Gift Ideas for Kids: Best Educational Toys and Games of 2015
by Laura Geggel, Staff Writer | November 17, 2015 05:04pm ET
This holiday season, engage your budding scientist with toys that fly, spin and magnify. Kids are curious creatures, so here at Live Science, we've dug through dozens of toys to find the best gifts (many of which are less than $20) for the children in your life. We hope you find the perfect present that teaches them how to build robots, fit together gears and create chemistry in the kitchen.
Awesome Gifts for Less Than $20
- Magic School Bus - The Mysteries of Rainbows, $11.99
- Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Kit, $14.02
- Creativity For Kids Grow 'n Glow Terrarium, $14.99
- Klutz Lego Crazy Action Contraptions Kit, $15.79
- Scientific Explorer Tasty Science Kit, $16.09
- ScienceWiz Cool Circuits, $16.43
Great Gifts for Less Than $50
- Thames & Kosmos Crystal Growing, $35.95
- Lego Technic Fire Plane, $49.99
Cool Gifts for Less Than $100
- MGA MC² Ultimate Lab Kit, $58.78
- MEL Chemistry, $73.80
- Omano OM17L Compound Microscope with Book, $77
If You Want to Splurge ($150 or Less)
- Meccanoid G15 , $148.28
Credit: Walmart.com
Klutz Lego Crazy Action Contraptions Kit
Watch children learn about mechanics as they fit together and take apart gears, rubber bands and wheels. The kit includes Lego blocks, gears and axles, as well as easy-to-follow instructions for 16 toys that zoom across the floor, plummet down a zip line and spin out of control. With a bit of work and creativity, kids can build their own creations, such as a wind-up race car, by themselves or with friends and family. (Ages 7+)
Price $15.79
Credit: The Young Scientists Club
Magic School Bus - The Mysteries of Rainbows
Join Miss Frizzle and her class full of questioning scientists on a wild trip into the world of rainbows. Kids can learn about the properties of light and do hands-on experiments by wearing rainbow glasses, blowing rainbow bubbles, bending white light and more. Children can tackle the rainbow lessons on their own or with family members. (Ages 5 to 11)
Price $11.99
Credit: Copyright MEL Science
MEL Chemistry
Got an insatiable scientist on your hands? Then try MEL Chemistry, a next-generation series of chemistry experiments that arrive in the mail every month. At the start of each month, subscribers will receive three new chemistry sets with intriguing experiments, such as how to make a burning sugar snake. These hands-on challenges come with accompanying lessons that include learning with a smart-device application (compatible with iPads, iPhones and Android smartphones or tablets). MEL Chemistry also uses Google Cardboard, 3D graphics, macro photo and video as a way to turn each investigation into a game. (Ages 12+)
Price: A $73.80 subscription gets you the starter kit and two experiments. Monthly payment for three experiment sets is $35.85; it includes shipping. Buy now on MEL Science's website.
Credit: Creativity For Kids
Creativity For Kids Grow 'n Glow Terrarium
Give the gift of a garden with this miniature terrarium. Simply assemble, decorate and water the tiny ecosystem, and watch it grow before your eyes. Children will learn how soil, sun and water are needed for seeds to grow into green plants. It also teaches kids about stewardship, responsibility, and cause and effect, as the terrarium needs to be misted each day to water the plants. After three to four days of misting, the seeds will shoot up, teaching young botanists about the water cycle and how plants grow. (Ages 5 to 15)
Price: $14.99
Credit: Thames & Kosmos Crystal Chemistry
Thames & Kosmos Crystal Growing
Watch your child learn about the beauty and complexity of crystal growth. The kit includes 15 different experiments with instructions that explain the structure and geometry of the crystals. With hot water, crystal-growing solution and a bit of patience, kids can grow a rainbow of colorful crystals in a variety of shapes. Crystal "farmers" can then display their fully grown creations in special cases that come with the set. It's the perfect gift for budding geologists. (Ages 10+)
Price: $35.95
Credit: The LEGO Group
Lego Technic Fire Plane
With this toy, kids can learn about firefighting techniques by building a model plane with a three-blade propeller, a two-cylinder engine and large pontoons (floats), just like the real seaplanes firefighters use during disasters. A joystick on the back of the plane helps the pilot control the elevators and ailerons (parts on the plane that help it turn, descend or rise). After the plane takes off and reaches the target, the pilot of the Lego plane can empty ice cubes from a compartment on the plane to extinguish the blaze. After the mission, kids can rebuild the Fire Plane into another toy: a high-speed jet, according to Lego. (Ages 9+)
Price: $49.99
Credit: Scientific Explorer
Scientific Explorer Tasty Science Kit
Children can create edible concoctions after taking stock of the ingredients, recipes and activity cards included in this test-tube laboratory. The kit comes with 10 activities that explain a number of culinary tricks, including how cakes rise, how rock candy crystalizes and what makes drinks fizzy. The recipes are great for everyday fun or birthday parties. (Ages 6 to 11)
Price: $16.09
Credit: Scientific Explorer
Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Kit
This science kit walks young learners through several wacky experiments, including how to create a sunset in a test tube and how to make a volcano that can change colors. The 20-piece kit teaches kids about the basics of chemical reactions and how to use science tools. The kit contains a number of instruments, such as test tubes, pipettes, measuring scoops, chemicals (including cabbage powder and citric acid) and an activity guide. (Ages 4 to 8)
Price: $14.02
Love makes the greatest gift, Happy Holidays.
