5 Super-Engaging STEAM Toys That Keep Young and Curious Minds Inspired

Parents, if you have a naturally curious kid, you just know. You know by all of the endless questions about how things work and why they work that way. You know by the way in which your child stares at something — exploring and scrutinizing how something works, the mechanisms, the processes, all of it.

Well, if you're looking to inspire that curiosity component in your little one, we have five fantastic options below that all fall under the STEAM category. That is, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Each of these toys and kits incorporates one or more of the STEAM components and makes education and curiosity both fun and satisfying.

Little Blueprints, Big Dreams

If your child is constantly rearranging their room or changing up their space, Art-chitect by MindWare is the perfect solution to scratch their creative itch. As its name suggests, this kit invites imaginations to go wild as budding architects (and perhaps wannabe architect parents) design rooms, homes, commercial spaces, retail stores or anything else they want to create.

The kit includes everything needed to bring a plan to life, including a grid for mapping out your floor plans, plenty of tracing paper, stencils for laying out furniture plans, and patterns and colored pencils to integrate the interior design component. Additional tools like a T-ruler and compass add the professional factor making the entire process feel like the real deal. While it says it's recommended for ages 8 and older, as a mother of four — ages 10-24 years — I'd actually suggest 10 and older.

Art-chitect is available from MindWare for $69.95.

Let the Good Times Roll

If your child is more of a thrill-seeker, then the CONNETIX Rainbow Ball Run kit will provide hours of creative fun. Magnetic tiles easily bond to one another, and fluted and split tubes invite young minds to create wild and wacky tracks on which they can race the various wooden balls. The endless design potential means no two tracks are ever the same, and curiosity abounds as young minds explore how minor tweaks impact the speeds reached and movements made by the balls. Visit connetixtiles.com for design inspiration.

The CONNETIX Rainbow Ball Run kit is $85.

Say Cheese!

Put your child's science, math, and tech skills to the test with the Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set. Colby the mouse responds to step-by-step programming created by players with the goal being to get Colby to the cheese. Kids flex their analytical and critical thinking skills to not only design the path for Colby but also to tell the mouse how to reach the cheese. The set includes Colby, maze grids and walls, tunnels, coding and activity cards, and hours of fun.

Let's Roll!

Challenge developing brains in a variety of ways with the Tumble Trax Magnetic Marble Run kit. Select any one of the 10 provided cards and replicate the pattern using the magnetic tracks. Once built, release the marble and marvel at the way in which each track's placement affects the way the marble rolls. Perfect to use on a fridge, blackboard or any magnetic surface, Tumble Trax provides loads of fun and is ideal for ages 5 and older.

Shed Some Light

For curious minds always figuring out how things work, the Ambessa DIY Kinetic Flashlight Kit is the challenge they will embrace. The kit includes all the components to create a working kinetic flashlight, which means a flashlight that generates electricity through movement – like shaking, for example. Choose from light blue or transparent casing options.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©fizkes/Shutterstock.com.