engineering toys

On a family trip to New Mexico this summer, we saw a wind farm. My boys were curious how the windmills worked. I told them that the wind made the windmill turn, and the windmill was attached to a generator that turned the movement into electricity. They were ok with […]

Wind Energy STEM Activity: Building your own model Windmill

7 Sep, 2018 in Engineering for kids tagged educational toys / engineering activities for kids / engineering for kids / engineering projects for kids / engineering toys / physics for kids / renewable energy / STEM / STEM activity / STEM toy / wind energy by Homeschool Momgineer

In my last post I wrote about a science experiment I did with all three of my boys. Since then, I’ve been looking for other science experiments and STEM toys for my kids to do together. Then I was contacted by Jarrby toys, and asked to review one of their […]

My Preschooler’s Favorite Building STEM Toy

25 Jul, 2018 in Engineering for kids / Teaching Kids Engineering tagged educational toys / engineering for kids / engineering toys / engineering toys for girls / STEM / STEM toys by Homeschool Momgineer

The demand for STEM careers continues to grow in the Technology Age. Yet, companies struggle to find qualified engineers and scientists to fill the jobs openings. I decided to research why there isn’t a pipeline of engineers for the available jobs, and found that kids lose interest in STEM careers […]

15 Middle School STEM Projects

20 Jul, 2018 in Engineering for kids tagged educational toys / engineering / engineering for kids / engineering projects for kids / engineering toys / engineering toys for girls / experiment / fidget spinner / middle school / physics for kids / STEM / STEM toys / tinker crate by Homeschool Momgineer

Have you ever heard of simple machines? Simple machines are in every piece of machinery in a factory. They’re in your car, and many toys. But what are they? Simple put, simple machines are a way to make things move easier. For example, try pushing a heavy box full of […]

Simple Machine Bird: Levers, Gears, and Birds! Oh My!

4 Jul, 2018 in Engineering for kids tagged educational toys / engineering activities for kids / engineering for kids / engineering projects for kids / engineering toys / physics for kids / STEM / STEM toys / STEMed / tinker crate by Homeschool Momgineer

The best way to figure out how something works is to take it apart, or reverse engineer it. A while back, my son had bought a solar powered toy at Dollar Tree. We decided to reverse engineer the toy to better understand solar energy. Our decision ended up being a […]

Solar Energy for Kids: Reverse Engineering a Solar Toy!

25 Jun, 2018 in Engineering for kids tagged educational toys / electrical circuits / electrons / engineering activities for kids / engineering for kids / engineering projects for kids / engineering toys / green energy project / solar power / STEM / STEM toys by Homeschool Momgineer

Troubleshooting is a key skill for engineers to develop. For some it comes easy, but for me it was a skill I had to develop on the job. Troubleshooting is essentially trying out different things to fix something that is broken. It is brainstorming possible reasons why something isn’t working […]

Troubleshooting Your Bot

26 Mar, 2018 in Engineering for kids / Teaching Kids Engineering tagged educational toys / engineering activities for kids / engineering for kids / engineering toys / engineering toys for girls / how a robot works / robot science / STEM / STEM toys by Homeschool Momgineer

During winter break, my son and I decided to work on one of his Tinker Crate projects. Many of the boxes we’ve received have involved building electrical circuits, as did the first project we decided to work on. I struggled with understanding circuits in college, so I love how Tinker […]

Building Electrical Circuits and Playing with Light

16 Jan, 2018 in Engineering for kids tagged educational toys / engineering activities for kids / engineering for kids / engineering projects for kids / engineering toys / physics for kids / STEM / tinker crate by Homeschool Momgineer

I love toys that unintentionally help my kids explore STEM concepts. Unfortunately, many toys advertised as STEM are expensive. But I’ve found 25 Dollar Tree toys that will spark your child’s interest in STEM, and not totally blow the budget! Wondering what concept their exploring? I’ve also listed the concept […]

25 Dollar Tree Toys for Exploring STEM!

13 Nov, 2017 in Engineering for kids tagged educational toys / engineering activities for kids / engineering for kids / engineering toys / engineering toys for girls / how to teach math / physics for kids / preschool activities / STEM / STEM toys by Homeschool Momgineer

Whether I’m looking for a Christmas present, or a birthday gift, I always try to give gifts that help kids become interested in Engineering. But I don’t really like giving the standard “STEM” type toys or kits, but always find something that will allow the kid to explore a STEM […]

15 Unexpected STEM Gifts for Toddlers

23 Oct, 2017 in Engineering for kids tagged educational toys / engineering activities for kids / engineering for kids / engineering projects for kids / engineering toys / engineering toys for girls / STEM toys by Homeschool Momgineer

In my last post I shared a simple experiment with my son that taught him about Center of Mass. While we were doing the experiment, we were also playing with another physics concept; the Law of Inertia. Inertia is an object’s resistance to change it’s state of motion. For example, […]

Law of Inertia Experiment using a Fidget Spinner!

18 Aug, 2017 in Science Experiments tagged engineering activities for kids / engineering for kids / engineering toys / fidget spinner / physics for kids / STEM / STEM toys by Homeschool Momgineer