With the best learning kits for kids, your children can explore their creativity, engage their imagination and learn new skills.
Many experts believe that kids learn best with fun, engaging, hands-on activities, which is why we’re such big fans of learning kits.
From arts and crafts to science and engineering, learning kits for kids cover a wide range of interests and skill levels.
But with so many options on the market, finding the right one for your child can be tough.
To help you out, we’ve rounded up some of the best learning kits for kids available today. Whether your child is interested in art, science, engineering, or all of the above, we’ve got you covered.
We’ve reviewed and ranked the best learning kits for kids based on an extensive analysis of their features, quality, durability, price, and educational value.
1. Best Overall: Little Passports
Little Passports – Monthly educational gift subscriptions for kids
Little Passports offers an award-winning collection of educational monthly subscription boxes for kids that spark curiosity and help them explore new ideas and concepts through fun, hands-on activities.
Age
3-9+
Price
A monthly subscription is $29.95, but you can get a discount when you pay for 6 or 12 months in advance (see our Little Passports pricing guide).
Little Passports offers a fantastic selection of learning kits for kids ages 3 to 13 that can help introduce them to STEM, culture & geography, animals, and more.
Every box is new and exciting, focusing on a different theme related to science and world knowledge, helping spark your child’s interest.
The purpose of Little Passports is to encourage children to explore the world from the comfort of home.
The learning kits’ age-appropriate design and charming travel narrative make them great gifts.Â
The initial shipment is a fully-packed “suitcase” addressed to your child. Inside, your child will discover a large-scale world map, a hand baggage tag, placards, an activity diary, and a welcome note.
As we showed in our Little Passports review, our team did hands-on testing of the Early Explorers (ages 3-5) and Science Junior (ages 5-8) kits with a few kids. All of the children found the kits to be engaging and fun.
Click here to get started with Little Passports.
2. Orboot Earth
Age
4-10
Price
$60
With the help of PalyShifu’s immersive globe, you can enable your kids to experience the world while staying at their house.
Users must use the companion app to scan various areas of the globe because they lack names or borders, making it necessary for them to create their breakthroughs. This opens up narratives, music, and voice interactions to foster a lifelong interest in geography.
The learning goes far beyond memorizing place names due to the inclusion of puzzles, game modes, and obstacles that encourage active participation from the kids. Side categories include landmarks, wildlife, traditions, and types of food.
The free Orboot app should work with all iPad 5th generation models, Android devices with 3GB of RAM, and iPhone 6 and later.
3. Galt Toys Rainbow Lab
Age
5+
Price
$16.71Â
The Rainbow Lab is open to every energetic and motivated chemist looking to work in STEM. Kids can conduct important lab work such as mixing colors, developing jelly crystals, and producing a rainbow in some kind of tube with this kit, which includes 12 tests and a lab book of 24 pages containing all the instructions.
The kit comes with goggles to keep people safe and tubes with racks, plastic cups, and pipettes, which the budding young scientist requires. In addition, there are extras like signage and a notebook for recording those significant findings, along with all the supplies they require for their experiments, such as polyacrylamide crystals and colorants.
4. Snap Circuits Light
Age
8+
Price
$98
Since snap circuits demonstrate the workings of electricity, they are a traditional engineering gift. Still, the kids were particularly drawn to this kit because of all the light sources, noises, and other gadgets it contained. A circuit board, 101 projects in the instruction book, and several gadgets are included in this 55-piece set.
Kids can begin by lighting up various components of the board with buttons and battery packs, after which the models become much more complicated. They can use the board to launch a fan that looks like a helicopter, stream music, set off an alarm, or create a light show.
Additionally, kids don’t even need to follow the directions after grasping the workings of circuit boards. Since it uses common components, it is the same resistor commonly used in labs. Simply put, they’re easier for kids to handle, and those effects add so much character and interest.
All in all, this is a great kit for STEM learning.
5. Haynes Combustion Engine
Age
10+
Price
$23.39
Snap circuits are a classic engineering gift because they enable users to understand how electricity works, but all the lights, sounds, and gadgets in this particular kit are the most striking components! This 55-piece set contains a circuit board, an instruction manual with 101 projects, and a variety of gizmos.
To start off, kids can explore this kit by using switches and batteries to light up different parts of the board. Next, the models gradually become interesting and complex as one explores deeper.
They can wire the board to sound an alarm, play music from a speaker, launch a helicopter-like fan or put on their own light show. Plus, kids don’t even have to use the instructions; once they grasp how the circuit board works, the possibilities are limitless.
6. Coding Charms
Age
8+
Price
$21.99
The ideal method for teaching coding to crafty children is Coding Charms. It creates keychains by melting traditional and adored fuse beads on a pegboard with coding. A 44-page activity book, a square pegboard, 2,000 fused beads, and a few other tools are all included in each kit.
Kids can follow the simple instructions given on the codes page for each charm described in the activity book, instructing them to get down to different lines, get rid of spaces, make movements, etc. They will receive a memento, such as a narwhal or a fox if they correctly follow the clear instructions.
It’s a screen-free method for teaching programming basics and ideas like functions. Children are also urged to create their own computer code and a unique keychain to attach to their backpacks.
7. The Pi Marble Run Starter Set
Age
4-7
Price
$199.99
A whole other attempted blessing is a marble run. Kids love them because they allow the creation of a new architectural marvel for their regular play routine.
Towers, tracks, and two baseboards are included in this 214-piece set, which is compatible with other Lego sets so children can customize their structure with additional details and hues. One marble run can be built according to instructions, accomplished with curving pathways, majestic skyscrapers, and underpasses.
However, to play more, children must build their own, encouraging them to improve their innovative abilities, abstract awareness, and sequential development skills. Often with larger, simpler fragments, these marble run pieces are designed for younger children (4 to 7 years old), but this set’s complexity makes it difficult for those older.
8. Kiwi Crate
Age
5-8
Price
$23.95
KiwiCo has garnered a special place in children’s hearts by bringing in various monthly projects with monthly subscriptions. The Kiwi Crate by KiwiCo is meant for the age group of 8–12 years old.
KiwiCo has become one of the most sought-after subscription services for children, as the brand has lived up to the expectations of kids’ monthly educational kits. Their kits are another useful educational tool for kids to learn about science by building toys and doing other fun experiments.
Children can easily follow the included instructions on their own. Still, adults can assist them in reading the attached manuals, which help us understand the more complex ideas underlying different construction projects, such as rockets, gardens, or arcade law.
KiwiCo’s STEM learning projects are toys that students can play with after class.
Hence, the projects are in the form of learning toys with manuals. This enables them to retain their new knowledge and keep reflecting on those scientific ideas. They can upgrade to the subscription plans for older children once they have enough of the Kiwi Crate.
9. Morchi Robotics Kit
Age
5-7
Price
$219
The space rover belonging to Mochi the teddy bear is said to have a strategy to venture between planetary bodies. He only requires a few aspiring engineers to lead him through the cosmos through the use of access to the actual set.
A stuffed Mochi, building materials for a wooden motor rover, a considerable floor mat starring planet drawings, a children’s story, a programming board, and multiple analytical blocks are all included in the kit.
Kids are taught the process of placement of coding blocks on the board of programming, which essentially allows students to explore computers to execute commands obeyed by Mochi, using alluring instructions set in the form of a story. Children can use the board to direct Mochi as he jumps anywhere around the cosmos.
10. Abascus Brand’s Bill Nye VR Science Kit
Age
8
Price
$65
Many of us who watched Bill Nye, the Science Guy, growing up will value the chance for our kids to do the same, albeit with considerably more practical learning than we did while watching TV.
Although you’ll also need to use some standard items that are probably lying around the house, this 50-piece set comes with various scientific testing equipment such as test tubes, eye droppers, etc., required to conduct 30 experiments. The included spiral-bound book contains all of the instructions for the experiments, such as making a homemade “volcano,” homemade perfume, etc.
However, to get the full experience, adults can see Nye himself appear and explain what is happening by downloading the application and pointing the phones towards the appearing instructions.
Afterward, put the phone into the VR headset so the students can continue learning about the deeper ideas at play. We discovered that combining VR and real life keeps an 8-year-old’s attention for much longer than just one or the other, which he normally can’t forget even after one year of learning.
Features To Look For When Choosing Kids’ Educational Kits
When it comes to choosing the right learning kit for your kids, there are a number of things you’ll want to consider.
- Your child’s age–You want to make sure that the kit is age-appropriate for your child. If it’s too easy, they’ll get bored quickly. If it’s too hard, they’ll get frustrated and give up.
- The subject matter–Does the kit focus on a particular subject, like science or math? Or does it cover a range of topics? Depending on your child’s interests, you may want to choose a kit that specializes in one area or another.
- The price–Learning kits can range from relatively inexpensive to quite costly. You’ll want to consider your budget when making your choice.
- The quality of the materials–You want to make sure that the kit is made from high-quality materials that will stand up to repeated use.
- The ease of use–You’ll want to make sure that the kit is easy for your child to use. If it’s too complicated, they won’t be able to get the most out of it.
A Final Word on the Best Learning Kits for Kids
The best learning kits for kids can help your child discover new information in a fun, exciting way that’s sure to stick with them.
When choosing a learning kit for your child, keep in mind their age, interests, and abilities. You’ll also want to consider the price and quality of the product.
Remember to listen to your child’s feedback when testing out these kits to see what they like best and what works best for their learning style. With a little bit of guidance, your child will be well on their way to mastering any topic with these great learning kits!
Have any questions about our guide to the best learning kits for kids? Let us know by commenting below.