Lots of young people are interested in science, and if you want to encourage this interest and allow your teens and tweens to explore it further, the best way is to make science, discovery, and learning fun and exciting, which is where great science gifts, hands-on kits, and educational toys come in handy. Companies all over are making fun games and toys (for kids of all ages) that allow everyone from young kids through teenagers (and even young adults) to improve their skills in science and other subjects and have fun at the same time.
If your teen loves science and you want to encourage that, below are a handful of the best science toys for a teenager that will make for a great time, encourage strategic thinking, improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, and perhaps even inspire young engineers and future scientists.
This is a great chemistry set for the young scientist because while it is a basic set, it is one of the best chemistry sets on the market today. It comes with an 80-page detailed manual of instructions that shows you how to conduct a total of 125 experiments, which provides students nearly endless different projects from which to learn. With common household items such as sugar, eggs, and honey, teens will have tons of fun and learn valuable chemistry and scientific principles at the same time.
One of the first things you’ll notice about this kit is the fact that all of the pieces are sturdy and high-quality, meaning they can take a lot of abuse and keep on going, making it a great option even for heavy-handed younger children. This chemistry set is made by Thames & Kosmos, a maker of science and chemistry kits that are perfect for both teens and adults alike. If you know of a teen that takes their science and chemistry classes seriously, the C1000 chemistry set is for them.
With nearly 850 pieces, this LEGO set allows teens to build a robot and learn coding at the same time, making it easily one of the best STEM toys to provoke curiosity, build competence, and inspire confidence in even newbies to programming. The kit allows you to create and then program a colorful robot named Vernie, who can then dance, explore, and interact with the Autobuilder. Vernie stands at around ten inches in height and can even be operated with your smartphone or tablet. Even better, it is compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems. It is a colorful and very active robot!
One of the things you’ll love about the kit is its ability to create a total of five different models, so your robot won’t always look just like the others. It is a bit pricey at around $200, but it will provide your teens and tweens – and even the adults in your home – hours’ worth of fun. Plus, it provides one of the best options to improve problem-solving skills and overcome the intimidation around robotics and coding.
Microscopes always provide a great introduction to the world of science and allow teens to get up close and personal with the things that make up various objects. This kit contains ten blank slides and ten slides that already have something on them for kids to explore. It has more than 50 pieces and is perfect for anyone eight years old and over. It is priced at around $80 and has a light both above and below the viewing section, which allows you to see the item you’re exploring up close. The microscope also allows for both 20x and 50x magnification, and because it is made by National Geographic, you can rest assured it is high quality and will last for a while.
High school students can take the 300+ building pieces included in this kit to build things such as windmills, sail cars, cranes, and Mars robots, among others. It is priced at around $42 and it allows young people to learn about gears, wheels, screws, levers, and inclined planes. To be sure, this is one kit that a teen can have fun with for hours at a time, especially if they love physics and wish to know more about it.
A total of 37 experiments can be conducted, teaching teens various aspects of the physics world.
They can also make several models with this one kit, including a pinball machine, ship lantern, and centrifuge, as well as dozens more. The possibilities are endless with this kit, so both teens and adults can create their own models that are unique from everyone else’s.
This crystal growing kit is nothing short of amazing. Not only is it colorful and fun, but it also teaches teens and tweens a lot about science. It is priced at under $13 and is therefore very affordable, and it comes with the tools you need to conduct a total of seven different crystal experiments, including display cases that are there to protect them after they’re grown. You can also get kits that allow you to make either three or ten crystals, if you prefer.
Even better, this is a STEM toy that teaches kids a lot about science, and it comes with everything you need to complete the experiment. All you have to provide yourself is some distilled water and you’re all set. If your kids are interested in geology or basic science, this is a lab toy that will both thrill them and teach them some important skills, as well as give them a rewarding and tangible outcome they’ll be proud to show off!
Nothing says “science” better than the practice of medicine, and if your teen is planning to be a physician some day, this set is the perfect gift for any occasion. Created for kids 11 and up, it consists of a course that includes the principles of examination, diagnosis of various diseases, and specific descriptions of certain specialties, including neurology, gastroenterology, and cardiology, among others. There are a total of 6 flash drive chapters and 14 online chapters that teach kids a lot about this profession.
The kit is priced at around $90 and consists of the tools you’ll need to conduct more than 50 experiments which allow teens to apply what they learned in the lessons. It is a comprehensive kit that includes everything they’ll need to explore their love of science and interest in medicine, and it is so educational and fun that they’ll likely not want to put it down.
While containing only around 55 parts, this kit allows teenagers to build more than 175 really cool projects, and they are super-easy to put together because everything is color-coded with clear instructions. Teens get hands-on experience that allows them to create working circuits and devices, and if you plug in your MP3 player, Android, or iPhone, you can watch while the projects interact with the device. And this isn’t one of those kits that teaches just the basics; it has won numerous awards because of the many things it allows kids to do.
The kit is priced at around $84 and is undoubtedly one of the best science kits on the market today. It is lightweight and runs on some AA batteries, and its features include a strobe light, glow-in-the-dark fans, infrared detector, and a color organ that you can control either through your iPod or MP3 player, among others.
This kit is made for anyone over the age of 7 and has the components to make a total of 6 different pneumatic machines. These include exoskeleton arms, robotic claws, and so much more. The kit contains more than 200 parts and comes with a detailed instruction manual that makes it super-easy for the user to put together the robotic arms in record time. It is also reasonably priced at around $42 and makes the perfect kit for teens and adults alike.
Not only are there detailed instructions to put together the robotic arms, but the user manual gives valuable information on the practical uses of these devices and how they can be used in real life, thus inspiring kids and teens who may be interested in pursuing future careers in robotics. The arms can be opened and closed easily, and besides, they are tons of fun as well. While a youngster can create the projects, the game is a lot of fun and a great choice for adults, too.
If you have a teen who loves to build robots and then program them to move on their own, this kit is perfect for them. It is an educational kit that encourages skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking, and it’s the perfect activity for anyone over the age of ten. Included in the kit are a mainboard, line-tracking sensor, temperature sensor, buzzer, Bluetooth module, and so much more. This is a 3-in-1 robot kit that allows you to create a nervous bird, a land raider, and a dashing raptor.
The bright blue color of the robot is eye-catching, and you can control its movement with an easy-to-use app. It is also tough enough to operate over various terrains and still survive. The robots have powerful engines and great grip tracks that make them very efficient and easy to operate, and they make the perfect gift for teens and adults alike.
This is a chemistry set for more experienced users and is a more advanced version than the one previously mentioned. With this kit, you can conduct more than 250 different experiments because it contains more than 50 pieces, including funnels, tubes, cups, vials, goggles, and so much more. Perfect for kids 11 and up, including teenagers, the kit allows you to observe various chemical reactions and also introduces you to the alcohol burner – an important part of many scientific experiments.
The kit allows you to learn more about elements and compounds, experiment with kitchen foods to learn about fats and sugars, investigate metals such as copper and iron, and so much more. It has tons of accessories and components that are well-built and high in quality, so you’ll feel like you’re a real scientist every time you use it. It’s a bit pricey but well worth every penny you spend on it, as it will keep teens occupied, engaged, and learning for a long time.
Priced at around $60, this is a STEM kit that allows you to conduct more than 30 different experiments. It includes VR goggles and uses virtual reality as a way to explore caves, waterfalls, volcanoes, and tons more. It also contains items such as measuring cups, baking soda, and a paintbrush, among many others, which give you the perfect immersive experience that is truly unique. Even better, you can use it with both Android phones and iPhones because it has the perfect app to get the work done.
Priced at around $60, this is a one-of-a-kind VR kit that is perfect for kids, teens, and even adults. It also allows you to observe slime, rockets, and crystals, and the interactive project book gives you the tools you need to make each experiment a success.
If you have a teen who is interested in animation, this is the kit for them. It provides them with the tools they need to create their own HD stop-motion animated movies, including action figures, LEGOs, modeling clay, toys, and a lot more. It even comes with a low-profile HD camera that connects easily to your computer without detaching. Also included are animation software that even non-techies can use and detailed tutorials to make the task much easier, among others.
The software is compatible with many Windows and iOS operating systems, and it has been used by STEM educators, home-schooling parents, and even after-school programs because it is so efficient and user-friendly. Once you decide to download the software, you can do it on the company website for free without any type of registration or signup required. They make it super-easy for you to get started with your animation projects, so you won’t be disappointed.
Priced at under $40 and designed to teach students how to solder and wire circuit boards when they make a metalworking station in the comfort of their own home, this is a very user-friendly kit that teaches kids valuable skills with which they may one day make a living. Given that trade jobs are increasing in demand due to the decline in young people attending trade schools, this could actually be a great educational and career edge for students, as well as a fun way to develop some potentially income-generating skills. Looking at the printed circuit board makes it easy to learn all about soldering and metalworking, and it offers a temperature range of between 350 degrees to 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
These types of complete STEM kits offer all of the tools you need to get the job done, and the detailed user manual helps you (or your teen, even with a novice skill level or none at all) feel more confident about working with it. It includes wire cutters and a wedge tip, and you even get a practice device in case you’d like to try out your skills before working on the real thing.
When it comes to fun experiments, what’s more fun than designing and building machines that can actually move? This LEGO set costs under $25 and has 72 pieces to enjoy while you’re working. You can build a total of ten different models, and the kit is designed for anyone over the age of eight. You also get six LEGO balls, six feet of string, a funnel ramp, two popup signs, and a platform, to name a few. Simply put, you get just what you need to make sure you can make tons of moving machines that are both educational and fun.
The machines you’re able to create will pivot, roll, drop, lift, and swing, so you’ll be amazed at how flexible and versatile they are. With this kit, you can create an ordinary task in an extraordinary way, regardless of what you’re interested in making each time.
The popularity of forensic technology television shows makes these kits popular themselves. They teach teens all about processes such as fingerprinting, secret messages, UV fluorescence, footprint casts, and chromatography, as well as analysis of fiber, soil, and even poison. This is a great CSI kit that is user-friendly and teaches teens all about the fascinating world of forensic technology. It is also reasonably priced at around $30 and is recommended for anyone over the age of eight.
This kit is one of the best science toys not only because it is educational, but also because it is great fun for the entire family. It has tools and ingredients to accommodate tons of experiments, although you may have to supply items such as plates, scissors, and something made out of glass. Nevertheless, this is one science kit you won’t regret buying, and at its reasonable price and diversity of science experiments included, it’s an indisputably great value.
When it comes to the natural world and things such as genetics, a good DNA kit can teach teens and adults alike how to build a DNA model so you can learn more about this fascinating type of science. You can use the information you get from the kit to solve a crime and identify a suspect, and you can even breed your own bacteria colony if you want to learn more about survival of the fittest. You can also learn about dominant and recessive genes and how they contribute to certain traits.
Genetics is a fascinating type of science and a lot easier to understand than many people realize, with many real-world implications that make this a great future career inspiration tool as well. It also comes with an easy-to-understand user manual that makes all of these tasks super-easy and fun. If your teen is curious about the traits of humans and other animals and the difference they make in everyday life, this is one kit they need.
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