Ages 13 and up
Educational toys that help teens develop skills for adulthood.
Fine motor
A rainy day spent colouring or endless hours assembling LEGO—the precise movements of these activities require dexterity, muscle strength and hand-eye coordination, which improve your child’s hand strength, coordination, and fine and visual motor integration. 1
Sensory Learning
The sensations of sand play or the manipullations of modelling dough—when your child uses touch, sight, and sound, they improve their critical thinking, develop their sensory processing, and strengthen motor skills and problem-solving.2
Discovery & Exploration
Spend the day digging for fossils, building a robotic hand, or making a volcano erupt—not only will you equip kids with a range of skills, you’ll also instill a lifelong love of learning and an interest in innovation. 3
Cognitive Learning
Banish boredom with brain teasers, memory games, and puzzles—they’ll help develop the concentration, memory retention, spatial skills, and critical thinking your child will use every day. 4
FAQs
What types of educational toys are good for teens?
The best types of educational toys for teenagers are ones that focus on complex skill-building, creativity and can provide intellectual challenges. Some examples include science toys, tech toys, engineering toys and math toys. You can also consider advanced LEGO sets, strategic board games and more complex puzzles. These kinds of toys support critical thinking, patience and can create new hobbies for them.
Why are educational toys important?
Educational toys for teenagers and younger children are important because they help them learn important skills, whether it’s STEM education through coding and science or colours, letters and numbers for toddlers. They combine fun with valuable learning that helps them gain a better understanding of the world at a younger age without being glued to a screen. Educational toys also help teens and kids learn patience, hard work, resilience and cooperative play.
Why are coding toys important?
Coding toys are important for kids and teenagers because coding has become an important part of many jobs, and programming has become a useful skill to develop at an early age. Coding helps kids and teenagers develop problem-solving skills and logical thinking habits. Coding toys also promote creativity and experimentation as they learn and work on commands and prompts. Coding toys also make screen time on computers educational, fun, and interactive.
How can I create a good study space for a teenager?
To create a good study space for a teenager, it needs to balance functionality, ergonomics and personalization so they can focus with few distractions. It should be well-lit, quiet and designed with their input. Start by getting a spacious computer desk or gaming desk that can handle their laptop or desktop computer. Pair the desk with an ergonomic chair or gaming chair that has adjustable lumbar support for extra comfort and support. Make sure they are stocked up on supplies like pens, pencils, highlighters, notebooks and paper. Add a desk lamp or floor lamp for additional lighting so they don’t strain their eyes while they work.
References
1 https://schools.shrewsburyma.gov/ot/visual motor#:~:text=VISUAL%20MOTOR%20integration%20is%20a,into%20an%20accurate%20motor%20action. 2 https://www.goodstart.org.au/parenting/exploring-the-benefits-of-sensory-play 3 https://sensorysurroundings.co.uk/blogs/news/discovery-play-discovery-table-activities-educational-benefits-of-discovery-learning-for-children 4 https://www.phoenix.edu/blog/what-is-cognitive-learning-theory.html#:~:text=Cognitive%20learning%20theory%20focuses%20on,build%20up%20over%20a%20lifetime 5 Scholastic. (n.d.). Developmental Checklist: 11-13 Year Olds. Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/parents/others/articles/developmental-checklist-11-13-year-olds.html 6 Good Housekeeping. (2021). 50 Best Gifts for 14-Year-Olds That'll Make Them Love You Even More. Retrieved from https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/gift-ideas/g41029445/best-gifts-for-14-year-olds/.