Toys for 12 year olds need to be fun, there’s no doubt about it, otherwise you run the risk of them getting bored with it and the toy ending up in the bin. So when you find toys which are both educational and fun, it’s a win win! This list is filled with some amazingly interesting toys which will boost their STEM education and keep them engaged.
SmartLab Smart Circuits Games & Gadgets Electronics Lab
This is the perfect toy for 12 year olds who love anything to do with electronics or engineering. The kit includes 6 base boards and various modules such as a battery and speaker, as well as a 48 page book which shows you how to build different games and gadgets.
Prices Vary
Sky Viper Mebo Interactive Robot
Use Mebo to encourage a love of robotics in your pre-teen; he’s a fun and interactive robot which you’re able to control. He’ll live stream audio and video to your smart device and he has a fully articulated arm, so you can tell him to pick up pretty much anything.
Prices Vary
OWI Hydraulic Arm Edge Kit
Robotics are fun and interesting to any age but if your child seems keen to get into this field, you can encourage them with kits such as this one. They’ll be able to control this robotic arm without the use of electrics or batteries, and it’s a great addition to STEM learning.
$49.99
Kitables DIY Lego Frame Drone
Drones have become a super popular toy lately, people are using them for all sorts of things but what happens when you add LEGO into the mix? You get this amazing LEGO drone, of course! You can build it from scratch yourself and then watch it take to the skies.
Prices Vary
LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox Kit
Use this 847 piece LEGO kit to build yourself your very own robot. Follow the instructions to build any one of the 5 models, including Vernie, and Frankie the cat, and you can code and program the models using a smart device and app which are available on most platforms.
$284.69
OWI Air Power Racer Vehicle
Not only will this kit allow your child to build the car model itself, but it’ll also teach them the science behind how cars work and how they’re able to drive, except the fuel we’d put in our real cars has been replaced by free and unlimited…air!
Prices Vary
Erector by Meccano Stunt Plan Model Building Kit
Meccano sets are ideal toys for 12 year olds as they encourage their imagination as well as building skills. This one contains 78 pieces which all come together to build a 2 in 1 stunt plane model. Once your kid has built it, they can display it with pride.
$31.50
Erector by Meccano Aerial Rescue Building Set
The 406 Meccano pieces inside this kit can be used to make 20 different models from a helicopter to a plane or even a buggy crane which can be brought to life by adding the 6v motor. Your kids could also use their imagination and build something completely new.
Prices Vary
Robot Building Kit
Your children will have so much fun taking this robot and transforming it into 6 different forms, all with a military theme – it could be a tank or a bulldozer, it all depends on how they’re feeling that day. They’ll also able to code and program it to do almost anything they want.
Prices Vary
Tech Will Save Us Gamer Kit
This computer game is perfect for introducing your child to the wonderful world of programming. Going into gaming as a job is a great career path to head down so why not start them young and encourage their curiosity by showing them how games are actually made?
$55.99
SmartLab Toys ReCon Programmable Rover
Rover can be programmed to do almost anything. He can get you a drink if you’re thirsty, a snack if you’re hungry or even get the book Mom is asking for. It teaches basic programming and mathematics, both of which are essential in any STEM education.
Prices Vary
SmartLab Toys Room Defender
As we all know, when you hit your teenage years and puberty starts to kick in, you want a bit of privacy, and your bedroom is the only place you can get it. Help your pre-teen to build a room defender with this programmable SmartLab device
Prices Vary
Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst STEM Kit
This robotics kit is the ultimate one, it comes with over 50 parts which you can use to build some amazing creations using the prompt cards included inside the box. The electric motor will make their builds come to life and allow them to show it off to friends and family.
$65.00
S.T.E.A.M. Line Toys Elenco Owi Solar Robot Kit
Forget the use of electrics or batteries, this robot uses solar energy to power itself. Your child can transform the robot into 14 different models from a wagging tail dog to a running crab. There’s two levels of building inside the kit so once they’ve mastered the first, they can move onto more advanced ones.
Prices Vary
Ultimate Coding Kit For Kids
Coding is a vital part of robotics or programming things like video games. Use this kit to teach your child the basics of coding. There’s over 60 projects inside here which can control different circuits and they can start building them within 10 minutes
Prices Vary
Piper Computer Kit
Most kids have played or at least heard of the game Minecraft. They can now use puzzles within the Raspberry Pi edition of the game and build a computer from scratch. It will have switches, buttons and lights…basically, everything you’d expect a real one to have!
Prices Vary
PeleusTech® Camera Experiment Science STEM Toy
Taking good quality photos is a life skill we should all have, and capturing those precious moments is something that shouldn’t be missed because we don’t have the technical ability. Get your child comfortable with a camera with this STEM toy for 12 year olds which also teaches them how one works.
Prices Vary
LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Robot Kit
Using LEGO to build with is a STEM toy in itself and can be used to teach children how to use their imagination and creative thinking to build things, but this kit will also show them how to build and program a walking talking robot made entirely from LEGO.
$599.99
Xiaomi MITU Mi Robot Builder
This 3 in 1 robot can also be turned into a plane, or even a dinosaur. The 978 pieces could also be used to build something which has come from your child’s imagination, creating something which has never been seen before. That’s a skill which is handy in a robotics career!
Prices Vary
Meccano Super Construction Set
With motorized components, your children’s Meccano crane can come to life. It’ll have an extendable hook and a body which can rotate, exactly as they do on real building sites. There’s also the option to build another 24 creations, from a helicopter to a truck.
Prices Vary
Code Car Toy for Beginners
Is there anything more exciting than a computer which is shaped like a car? Your child will love it for that alone, until they realize that they’re able to control it by code and programming. Once they’ve mastered the basics, they’ll be able to turn it into a police car with real sirens.
Prices Vary
Smartphone-Controlled Paper Airplane
Paper airplanes are something we all built when we were kids, but this one is a little bit more advanced as you can control it with your smartphone. Use the carbon fiber paper to make the plane, attach the device and then decide where it should go using an app.
Circuit Cubes Bright Lights Learning Toy Kit
This Bright Lights kit from Circuit Cubes can be used with your child’s favorite playing blocks such as LEGO, and bring their builds to life. Connect the battery, motor and LED cubes and you’ll soon have a working circuit which will illuminate their building blocks.
Prices Vary
SmartLab Toys Smartphone Science
Transform your smartphone into a science lab without the use of an app! The 24 page book contains 20 experiments which goes into the science behind touch screens as well as having a clip on microscope which your budding scientist can use to get up close to their favorite objects.
Prices Vary
3 Diy Robots Your Tween Can Make
Diy Homemade Wigglebot
There is nothing better you can do to teach your child about robotics than having them build one entirely from scratch, using materials you can get around your home. Follow this tutorial from Research Parent and your children will soon have their very own Wigglebot.
Diy Scribble Bot
When it comes to STEM education, nothing is better than a hands on, DIY experiment. This scribble bot is a wonderful build for you to do with your children. Not only do they get the thrill of building it but then there’s the excitement of watching it draw all by itself.
Diy Homemade Propeller Car
This homemade propeller car is an ideal project toy for 12 year olds, and is made from ordinary items you’d find in your kitchen and is a great way to repurpose old plastic boxes and milk bottle lids. Attach a simple circuit made from batteries and a propeller and watch it drive all by itself.
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