Whoosh, roll, whirl, whoa! Sometimes the simplest things, like a ball speeding down a track are actually catalysts for deeper hands on learning. And what could be better for teachers than finding activities that engage, light up kid’s eyes, and make learning feel like play. When incorporating the Next Generation Science Standards for early learners, educators know how important it is to present learning through the lens of wonder and play, so children don't just observe scientific principles in action, they experience them in a hands-on way.
At HABA, we understand that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) concepts come alive when young learners can explore, tinker, and experiment freely. From train track sets to marble runs and other STEM learning toys, these inquiry-based tools transform learning into joyful discovery.
How to Easily Incorporate Hands-On STEM Learning Toys in Early Education
STEM doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, research shows that hands-on, play-based STEM learning toys help build stronger neural pathways for problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and flexible thinking. By giving students tools they can touch, arrange, and manipulate, educators help young minds make concrete connections and encourage inquiry and experimentation.
STEM learning toys are a great way to develop engineering and design thinking while also supporting early math concepts. And learning STEM concepts through playing with STEM learning toys also develops social and emotional learning by teaching persistence through trial and error.
We believe that some of the best STEM learning toys for classroom inquiry and play are our Kullerbü play track systems and wooden marble runs. These modular track sets encourage children to experiment with speed, trajectory, and design. Ideal for collaborative learning and teamwork, these STEM learning toys make great learning stations in a classroom or library maker space and allow kids to create open-ended construction that opens the door to support an initial understanding of engineering design processes.
But how can you make a marble track or ball run do the big work of meeting a Next Gen Science Standard? Easy. Create simple tasks for kids to achieve as they create and design their own marble runs.
Here are some prompts for them to try:
- Build a ball track that takes the longest time for a ball to complete
- Make a marble run or ball track where the ball has to jump across a gap
- Create a marble run that travels from the tabletop to the floor
After they complete these activities, encourage your students to test, tweak, and share their findings with the class. This not only supports NGSS-aligned science instruction but also fosters communication skills and the distillation and sharing of ideas. This group activity is also a great way to encourage problem-solving and working together toward a shared goal.
How the Best STEM Learning Toys Grow with Your Students All Year
These engaging activities not only delight but deliver real-world classroom results. Whether you're meeting NGSS goals or developing foundational skills for later science learning, HABA's Kullerbu systems and ball track STEM learning toys support critical areas of early education. And unlike other closed-system toys, these STEM learning toys grow with your students all year long. You can continue to offer STEM learning activities as students design functional mazes, ramps, and more complicated structures as the year progresses.
With each ball track created, kids begin to develop a growing understanding not just of scientific principles but of the vocabulary of motion, such as acceleration, friction, and gravity. They will also develop an initial understanding of measurement and collecting data as they compare track times or ball bounce distances.
Building the Next Generation of Thinkers with STEM Learning Toys
When children are empowered to build, roll, sort, test, and explore, they internalize key STEM concepts not as lessons but as experiences. These moments of watching with wonder as a ball jumps over a track or whirls through a giant curve and stays on it become the groundwork for creative problem-solving and confident, lifelong learning. So keep the learning rolling and the curiosity speeding along with STEM learning toys that grow as fast as your students' nimble and wonderful minds!
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