Smithsonian Toys Let’s You View the World Differently

I love STEM toys, I am a firm believer in having children engage and encourage them to learn more about science and the world around them. I love when I find toys that educate and are fun. I recently was introduced to a line of toys from Smithsonian that are perfect for the holidays.

Let’s start with a quick list of our favorite toys:

Product links:
Wave Machine: Smithsonian Wave Machine : Target
Prehistoric Sea Monsters: Smithsonian Prehistorian Sea Monster Kit : Target
Newton’s Cradle: Smithsonian Newton’s Cradle Science Kit : Target
Perpetual Motion: Smithsonian Perpetual Motion Kit : Target

These kits not only teach about important science topics like waves, magnets, potential and kinetic energy and prehistoric creatures, but also helped us to view the world. It is awesome to look at the ocean and to realize to realize the science behind the waves. There is so much to learn and this gives them the opportunity to learn so much.

The Smithsonian Wave Machine is a cool way to learn about waves! Not only that but it’s soothing to watch!  This toy was inspirational for them to learn about waves.  You could explore how waves impact the landscape. You learned about how waves and rip currents form. This kit really inspired his curiosity to go out and learn more, including about the largest waves ever recorded, what causes tides and why they are good to track, rogue waves, tsunamis, and more!  This kit definitely made him view the world differently and he now has a better understanding of water, waves, and more! This kit is for ages 14+. It uses one C (1.5V) battery (not included).

The Smithsonian Prehistorian Sea Monster Kit is the coolest kit! Kids get to hatch their own prehistoric pets that grow to more than 20x their original size. It’s really quite amazing to watch a 220-million year old species come to life.  This is another one of those toys that received hours and hours of attention from my children! This toy is for ages 7+. It does not need batteries.

The Smithsonian Newton’s Cradle Science Kit is another family favorite. I think that Newton’s Cradle is a staple in many high school science classrooms, so I was excited to show this amazing concept. It was fun to talk about Newton’s Third Law of Motion – for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. It’s so easy to observe how potential (stored) energy becomes kinetic energy and how momentum and energy are transferred from one side of Newton’s Cradle to the other.  This toy provides the opportunity for many different experiments!  This toy is for ages 8+. It does not need any batteries. It just needs a little energy from your little ones to get it started by dropping one of the balls!

The Smithsonian Perpetual Motion Kit is a fun toy that you may recognize. Perpetual motion machines are often seen in movies when there is a science lab. If you were lucky as a kid, one of your teachers had one in a classroom. This Smithsonian Perpetual Motion Kit is mesmerizing!  It’s powered by an invisible magnetic field.  Kids learn how batteries create the magnetic force to keep the machine working. This toy provides a fun opportunity to learn about first and second laws of the thermodynamics.  We had fun learning about magnets, their early uses, and some of the ways that they are used in contemporary times.  This toy is for ages 8+. It requires 4 (1.5V) AA batteries (not included).