The Right STEM Kit for Each Age, 5 to 14
Our picks by age band from eight tested kits, and the one mistake parents make with the age on the box.
Free-to-use photo via Pexels (Tima Miroshnichenko); no attribution required by license, credited here as courtesy.
The age on the box is the youngest child who can do the kit with an adult. Add two years for a child working alone.
Ages 5–7
KiwiCo Kiwi Crate for monthly projects; Osmo Genius if there is an iPad; Snap Circuits Jr. at 7 with a parent for the first session. Skip chemistry sets.
Ages 8–10
Snap Circuits Jr. alone; KiwiCo Atlas or Tinker Crate; LEGO SPIKE Essential if the budget allows; the National Geographic kit as a gift.
Ages 10–12
Thames & Kosmos CHEM C500 with an adult; Sphero BOLT for coding; MEL Science for a child who asks how things work.
Ages 12–14
MEL Chemistry or Physics; Sphero BOLT in JavaScript; the larger Snap Circuits and Thames & Kosmos sets.
» See the full rankings: Best STEM Kits for Kids in 2027, Best STEM Toys for 8–12 Year Olds .