If you are one of the many consumers shopping for girls in your life this year, we encourage you to consider toys and gifts that can make a difference by delighting, inspiring, and engaging girls with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Research conducted by the LEGO Group and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media demonstrates that parents more frequently encourage sons to do STEM activities, including using STEM-themed toys, than daughters. This may subtly reinforce stereotypes about who can pursue STEM and cause girls to miss out on important playful learning experiences.

Stereotypes make a big impact. Beginning at an early age, stereotypes have the power to influence children’s interest, confidence, and identification with STEM fields. Researchers have found that by age six, girls have developed gendered beliefs about intelligence and are less likely than boys to believe that members of their gender are “really, really smart.”  When it comes to STEM-specific stereotypes, research has found that stereotypes about girls’ interest in computer science and engineering are formed as early as age 6 and are evident across multiple ages from childhood through adolescence. 

Let’s do what we can to shift these beliefs by encouraging play that counters stereotypes and encourages hands-on STEM fun for all! Not sure where to start? NGCP is here to help with a list of the top 10 STEM toys, books, experiences, and other gifts that are sure to captivate and inspire everyone on your shopping list! 

1. Open-Ended Building and Tinkering Toys - Tinkering encourages young children to use their hands, senses, and tools to investigate, make discoveries, and engage with trial and error. Tinkering and building toys make the perfect STEM gift to inspire creativity because they can be used again and again, building things in new and different ways each time. These toys can include building bricks (e.g., LEGO, DUPLO, MEGA Bloks, etc.), magnetic tiles, blocks, pipe cleaners, arts and craft materials, natural materials, and more.
2. Coding and Engineering Toys - Women remain highly underrepresented in computer science and engineering fields (see: State of Girls and Women in STEM). Encouraging girls’ positive early exposure to engineering and computer science is an important way to counter stereotypes about these fields. To do this, check out programmable robotics kits like the KIBO Robotics Kit, Sphero Indi, Dash, Coding Critters, and KinderBot which are all designed for preschool and elementary-aged children. Explore electrical engineering with kits like Snap Circuits Beginner (5+) and Snap Circuits (8+). Beyond these traditional coding and engineering toys, there are also dolls like Codie the Coder and the Lottie Young Inventor Doll that can playfully introduce coding and engineering to young children through doll play. 
3. Spatial Reasoning Toys – Young children’s early mathematics learning, including spatial-reasoning, is related to later success in both reading and math. Toys like tangrams, puzzles, blocks, and more are perfect for fostering spatial reasoning skills for kids. Find a list of ten spatial reasoning toys here for more inspiration! 
4. STEM Board Games – Who doesn’t love board games? They help foster important skills like patience, turn-taking, and being a respectful winner or loser. Integrating board games into STEM education can also improve student engagement and understanding of STEM learning. Check out board games like Robot Turtles (ages 4+) or Code Master (ages 8+) to explore coding, Math Tac Toe (8+) to practice math skills, Planet (8+) to explore environmental science, or Cytosis (10+) to explore cell biology. 
5. STEM in a Box – There are lots of options for gifting STEM activities “in a box” with products designed for toddlers all the way through teens. Check out Smart Girls HQ for kits that are perfect for girls ages 6-12 to explore core STEM concepts as they become an Electrical Engineer, Cosmetic Scientist, or a Product Designer. National Geographic also offers STEM kits for many different ages exploring things like model volcanoes, growing crystals, and more. For younger kids, check out the offerings from KiwiCo, which offers options for buying individual kits as well as gifting subscriptions that allow you to give the gift of STEM all year long!
6. STEM Picture Books – Reading and discussing stories provides young readers and their grownups with the opportunity to explore a range of foundational STEM concepts through captivating narratives while also countering stereotypes about who can successfully pursue the sciences. Check out captivating books with girl protagonists like Ada Twist, Scientist or Mazie’s Amazing Machines. You can also find a longer list of NGCP’s book recommendations here.
7. STEM Fashion – Who doesn’t love combining science and fashion? There are lots of gifts that can engage girls in making their own STEM fashion. For example, this kit to create your own DNA necklace or earrings makes the perfect gift for older youth and teens. For younger kids in elementary school, check out simple binary coding necklace kits like this one. You can also give the gift of ready-to-wear STEM fashion by visiting the NGCP shop to find shirts (for babies, toddlers, youth, and adults!), mugs, bags, and more with positive messaging around breaking STEM stereotypes. Bonus: all sales from the NGCP shop go directly to supporting our incredible Youth Advisory Board. 
8. STEM Experiences – Remember, STEM gifts do not have to take the shape of toys, books, games, or any physical object. Some of the most wonderful STEM gifts are experiences! Consider gifting passes or memberships to local science museums, maker spaces, traveling exhibits, and other STEM-related activity experiences. 
9. Recycled and other FREE Materials – Sometimes the very best STEM gift is...the box it came in! As you are shopping for gifts, we want to remind you that some of the best STEM activities and experiences are 100% free. Simply giving the gift of your time and encouraging girls to build and tinker with open-ended arts, crafts, natural materials, and recycled materials can lead to incredible discoveries and creations. Science experiments can often happen with ingredients already found in the kitchen or around the house. Taking a nature walk in your community can lead to exciting observations and learning. Young children can delight in using old cardboard boxes to create sculptures, pillows and blankets to design forts, and anything else their imaginations can dream up. The possibilities of STEM play are all around us!
10. STEM Donation – Not sure what to give to someone who has everything?  Make a donation in honor of someone special while giving to a good cause. You can help create the tipping point for gender equity in STEM by making a donation to NGCP. Your support helps NGCP connect, create, and collaborate to transform STEM for all youth. Donations allow us to support programs working to increase girls’ interest in STEM by providing collaboration support, professional development, curriculum, and helpful evaluation and assessment techniques. Donate today!

Want to learn even more about choosing toys to support early STEM play and equity? Watch the recording of our NGCP webinar Choosing Toys to Inspire Young Girls in STEM or check out the additional resources below. 

More Resources:

• NGCP Webinar: Choosing Toys to Inspire Young Girls in STEM
• NGCP Podcast: Inspiring Curiosity from Early Childhood to Break Gender Stereotypes
• Genius of Play and NGCP: Six Ways to Combat STEM Stereotypes through Play
• Genius of Play and NGCP: Using Play to Spark Girls’ Interest and Confidence in STEM
• Today Show Gift Guide: Shop expert-approved STEM toys, books and kits for every age, with picks starting at just $5