Anyone who has ever watched a toddler methodically take apart a Tupperware drawer should know that many children are natural-born engineers. Your only job as a parent is to nurture their creativity … and, well, clean up the mess afterward. Wrap up a few of these STEM toys (also called STEAM toys; we love you too, Arts!) and books for your future scientist to blow up, burn up, or dismantle. Hopefully, they’ll thank you for the early encouragement when they’re older.
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Updated November 2019: We removed some older picks and added new ones, like the Hack computer.