25 STEAM Toys Top Toy Association’s “Back to School” Shopping List for Parents
August 1, 2022 | New York, NY – The Toy Association today unveiled its “Back to School STEAM Toy Shopping List,” which includes 25 officially accredited STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) toys that will support learning for kids of all ages during the upcoming academic year. Families can shop the list of toys, which includes top-of-the-line coding and construction kits, as well as activities that engage kids in life sciences, mathematics, music composition, and more.
Each toy on the list has passed a rigorous evaluation process to earn an official “STEAM Stamp of Approval,” and meets the strict criteria set in The Toy Association’s STEAM Toy Assessment Framework, developed in partnership with The Good Play Guide™. The toys were first tested by children under professional observation, before being evaluated by The Good Play Guide™, which uses a scientifically proven toy evaluation method backed by Dr. Amanda Gummer, who has a PhD in neuropsychology and more than 20 years of experience working with kids and families.
“These curated STEAM toys have been proven to provide hours of educational, skill-building, and stimulating play for children,” said Anna Yudina, senior director of marketing initiatives at The Toy Association. “Each toy listed below checks off the characteristics of a quality STEAM toy, from allowing kids to be actively and independently involved in the learning experience, to supporting age-appropriate learning goals, to having clear relevance and application to the real world. We are excited to offer parents so many excellent options as they look to engage their children in play that is both meaningful and fun!”
The “Back to School STEAM Toy Shopping List” is below (listed alphabetically by company name):
- Go Eco Building Blocks Kit (ARCKIT)
- K’NEX Thrill Rides 3-in-1 Classic Amusement Park Building Set (Basic Fun!)
- Connetix 106 Piece Pastel Ball Run Pack (Connetix Tiles)
- Connetix 212 Piece Rainbow Mega Pack (Connetix Tiles)
- Circuit Blox BYO Glowing LED FM Radio (E-Blox)
- Discover Coding (Elenco Snap Circuits)
- Shashibo (Fun In Motion)
- Coding Charms (hand2mind)
- Butterfly Garden – Home School Edition (Insect Lore)
- Life Cycle Figurines, 24 Piece Set (Insect Lore)
- Bio Chem Creatures (Klutz)
- Botley 2.0 the Coding Robot Activity Set (Learning Resources)
- Magna-Tiles® Safari Animals 25 Piece Set (Magna-Tiles)
- Hot Wheels® STEAM Balance Shift™ (Mattel)
- Construction Set in a Box (Melissa & Doug)
- Examine & Treat Pet Vet Play Set (Melissa & Doug)
- Pix Brix 3,000pc Container (Pix Brix)
- Cody Block (QUBS)
- Wall Stories I’m Discovering Numbers! (Quinco & Cie)
- Music Machine (Smartivity by Elenco)
- Ultimate Squishy Human Body (SmartLab Toys)
- Warmup Set (Squaregles)
- PIXIO-800 (TRENDFORMER LIMITED)
- Marble Rush Ultimate Set (VTech Electronics)
- Weplay Sand and Water Clam (Weplay)
The Toy Association’s STEAM toy accreditation program was launched in 2021 in partnership with the Good Play Guide™, following years of research to identify and detail specific characteristics of a good STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) toy for various age groups. To learn more about The Toy Association’s ongoing STEAM initiative, visit toyassociation.org/STEAM or contact steam@toyassociation.org.
About The Toy Association toyassociation.org / thegeniusofplay.org / playsafe.org
Founded in 1916, The Toy Association™, Inc. is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. The Toy Association leads the health and growth of the U.S. toy industry, which has an annual U.S. economic impact of $102.4 billion, and represents hundreds of companies including manufacturers, retailers, licensors and others who are involved in the youth entertainment industry. Our manufacturing members account for 93% of U.S. toy and game sales driving the annual $38.2 billion U.S. domestic toy market. The Toy Association serves as the industry’s voice on the developmental benefits of play and promotes play’s positive impact on childhood development to consumers and media. The organization has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 40 years ago, and remains committed to working with medical experts, government, consumers, and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play. As a global leader, The Toy Association produces the world-renowned Toy Fair; advocates on behalf of members around the world; sustains the Canadian Toy Association; acts as secretariat for the International Council of Toy Industries and International Toy Industry CEO Roundtable; and chairs the committee that reviews and revises America’s widely emulated ASTM F963 toy safety standard.
About the Good Play Guide™ www.goodplayguide.com
The Good Play Guide™ is the official accreditation body for the STEAM Accreditation Program. Founded by Dr. Amanda Gummer, who has a PhD in neuropsychology and over 20 years of experience working with children and families, the Good Play Guide uses a scientifically proven method to evaluate toys. Every toy submitted for evaluation is firstly tested by the important people – children. While the children play, they are observed by professionals who have been trained to carry out research with children in a robust and ethically responsible way. The toys are then evaluated by the Good Play Guide’s team of experts to ensure they meet the strict criteria set in The Toy Association’s “STEAM Toy Assessment Framework.”