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Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old?

• dirktheman 7y ago
  For all our 3 kids (youngest is 4 now), their favorite toys by far were either duplo (the electric train set is awesome!) or playmobil junior (not sure if they sell that in the US). Tangentially, these are also the only toys that survived thirteen years of abuse. My girl was pretty gentle with them, but our two boys... they just wear out anything you hand them.
• beatgammit 7y ago
  That really depends on what he and you like. My 3yo likes duplos, blocks, drawing tablet, trains, play kitchen, alphabet tablet, and matchbox/hotwheels car sets. I don't think you need to worry about anything STEM specific, just find ways for him to practice dexterity and imagination. If you want to push for STEM stuff, he'll be much more capable around 5-6 years old (my 5yo loves Legos, puzzles, math, reading). In fact, your child is probably more likely to be interested in STEM stuff by watching you than you buying stuff for them. My older son got into Legos because my wife did, he likes video games because I play them (helped me build a RetroPie), and he helps me build/fix stuff around the house to spend time with me. At 3yo, he's probably dextrous enough to want to do cool stuff with you, but clumsy enough to get frustrated, so I think it's more important to build confidence and imagination than to push them in any given direction.
• tyingq 7y ago
  Three seems a little young for STEM. Maybe something like Playskool Explore 'N Grow Busy Gears? Or the larger size legos (Duplo)?
  • D13Fd 7y ago
    I have 1, 3 and 4 year olds, and I have to disagree. We actually have the Busy Gears you mentioned and they are excellent for the 1 year old. But the 3 year old can handle complex tasks if they are interested (that's a huge "if") and can really understand and talk about things. The 4 year old can follow picture-based directions, etc.
    • tyingq 7y ago
      Sure. YMMV. I have several kids and had a different experience.
• abraCadabstrax 7y ago
  Lego.
• SandB0x 7y ago
  My kid of this age loves the Brio Builder range: https://www.brio.net/products/all-products/builder https://www.brio.net/products/all-products/builder
• itronitron 7y ago
  Wooden train tracks, such as Thomas the Tank Engine, are usually popular. They also make a smaller set if you don't want the railroad to take up a whole room.
  • 52-6F-62 7y ago
    The popular brand is Brio. I enjoyed that as a kid. https://www.brio.us/ https://www.brio.us/
• westurner 7y ago
  "12 Awesome (& Educational) STEM Subscription Boxes for Kids" https://stemeducationguide.com/subscription-boxes-for-kids/ https://stemeducationguide.com/subscription-boxes-for-kids/ Tape measure with big numbers, ruler(s) Measuring cup, water, ice. "Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Dilly Dally Tootle Turtle Target Game (Active Play & Outdoor, Two Color Self-Sticking Bean Bags, Great Gift for Girls and Boys - Best for 3, 4, 5, and 6 Year Olds)" Set of wooden blocks in a wood box; such as "Melissa & Doug Standard Unit Blocks" ... https://sugarlabs.org/ https://sugarlabs.org/ , GCompris mouse and keyboard games with a trackpad and a mouse, ABCMouse, Khan Academy Kids, Code.org, ScratchJr (5-7), K12 Computer Science Framework https://k12cs.org/ https://k12cs.org/
• lanna 7y ago
  I have a 6 yo girl that is very Math oriented, and she always loved playing with magnet building tiles: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61U4If6YrxL._SL500_AC_SS350_.jpg https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61U4If6YrxL...
• cambalache 7y ago
  What about just a wooden horse or a ball? I understand every parent wants the best for their children and every family is different, but I thank my stars my parents did not push to me any "educational" stuff.
  • jim_and_derrick 7y ago
    same here man. now a days it's a disaster. We watch a little bit of disney junior cartoons for 30 minutes before my daughter goes to bed (1.5 years old). Disney has all these 'sponsors' that are just shit websites claiming to be educational. Sure lets get the 2 and 3 year olds hooked even more on the fucking ipads haha. I love the outdoors and cant wait to get my little one out there. On the flip side, i fucking love computers and video games too so it's definitely a balance! When i was a kid i didnt want to program or anything. I wanted to run around, skateboard, play with kids in the hood.
• playing_colours 7y ago
  Pens, paper, boxes, wooden bricks, some backyard junk. Simple things that will spark his imagination and make him design and invent.
  • mrob 7y ago
    This. Three years old is a good time to build an intuitive understanding of the simple machines (lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, screw). Hands-on play with this kind of thing will set up a solid foundation for more complicated STEM when they're older, and the kid won't even know they're being educated.
  • ryanmercer 7y ago
    Mannnnn remember getting a new large appliance and anxiously waiting for the box to be empty so you could go climb into it and turn it into a spaceship or submarine or something else?
• seanmcdirmid 7y ago
  Duplo works well. Get an educational pack to maximize the basic bricks you get with it. Otherwise specialty sets can get old quickly.
• tomerbd 7y ago
  Cat.
• shakna 7y ago
  The three my daughter likes the most are: + Trains. Especially bridges and self-moving trains. + Cups. Water, sand, playdough, etc. + A robot that takes a series of instructions, and then you hit go. This is the most advanced, but she's worked out how to make it spin on the spot, and that is apparently hilarious.
• jshaqaw 7y ago
  Magnetiles
• blatchcorn 7y ago
  Shrug my head. Be a responsible parent and let your kid enjoy their childhood. Play sports with him instead
  • deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  • ChrisRR 7y ago
    How is offering your child toys that they can learn from stopping them from enjoying their childhood, and what does it have to do with sports? I grew up loving k'nex, I don't see how that i wasn't enjoying my childhood
  • kick 7y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopat... Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head injuries.[1] Symptoms may include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking.[1] Symptoms typically do not begin until years after the injuries.[2] CTE often gets worse over time and can result in dementia.[2] It is unclear if the risk of suicide is altered.[1] Most documented cases have occurred in athletes involved in contact sports such as boxing, American football, professional wrestling, ice hockey, rugby, and soccer.[1][4] Other risk factors include being in the military, prior domestic violence, and repeated banging of the head.[1] The exact amount of trauma required for the condition to occur is unknown.[1] Definitive diagnosis can only occur at autopsy.[1] Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a form of tauopathy.[1] There is no specific treatment.[3] Rates of disease have been found to be about 30% among those with a history of multiple head injuries.[1] Population rates, however, are unclear.[2] Research in brain damage as a result of repeated head injuries began in the 1920s, at which time the condition was known as dementia pugilistica or "punch drunk syndrome".[1][3] Changing the rules in some sports has been discussed as a means of prevention.[1]
  • WorldPeas 7y ago
    You know they aren't mutually exclusive, right?
• jesheit 7y ago
  Time with parents. As a parent you can turn most any activity into an opportunity to learn math, science reading or whatever. Just asking questions is the core of learning. For example, the start of learning math is gaining a deep understanding of basic numbers. Simple activities go a long way... count things, add them together, split into groups, and so forth.
  • altcognito 7y ago
    Also don’t foist your own desires and dreams upon your children. It is good to expose your kids to quality stuff, but be aware when this is more about your desire than theirs.
    • lern_too_spel 7y ago
      On the other hand, be aware that you can shape the ambitions and the habits of a young child. Letting them figure out what they want without any guidance is negligence.
  • HorizonXP 7y ago
    I have an 18 month old. The delta that's occurred over the last year is immeasurable. I can't imagine how much more is going to happen between now and 4 years old. I optimize my day to ensure that I spend as much time as possible with him. It's definitely paying off for him, but selfishly, it's the most fun I've had in a long time.
    • mathgeek 7y ago
      > I can't imagine how much more is going to happen between now and 4 years old. Just wait until they're school age and can make the conscious decision to learn what they're interested in at a much deeper level. You're just helping them lay the physical and mental groundwork for a love of learning when they're toddlers and pre-schoolers. It really is amazing when all that work pays off (as long as you can deal with the fact that your kids may not be grateful for it until much later in life).
• pftburger 7y ago
  This is actually a question I’m asking myself at the moment as well. I taught older kids (8-16) robotics for a while, and found the younger they were the more harmful failure scenarios were. If they failed, they would get frustrated and gradually disinterested. The more there was a defined success criteria that could be measurably achieved (or not achieved) the more obvious it was to them that they had no succeeded. The more it was just about play the better. Ideally failure states should be learning opportunities and kinda fun. Littlecodr is awesome for that. It’s just a set of cards with instructions like move forward, turn left etc. get him to program you. It’s funny when the instructions lead you into a wall instead of between the door frame. Failure is fund Some of the best stuff is also just dumb hands on stuff. Playing with cardboard glue and string. Making spaghetti towers. Folding paper planes. Magnets are awesome. Basically they learn from you, so the more time you spend together the better. If your looking for low energy investment check out primo (primotoys.com). It’s little wheeled bot you program with simple physical tokens. Osmo is also cool but I find the iPad platform derails their attention. Littlebits is also cool, but the parts are a bit small for unsupervised play at that age. Makeymakey is also rad. Adafruits circuit python is awesome as well, but the play sessions would have to be quite curated. You could preprepare stuff and just do the wiring together with crocodile clips etc, but in all honesty maybe just a battery would be fine ;) Looking forward to what pops up here :)
• taneq 7y ago
  Wooden train set, blocks, those magnetic shapes that stick together, a sandpit, k'nex / duplo, an activity board (switches, hinges, moving/sliding bits etc. fastened to a piece of board), a water table with some buckets and things, play doh (home made is fine). Also let him join in with things you do around the house (cooking? cleaning up the yard?) - just giving them something to carry so they can be part of it will make them so happy sometimes.
  • annoyingnoob 7y ago
    Make the play-dough, make the blocks, make the activity board - with your kid.
• ourmandave 7y ago
  Try the local kid's museum and see what he gravitates to.
• welfare 7y ago
  We got this one for our son when he was 3: https://www.robotshop.com/en/code--go-robot-mouse-activity-set.html https://www.robotshop.com/en/code--go-robot-mouse-activity-s... It's a great introduction to programming. You have to put in all instructions on the mouse to solve the maze. There's also cards with instructions that you can place on the board to make it even easier. We also bought an IoT kit from from https://littlebits.com/ https://littlebits.com/ when he got older that we started to work on together. The key here is to do it at a 3-year old level and that you do it together, it's not about finding the right solution or not. Be open to your kid's creativity and don't just follow the instructions. Also, Magna-Tiles! https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/blocks-manipulatives/light-tables-accessories/magna-tilessup-sup-starter-set/p/DG546/ https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/blocks-manipulati... We bought a starter kit (pretty expensive I know) but my son has been playing with it for at least 1-2hrs a day for a year. They are part of every game he plays, whether it's a car race or playing with dolls.
  • D13Fd 7y ago
    I think "following the instructions" is a worthwhile skill in itself, and our 4 year old really picked it up. But you're right, once she learned to follow the instructions exactly, she is having a tough time being creative. At the moment she's kind of obsessed with instruction-following. So there are definitely two sides to it.
    • welfare 7y ago
      I agree, following the instructions is a critical skill to develop. What I meant was that you can be creative with these solutions. As for the programmable mouse, my son drew his own mazes on paper in the end and placed his toy cars and other things for the mouse to catch. The basics are still there that he need to program the mouse and understand the fundamentals, but allowed for enough creative freedom to keep it interesting.
• padraic7a 7y ago
  A stick and a puddle.
• 100-xyz 7y ago
  There is a set of 4 toys that can be assembled and dissassembled using a supplied plastic screw driver. 3 are dinosaurs and one is a horse. I forget the name though.
  • c22 7y ago
    It's not a dinosaur, but I always liked the Take-Apart Plane [0]. It comes with a directional "power drill" with multiple sockets. [0]: https://www.amazon.com/Battat-Take-Apart-functional-battery-powered-developmental/dp/B01N374DI5 https://www.amazon.com/Battat-Take-Apart-functional-battery-...
• matt_s 7y ago
  Duplo - larger Lego that they mostly can't put in their mouth. Be prepared for about a decade of being bored with kids toys. Also realize that your child may not be interested in anything you are interested in, its ok. They are their own person.
  • mcgrath_sh 7y ago
    I have purchased Duplo for three friend’s kid’s first birthday and they have been a hit. Recommended age is 18 months, but 6 months to a year out, they get more use out of my gift than the others. Duplo is also compatible with Lego, which means they can be used as filler, etc. as they get older. Now one couple is having their second kid and I need to find a new present!
    • JPLKit 7y ago
      Search for 'duplo marble run'. I've found knockoff versions on ebay for ~$5. My 8 & 10 year old still love to play with the set. It's fun to build and fun to send the marbles down the path.
  • leokennis 7y ago
    Duplo is great. The blocks are mostly big, so they cannot be swallowed. You can literally stomp on a block with all your power and it will not break. You have regular blocks but also trains, rails, wheels etc. * My youngest at 6 months was happy for ~10 minutes just holding a red 4 x 2 block * Now he's 10 months old and licks the blocks and bangs them together * My oldest at 1 - 1.5 years old, tried to stack a few blocks together * At 2 years old he was building large towers, to collapse them * At 3 years old, I could build something for him and he could "help" and add stuff to the building (with fantasy running wild; stack 20 random blocks on top of a carwash I intricately crafted and that was so "planes could land to be washed") * At 4 years old, he could build stuff by himself * Now at 4.5 he's learning himself how to reinforce structures, how to build "bridges", build cars etc.
  • yardie 7y ago
    > realize that your child may not be interested in anything you are interested in, its ok. I've been trying to get my son into STEM (robots, arduino, raspberry pis, everywhere). Alas, he is an artist and enjoys drawing manga, writing stories, and playing guitar. At first I was concerned because none of these are useful employment skills. I've learned to just go with the flow.
• roel_v 7y ago
  My kids loved this 'learn binary' toy: https://www.quercettistore.com/en/toys/educational/1014-rami https://www.quercettistore.com/en/toys/educational/1014-rami Site is in Italian but I ordered it off Amazon, the box is in Italian but that wasn't a problem.
  • hcrisp 7y ago
    Quercetti is great. We got a lot of mileage with Tubation. https://www.quercettistore.com/en/toys/buildings/4175-tubation https://www.quercettistore.com/en/toys/buildings/4175-tubati...
• gameswithgo 7y ago
  lego
• strange_aeons 7y ago
  There are some LEGO Education products that may be relevant. Maybe something like the STEAM Park set. It uses DUPLO bricks. Disclaimer, I work there.
• cpfohl 7y ago
  How about a one piece rain and mud suit? Rinse them off with a hose and the clothes stay clean. Best part is you get to say "suit up" any time you're about to do something fun.
  • LeifCarrotson 7y ago
    PPE like Mom and Dad (should!) wear is a great thing to bring a little one into the activity: it's educational for them to observe, and good habit-forming to wear the appropriate safety glasses, earmuffs, or bike helmet, gloves, or whatever is appropriate. Do let them help you with the hammer, wrench, screwdriver etc. even if the job takes 10x as long as it could. Be careful they don't get too proficient before they learn discipline and their limits, or they'll have your washing machine in parts when you turn your back... But essentially everything that's not inherently social, literary, or artistic is a STEM project for a 3 year old.
• ryanmercer 7y ago
  Lincoln Logs and Duplo.
• AgentOrange1234 7y ago
  Read to him. Nothing will help them become successful in STEM or anything else than being able to effortlessly read and comprehend (e.g., tutorials and advanced materials) and effectively communicate their ideas.
• blunte 7y ago
  A 3yo doesn't need a "stem" toy. They just need access to safe objects, heavy cardboard or plush books with simple colorful pictures, etc. In short, they just need access to things they can observe and manipulate. While a parent can to some varying degree influence the attention and interest of the child, there is plenty of doubt as to whether this will result in a better outcome long term or not. As other people have said, one of the best things you can give your child is your time (and undivided attention).
  • jawilson2 7y ago
    Agreed. At 3, literally EVERYTHING is a STEM toy.
  • guywithabike 7y ago
    > safe objects, heavy cardboard or plush books with simple colorful pictures I'm not sure if you're joking or just don't have any kids yourself, but those are more age-appropriate for a 3-month-old than a 3-year-old. 3-year-olds generally can make art independently, turn paper pages carefully, pretend and role play, draw by holding pens with their fingers, speak 300-500 words in sentences of six or more words, tell stories, climb, ride tricycles (maybe a scooter!), use safety scissors, and so on. 3-year-olds are far beyond the goo goo gaa gaa phase of life. Simple STEM toys (like what OP is looking for) are totally appropriate for most 3-year-olds. Sure, you're not going to explain tensor physics to them but you can certainly build a bridge with Duplo blocks with them and experiment with different ways of making it strong. You can read more about basic development milestones here: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-3yr.html https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-3y...
• AriaMinaei 7y ago
  I recommend reading Seymour Papert's Mindstorms: https://www.amazon.com/Mindstorms-Children-Computers-Powerful-Ideas/dp/0465046746 https://www.amazon.com/Mindstorms-Children-Computers-Powerfu... It gives you a powerful framework to think about learning in children (and adults), how they can learn programming, and how they can learn many other STEM and non-STEM topics using programming.
• bigums 7y ago
  As a parent of a soon-to-be three year old, I can relate. I’ve been thinking a lot about this exact issue. I’ve become aware of how horrible I am at staying “present” with him when we’re playing. I’m seriously struggling with the guilt that when I’m playing with him, I’m always thinking about other things (work, personal interests, chores, etc.) Just a few days ago, I had a bit of a break through though. We went outside and played in the mud, found bugs, climbed a tree, and made a tire swing. If I wasn’t inside, I had a much easier time blocking out all the distractions. It might not be STEM by today’s standards, but I feel like he learned a whole more than a screen could teach him at this age. Honestly, I learned a lot about myself in the 3 hours we spent hanging out and being a kid again. I don’t want it to seem like this is the first time that I’ve gone out and played with my kids outside or anything. It’s just the first time I’ve gone about it and become aware of all of these feelings. It’s tough to write or even talk about this because the stigma of today’s society on raising kids in the era of iPads and YouTube. I feel that there’s an expectation that our generation is going to raise our kids with screens glued to their faces. Every piece of me wants to make sure that doesn’t happen to my kids. But I feel awful that I lack the interest when it comes to playing with kids toys. TLDR: I took him outside and played. Lol.
• Symbiote 7y ago
  Everyone else is suggesting things to purchase, so I'll suggest things you can find or do outside. The last few are from [1], which I came across a while ago. - Play "identify the waterfowl in the park" followed by "chase!" and (for larger geese and swans) "run away!". [This should satisfy the other comment "play sports instead".] - Then, collect sticks in the woods and build a shelter. Extra points for using different types of structure, or working out which tree the different sticks come from. - Collect different leaves and paint them. Or paint rocks. - (In a year or two, you can get a plant press / heavy books and dry flowers and leaves between old newspaper.) - Grow seedlings. Grow cress and eat it, or tomatoes, or just flowers. - Search for fossils, bones, seeds (acorns, conkers, pine cones etc) - Make a paper or balsawood boat, and float it on a pond - Look for sea creatures in a rock pool - Make an insect haven, then look at / identify the insects When I was 3-4, I had a table placemat called something like "At The Seaside"[2], with typical creatures found on the British coast. My sister had "In the Garden". You might find something like that at a local museum, or some other child-appropriate guide to local flora and fauna. The museum probably has plenty of other STEM toys. [1] https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/50-things-to-do-before-youre-11--activity-list https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/50-things-to-do-be...
  • midgetjones 7y ago
    Don't chase birds for fun
    • Symbiote 7y ago
      I didn't mention it, but a search for "waterfowl guide children" brought up 90% American sites about killing ducks. So chasing them seems like a minor issue. (Adding "site:uk" to the search gives 90% results about feeding ducks.) I can't find any official advice on whether chasing birds is considered healthy or harmful to either the child or the birds.
      • ryanmercer 7y ago
        >I can't find any official advice on whether chasing birds is considered healthy or harmful to either the child or the birds. I mean, wild animals generally don't like being disturbed. At best it stresses them. While the domain immediately screams bias, they cite sources: https://www.animal-ethics.org/wild-animal-suffering-section/situation-of-animals-wild/psychological-stress-wild-animals/ https://www.animal-ethics.org/wild-animal-suffering-section/... The relevant bit there would be the 'frightening sounds'. A shouting/screaming child running at a bird isn't something that is normal for the bird. Further reading: - https://www.citylab.com/environment/2016/06/birds-city-health-research-lund-university/487967/ https://www.citylab.com/environment/2016/06/birds-city-healt... - https://qz.com/726926/like-people-birds-that-live-in-the-city-are-louder-meaner-and-more-stressed-out-than-their-country-cousins/ https://qz.com/726926/like-people-birds-that-live-in-the-cit... - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/jun/29/wildlife.animalbehaviour https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/jun/29/wildlife... - https://www.mpg.de/533349/pressRelease20060901 https://www.mpg.de/533349/pressRelease20060901 - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160620112028.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160620112028.h...
• GistNoesis 7y ago
  Kinetic sand
• jcrubino 7y ago
  Taking care of plants. The first thing my niece (3) and nephew (5) do when they get in the house is check what plants need to be watered by sticking their hands in the potting soil. The plants and taking care of them has achieved peak interest for a few months. Two caveats, 1) they do not live with the plants 2) It is a ploy to get the water spraying can out. They also equate it with working somewhat as a few rules have to be abided by - wear shoes because the citrus plants have thorns that fall on the floor. The floor has to be swept... etc. The concept of state phase changes of water was introduced to the newphew this weekend as there is snow outside where we live. We got to the idea that if he knows the right numbers he can add together how much heat is needed to melt the snow. This is all at the 5 year old level but the conversation got there.
  • D13Fd 7y ago
    Taking care of plants sounds good, if only I had that skill myself...
    • jcrubino 7y ago
      Get US grown citrus trees (foreign food is irradiated and seeds become non-viable)... eat them... save the seeds... germinate ... you will have more than enough plants to get it wrong and right with! All you need is some potting mix and solo cups with a hole or two for drainage to start.
  • invalidOrTaken 7y ago
    Yes! When I was little my mom had my brother and I grow carrots in pots. Later we graduated to zucchini, tomatoes, and strawberries, but the carrots were just in a small pot.
• na85 7y ago
  I'm astonished to see nobody has mentioned Duplo (aka junior Lego) yet. My 3yo loves hers and 3 is about the right age because at 2 they're not quite dextrous enough to handle the blocks and build anything more than square blocks.
• pmarreck 7y ago
  Duplo. When he’s a little older, I highly recommend Fisher-Technik kits, they were by far my favorite toy growing up (but aren’t cheap!)
• saluki 7y ago
  MAGNA-TILES was the best toy we ever purchased and would be perfect for a three year old. https://www.target.com/p/magna-tiles-clear-colors-37pc-set/-/A-15536946 https://www.target.com/p/magna-tiles-clear-colors-37pc-set/-... They are a little pricy but one of our child's favorites. LEGO and LEGO Duplo is a good choice too. We used to do science nights too, with simple experiments, answering your child's questions about anything, how does this work, etc. Once they are a little older Lego Mindstorms (Robotics) are great, check out Lego First Lego League, we coached a team for a few years, great experience.
  • japhyr 7y ago
    I came here to recommend magna-tiles. My son is 9 now, and he still plays with them on a regular basis, and his friends do as well when they come over. He knows what a cube looks like spread out in two dimensions, and a number of other shapes as well. They're just plain fun to play with they, make a really satisfying sound as they snap together, and it's not a big deal when your creation collapses every once in a while. A simple microscope is amazing to a young kid as well.
  • zoomablemind 7y ago
    .. or Picasso Tiles, these are made out of colorful transparent plastic, have magnets on sides and nicely connect into fences, cubes, domes. There's starter set with a wheeled platform. Another nice detail is combining the colors to yield another color from the set.
• a-saleh 7y ago
  a) figure out how to make the "messy and dangerous" doable. b) I had some success by playing boardgames (even Carcasone) at this age, with some rules-simplifications c) sometimes we played games on my phone, Monument Valley, I love Hue, Chuchel ... d) Buying and launching a model rocket was a success, if he'd enjoy watching from the distance and then trying to find the rocket again :-) e) in simmilar fashion, building a kite (or buying ... tbh I usually do both, because building is fun, but the store-bought actually works :P ) ... but you need good wind-conditions to fly it f) museums are surprisingly good these days, especially modern technical museums can often entertain both 3yo and 30+yo
  • hcrisp 7y ago
    +1 Monument Valley. Also Love You to Bits, and (now defunct) Tiny Thief. We are playing Gris now. For board/traditional games, we like Robot Turtles (easier version of Robo Rally, which you can upgrade to when they are older), Yahtzee, Backgammon, Stun. Yeah, for over 3, but the younger ones like to watch. And no one mentioned Snap Circuits Jr.!
    • a-saleh 7y ago
      Snap Circuits Jr. look more 5+? My cousin has that, and likes it, but he is well into school. I found backgamon to be fairly complicated and never really got my kid to play anything abstract, closest I got was with Hive, but that quickly devolved into stacking cute little bugs on hexagons into stacks (not that I am complaining) It either needs to be fast, reflex games like Hali Gali, Dobble, e.t.c. work well, or with interesting enough theme, i.e. she actually likes to attempt to build a giant sprawl in Carcasone :D But I will definitely check out robot turtles :)
• xkcd-sucks 7y ago
  A magnifying glass, a prism, etc -- things that look cool and inspire questions about the world
• zapstar 7y ago
  LEGO! Either traditional Lego (they have some Junior sets that are perfect to have them build along with a parent at that age) or Duplo. It's led to hours and hours of fun with my 2.5 year old. Even larger Lego sets he enjoys helping me build. And then he builds his own creations after!
  • me_me_me 7y ago
    > It's led to hours and hours of fun with my 2.5 year old. This is important ingredient, playing with your kid is the most stimulating environment for them to grow.
• D13Fd 7y ago
  I have 1, 3, and 4 year olds. The best directly STEM-related activity we've done so far is a soap making "science experiment" kit. The 3 and 4 year olds absolutely loved it. It was super simple. The kit comes with soap cubes, dyes, fragrances, and glitter. You follow the instructions to melt the cubes, add the dyes and fragrances, pour them into a mold, then let it set. Then you've got a bar of soap. I was surprised at just how many useful things they got out of it: - Basic lab safety: Wearing gloves, goggles (if you have a set that fit), wafting to smell the fragrances, staying away from a heat source (the stove), etc. - Basic mechanical skills and techniques: using a scale to measure the ingredients, using using a butter knife to cut the soap, double boiling, using graduated pipettes to measure the colors and fragrances - Understanding of colors: The kit comes with a chart about how to mix the dyes to get different colors. The kids got excited to try out different combinations. If you have a mixing palette they can try out different things. - Phase transitions and heat: You can explain how heat and phase transitions work when the soap melts. Plus they love to watch it melt (safely, using goggles and staying away from the heat). I encouraged them try different things to make the soap bars solidify faster - a small electric fan, putting it in the freezer (very carefully), etc. All told it was super rewarding for me and they really enjoyed and got excited by it. They are still using the soap bars and asking to do it again weeks later. I'm sure my little discussions about things like heat and phase transitions won't stick, but I'm hoping if we do it a few times having the terms and techniques bouncing around in their heads may help them a bit in the future. The 4 year old got the most out of it, but the 3 year old was right there with her in the mix. The 3 year old couldn't handle things like reading the scale and pipettes, but I felt like she still got a lot out of it. Other recommendations: - Marble games and legos. Get sets with directions and encourage them to follow the directions. My 4 year old can now build pretty complex marble games and lego sets by carefully following the directions. She started when she was about 3.5 yrs old. Personally I think they get more out of the small legos (not duplos) once they hit about 3 and aren't going to just eat them. - I agree with the magnet tiles, those are nice. - They never seem to get much out of puzzles. They require too much self-direction, it's too easy to fail, and they just don't hold their interest. Maybe when they are older. - Hydroponics kits like AeroGarden. Make them do all the work (plug it in, add water, add plant food, add seed pods). Explain what's going on. My 3-4 yr olds got very excited to watch the plants grow day-by-day and enjoyed adding water/plant food when needed. I would use an aerogarden type thing because at this age failure = no interest, and you basically can't screw up an aerogarden absent adding too much plant food.
• carapace 7y ago
  Cuisenaire rods https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisenaire_rods https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisenaire_rods I credit these with helping me develop mathematical intuition from a young age.
  • Symbiote 7y ago
    My school had these, but only 1cm and 10cm lengths. They're were also 10×10cm squares, and a 10×10×10cm (1L) box. We called that version "hundreds, tens and units". https://www.amazon.co.uk/Base-Ten-Dienes-Blocks-Group/dp/B002W6TFO2 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Base-Ten-Dienes-Blocks-Group/dp/B00...
• cvaidya1986 7y ago
  Macbook and XCode.
• tlarkworthy 7y ago
  My wife and I are building videos you can actively watch with young kids, around crafting things. https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCpL1E-yK38HGsNaIfVPdc8w https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCpL1E-yK38HGsNaIfVPdc8w (We only started a couple of weeks ago but the idea is that the format is attention grabbing and it encourages co-creation and a jump off point from screen time)
• jaxn 7y ago
  Read to him. The number 1 way you can set him up for success is to spend time reading to him. The cool thing is that you can read content that you are interested in. Even hacker news comment threads.
  • yboris 7y ago
    As far as I remember, and as my parents tell me, I was able to read at the age of 3. I'm from Russia, and the language is easier to read one-letter-at-a-time when compared to English, but I still feel like it's possible (with enough time investment from parents) for a child to start reading by the age of 4. I strongly suspect that learning to read at an earlier age is beneficial for a child. And it's not too early to start at the age of 3.
    • c22 7y ago
      I know a 3-year-old that reads English. If your kid shows an interest in reading all you have to do is provide some resources and they will learn. Don't try to force it on a kid who's not (yet) interested though. Different kids will work on things in different orders--I've also known many 3-year-olds who couldn't read but they all excelled at something else.
• hanniabu 7y ago
  Large legos
• francoisdevlin 7y ago
  Classic write up on this: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wired.com/2011/01/the-5-best-toys-of-all-time/amp https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wired.com/2011/01/the-5-bes...
• bdg 7y ago
  Get this book and do some of the activities in it, there's enough that it should last for the next 5 or so years too. https://www.amazon.com/Science-source-fascinating-projects-activities/dp/0590740709 https://www.amazon.com/Science-source-fascinating-projects-a... I had a copy given to me by a teacher when I was 7, and I think with parental guidance you could do some of the activities with toddlers.
• smcg 7y ago
  I think any age-appropriate "building blocks" toy is an excellent STEM toy.
• xn 7y ago
  Our kids liked the Robot Turtles board game. The kids are the programmers, playing cards to give instructions. The parent is the computer, executing the instructions (while making silly sound effects).
  • jawilson2 7y ago
    My kids loved that one. I was sad when they outgrew it.
    • hcrisp 7y ago
      Have you checked out Robo Rally? Similar but more advanced play, so for older players.
• rsync 7y ago
  Don't overthink this. Hand the child a basket full of blocks (Duplo would be my choice) and walk away.
• zoomablemind 7y ago
  While toys are always fun, in case of STEM I would focus on developing active attention. That is not just immerse but also observe the result (success or failure), think of ways to make it better. Basically developing the cause-effect pathways, letting kid identify and solve a problem. Tons of chances for this with everyday objects. Once kid is able to scribble, make him take "notes" of observations. Say, kid plays doctor and receives teddy bear as patient, asking what bothers him and taking notes of that. Measuring temperature with beeping thermometer, then deciding if there's fever and "prescribing" teddy bear some remedy or regimen. Look around your house, there lots of safe objects that can be used as functional "toys". After all kids want to adapt to the "grownup" world.
• cjg 7y ago
  A balancing cactus - e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plan-Toys-0410101-Balancing-Cactus/dp/B0009B0M4E https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plan-Toys-0410101-Balancing-Cactus/...
• blue11 7y ago
  Lots of negativity in this thread and comments from people that either have not had children or have had them so long ago that they don't remember what is age-appropriate for a 3-year-old. I'll just second some of the common recommendation: - Magnatiles. There are a lot of manufacturers out there, some brand name, some not. The good thing is that at this point they have all standardized on the tile sizes, so they are usually compatible. - LEGO Duplo. The standard LEGO sizes are too small for most toddlers. Duplos are perfect. Kids (and parents) quickly tire of the set themes, but the good news is that you can mix and match pieces and let the kids build whatever crooked houses they want to build. - Trains and other vehicles that go on rails. - Picture books that you can read to them while they can follow by looking at the pictures. This is tricky, because in my experience most children books are not great. The biggest problem is usually the lack of a story. Many books are supposedly educational or teach kids good values, but they are poor at story telling. If there is no good story, kids are not interested. Many books also don't have a good balance between text and pictures. Too little text and there's not much for you to read, they'll flip through the book in seconds. Or pictures that do not have enough detail to match the text. Anyway, the only solution is trial and error. Admittedly, none of these are exactly "STEM", but I think that's OK. What's more important to stimulate creativity and make learning fun.
  • csarva 7y ago
    All great suggestions - can highly recommend Magnatiles and Duplos as well. Just a word of caution on buying Magnatiles - there are lots of knockoff brands out there, not just for these but almost all kids toys these days (duplos and trains included), and some can be dangerous: > Last December, Jennifer White of Appleton, Wis., received Imden Magnetic Blocks for her 4-year-old son as a gift. Her son was rushed to the hospital after the toy broke and he ingested some magnets, Ms. White said. > The worst part? The Imden-branded product was listed right next to industry-leading brands like Magformers and Magnatiles, which meet U.S. safety standards. https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-shoppers-this-is-how-to-safety-proof-your-order-11566564957 https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-shoppers-this-is-how-to-...
  • neovive 7y ago
    I definitely agree with the LEGO Duplo recommendations. Of all the toys, our Duplo's have endured for years. For a 3 yo, simple wood blocks with different shapes and sizes are great for developing spatial skills and generally provide many hours of fun. I've tried many other "STEM" toys over the years, but find most battery-operated toys, robotics sets, lose their appeal quickly and go unused. Just keep it simple.
• annoyingnoob 7y ago
  Outdoor ready vehicles, sticks or other outdoor objects, sand/dirt - have fun! Focus on playing with your son, don't worry about the education bit so much at 3yrs. Focus on having fun, he will learn and not even realize it. Don't expect a 3 year old to spend a lot of time on a single activity, mix it up.
• kick 7y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Nim https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Nim
• iamben 7y ago
  Don't have kids, so pinch of salt this - but my dad used to make "golf ball runs" for us when we were kids. Essentially long, elaborately set up contraptions that you put a golf ball at the top and it rolls all the way to the bottom, dropping through pipes and rolling down boards. I'm 40 this year, I still remember this vividly. I guess marbles would be too edible (ha), we always did this outside (fresh air), we were building things, and I just remember it being magical watching the ball _finally_ go down. And then two balls, and then three... I'll second Duplo - that was my precursor to Lego, which was my entertainment for YEARS (before I found computers, anyway).
• deepakhj 7y ago
  Nintendo switch
• abfan1127 7y ago
  as a father of a 12yo boy, 8yo girl, and 3yo boy, I have some experience here. Anything where he can take apart and reassemble which requires trial and error, and creative new ways of doing things is great. I love Thomas train tracks, legos (yes not duplo, actual legos because my kids never put things in their mouth), Lincoln logs, puzzles. All of that play leads to things like Snap Circuits, etc.
• ljf 7y ago
  My kids adored this and have had a good few goes out of doing most of the experiments and making some up too Galt Toys Science Lab Kit https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XDD3K8Z/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_gtPxEbDN7VDE5 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XDD3K8Z/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_... thojfh my 5yo gets it a lot more than the 3 yo
• jhoechtl 7y ago
  Play domino. Gently introduce him to maths. But in general - let the child play and engage it develop an explorers attitude.
• smoyer 7y ago
  I love the "Turing Tumble" for teaching boolean logic as well as other electronic/computing/programming lessons. With an expansion kit or two you can build some pretty sophisticated components! - https://www.turingtumble.com/ https://www.turingtumble.com/
  • ChicagoBoy11 7y ago
    One of my issues with tit is that the marbles run slightly too quickly to get young learners to analyze what's going on.
    • smoyer 7y ago
      Hmm ... I guess it could have been designed with a stand that tipped it back to almost horizontal? Try going flatter than 30 degrees and you'll really slow it down!
• wez470 7y ago
  The fisher-price learn to code caterpillar is pretty good IMO. My friend's 3 year old seemed to really enjoy it, although I think it'll take her another year or so to understand the programming side of it. https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Think-Learn-Pillar/dp/B01ASVD2L4 https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Think-Learn-Pillar/dp/B0...
• turtlebits 7y ago
  I don't believe 3yo need specifically STEM toys, but to add on the other good suggestions - Keva planks or just plain wooden blocks in all sorts of sizes. Marble run (if your kid won't eat the marbles) Spirograph (there is a crayola version thats easier for smaller kids)
• dcchambers 7y ago
  LEGO DUPLO. I also second the suggestion of reading to your kid. There are plenty of child-friendly stories that are still engaging and fun to read for an adult. e.g. The Hobbit.
• v8engine 7y ago
  https://csferrie.com/books/ https://csferrie.com/books/ The Baby University series is pretty interesting. The titles go like Bayesian Probability for Babies, Neural Networks for Babies and Rocket Science for Babies.
• thebruce87m 7y ago
  My 3 year old loves snakes and ladders. It reinforces numbers, how to follow the rules of the game and how to move about. We also have a floor sized version with two dice that allows him to practice adding.
• dwnvoted2hell 7y ago
  I think this is really an impossible question to answer. Three year olds have such a huge spectrum of what they can like or not like, know or not know to give you a perfect blanket answer. My recommendation is to find a library or a toy store that lets kids try things and go from there.
• mrlala 7y ago
  Spend as much time with your kid as you can. The rest are details.
• typescriptfan1 7y ago
  Rokenbok
• robomartin 7y ago
  Three is really young to even think STEM. That does not mean you can’t go there, but one-on-one involvement on your part is absolutely essential. When my kids were that age, frankly, it was more about mommy than me. Still, we built an awesome wooden train table (Thomas trains, tracks, etc.). I also gave them an old IBM keyboard, the kind with the keys that click. They loved sitting on the floor next to me while I was on the computer. I also got them involved with any project I did in the shop (so long as it wasn’t dangerous). For example, I’d have them help build model airplanes (hand me tools, parts, hold things, etc.). I also took them to the flying field and had them fly with me using a “buddy box” (two transmitters linked for teacher-student control of the same plane). And fishing, even if it is using a lure without real hooks that looks like a little fish (after I clipped off the hooks). Definitely fishing, nothing compares to quality time fishing on a kayak on the lake. The common thread is 100% personal involvement. That’s the only way it works, even if all you have are cardboard boxes (which should not be underestimated, BTW).
• textread 7y ago
  Clay modeling
• speedplane 7y ago
  I don't yet have kids, but I have this abstract principle of how to raise them to learn STEM and generally become curious: don't give them anything until they build something similar. This principle can start at a very basic level, like don't give them a ball until they find a small round rock to play with or let them use a chunk of charcoal to draw with before giving them a pencil. It goes further: - give them a few batteries and LEDs before giving them a flashlight - give them some logic gates before giving them a calculator - make them come up with a problem that can't be solved on a calculator before giving them a computer - giving them a text-based computer, and make them create something that generates ascii art before giving them anything with a GUI. - force them to create some sort of networked application before giving them social media. Etc., etc. I know that in practice, the above sounds ridiculous: kids will grab that iPad as soon as they can use their fingers. However, the point is that there must be an incremental way to introduce kids to technology that forces them to learn, and rewards that learning with more sophisticated technology and learning.
• AnnoyingSwede 7y ago
  My boy turned 3 in Feb this year, and he spends weekends with me since me and the mother have broken up. Disclaimer: I havn't read all the literature out there on how to best parent but took a few pages out of my own upbringing (both good and bad). As a kid my parents were far from rich, so i didn't have a lot of toys and the one i had were often handed down to me. On my Do-list: - overwhelm my kids with all toys appropriate for the age (+1 year) but supervise him when playing with them. I keep giving him things until we don't have any more room for toys and then force him to pick out stuff he no longer want, which we give to less fortunate kids. Teaching him empathy at a early stage seems appropriate to me. - Teach him that everything can be modified. I bought him a ride-on car that we progressively have modified with proper tires, disc-brakes, carbon fiber spoilers and details, wrapping. He loves his car, and have developed a love for vehicles. He can now name most common and some exclusive cars as we walk down the streets. He can also spot the difference between steel, aluminum, brass and his interest in powertools have caused me to buy kid versions of many of the tools we commonly use when we rebuild his car. - I got him Duplo that he loves (trains, cars and generic blocks). People will downvote me for this but I reached out on facebook for Lego a month ago and we received a lot. I've explained that if i ever see a piece in or near his mouth i suspend his right to play with it for the duration of the weekend, and since he is with me only on the weekend i keep an eye on him every second. So far, so good. At this point he is building and adding to stuff we build together and i see clear improvements in his ability to place even the smaller parts every week. Initially he kept asking me to put pieces together as soon as it didn't work the first time but now he tries 6-7 times before i have to pry it out of his hands to do it for him :) - i tried to explain our solarsystem and he is showing extreme interest in videos about space, rockets, moon/space walks so it's become a small tradition that i replay SpaceX latest achievements and failures when there is any news. - I have avoided only selecting toys/areas of interest/gender-based toys and try to give him everything from musical instruments, balls, frisbees, toy-kitchen, dolls. Whatever he chooses to play with and show interest in, he gets to do. - music-wise i expose him to everything from classical music, rock, hiphop, children music to break-core and classic EBM/EDM. Lucky for me he sidetracked into EDM, so to sponsor this interest in dance music i got some vintage synths, sequencers and drum-machines he loves to play with next to his acoustic instruments. My Don't-list is short and basically just contains stuff i don't want him to see when he has screen-time: - i try to avoid the most brain-dead stuff, like repetitive viewing of the same videos. Videos about counting and colors are all good stuff but at the point when he knows it, it makes little sense to show it to him again, and i try to find interesting videos that drives a conversation about what we are watching, as we are watching. I avoid endless playlists and allow him to tell me what he wants to see, as i help him search for appropriate videos.
• grandridge 7y ago
  Let your kid play and be patient