As I was strolling through the aisles of Toys R Us in search of a holiday gift for my niece, I was reminded of the year I received a K’NEX kit for Christmas. I remember opening it Christmas morning and feeling immediately inspired. What would I build? A roller coaster for my action figures? A home for my stuffed animals? The possibilities were endless.

Now as an adult, I strive to find gifts that inspire that same feeling in my nieces, and luckily, educational gifts have only gotten better since I was younger. If you’re still on the hunt for the perfect educational holiday gift, here are my top picks this season.

A KiwiCo Subscription Box

KiwiCo inspires designers, innovators, artists, makers, and scientists with monthly subscription boxes. KiwiCo offers 5 different boxes which target different age groups and interests. My personal favorite subscription is the Tinker Science and Engineering box, perfect for ages 9-16+. Each box comes equipped with high-quality materials, step-by-step instructions, video tutorials, and more (based on the type of box).

Not ready to make a long-term commitment? No worries. With KiwiCo, you can either try it for free or select a timeframe for your subscription (available month-to-month, every 3-months, every 6-months, or yearly).

SparkFun Inventor’s Kit

This all-in-one kit is an excellent way to get your kids started with programming and hardware interaction with the Arduino programming language. With five overarching projects that consist of 16 interconnected circuits, kids can start with simple projects like making LED lights blink to creating an autonomous robot! The best part? No previous programming or electronics experience necessary.

Equipped with all the materials and tools needed to complete the projects, as well as a comprehensive guidebook, your kids will be able to jump right in. Recommended for beginners ages 10 and up.

To learn more about SparkFun and their vast line of inventors kits, visit https://www.sparkfun.com/. 

Pi-Top (with pi-topPULSE add-on)

Give your kids a solution that delivers high-impact Computer Science and STEAM learning with the pi-top. This lime green laptop gives kids the opportunity to look “under the hood” of their computer, and see what makes it run. Brought to life by the Raspberry Pi (which must be purchased separately), kids have the opportunity to “build” their own computer.

Each pi-top comes equipped with the pi-topCODER software—a platform where kids can learn beginner programming languages, and work their way up to advanced languages, like the industry-standard Python.

Along with the CODER, every pi-top comes with an Inventor’s Kit which allows kids the ability to build and code with over 20 electronic projects. We also recommend purchasing the pi-topPULSE add-on board, where kids can create music and light shows, with full Amazon Alexa compatibility.

littleBits Code Kits 

Perfect for grades 3-8, the littleBits Code Kit inspires kids to invent and code their own games. With 4 games including Ultimate Shootout, Hot Potato of Doom!, Rockstar Guitar, and Tug of War, this kit will keep your kids and their peers entertained for hours.

Kids can find additional resources including tutorials, lessons, and more, on the free computer-based Code Kit App. Compatible with Mac, Windows, and Chromebook.

Code-a-pillar

Although Code-a-pillar has made our list quite a few times, it still remains one of my favorites. Made by Fisher Price, the Code-a-pillar teaches young learners about coding by connecting segments to make the toy go forward, left, right, and so on. Great for strengthening problem-solving skills, challenge kids to configure the segments to move around obstacles, and more.

Available at most toy retailers. Aimed for kids ages 3-6.

To Learn More:

Stay up to date with our favorite edtech products, solutions, and tips on the Teq Blog (https://34.201.222.12/learning-community/teq-talk/).