great way to introduce STEM learning to toddlers.

LittleBits Invention Kits are a great resource for teaching your child electronics. In fact, you don’t even need to teach them it – you can learn with them! Really – littleBits is a fun, interactive and truly hands-on way to use self discovery to make projects work! They have projects for kids around age 8 and up (they have to be able to follow basic directions, and read directions too) to really create useful projects. Choose a project your child will enjoy making, make space for the project and really – that may be all you need to do – because these are truly hands on projects that need problem-solving, judgement, a little bit of patience, and then create a huge smile when your child is successful in “turning on the light” or making a fan blow. **Read my full review of LittleBits Premium Invention Kit here!**

If you have a fully stocked craft and supply closet, you may want to choose an “everything science” book that will give you a variety of experiments to choose from, and help you go through that closet full of odds and ends that keeps accumulating.

The Steve Spangler Science Club has a variety of science project options, as well as monthly boxes to help ensure you keep the fun in learning! Choose from anything from creating an epic fire tornado to a fun project they call “eating nails for breakfast,” which basically shows iron in foods with magnets, but is a lot more fun!

Learning Resources Stem Robot Mouse Coding Activity Set is another excellent way to introduce STEM learning to children ages 5+. Kids learn to program the mouse with easy push-button controls to follow your created maze and find the cheese.

I recently discovered this Create-A-Chain Reaction STEM Kit at Lakeshore Learning. The starter set lets kids set up a course of ramps, pendulums, hammers and more, through which they can fine-tune the placement, distance and angle of each piece to guide the ball through the course.

Finally, there’s the National Parenting Gold winner, Wonder Workshop Dot Robotics Kit. Kids program Dot’s lights, sounds, and sensors in an Apple or Android smart phone app and see Dot come to life – as an alarm clock, flying space ship, and more!

What plans do you have to help keep your child steaming for STEM fun?

More Stem Learning Resources:

WHAT IS THE NEW STEM LEARNING? AND HOW CAN I INCORPORATE STEM AT HOME?

5 PRENATAL EDUCATION SYSTEMS AND HOW THEY WORK

STEM LEARNING: MY REAL DEAL REVIEW OF LITTLEBITS PREMIUM INVENTION KIT