STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) toys are becoming more and more popular everyday.
So are subscription boxes for kids.
So it doesn’t come as a surprise that Amazon launched the Amazon STEM Club membership program in early 2017.
With technological advances being made every day, it’s no wonder that parents want their kids to be interested and successful in areas such as science, technology, engineering and math.
These skills will be critical to future generations as this is where most jobs/careers will be.
All that being said, it is important to keep in mind that children need many “building blocks” first in order to be successful later on.
And these building blocks can be nurtured and developed through good old fashioned play with traditional toys.
Now, let’s take a look at the Amazon STEM Club and what it has to offer.
Amazon STEM Club Review: What You Need To Know
Age Ranges
Currently there are 3 age ranges to choose from.
They are 3-4 year olds, 5-7 year olds, 8-13 year olds.
Cancelling Your Membership
You can cancel your membership at any time.
There is no minimum amount of time that you need to subscribe for.
So you can check it out for a month or 2 and if you decide it’s not worth it, then go ahead and cancel your account.
Now I want to go over some Pros and Cons of the STEM Club membership.
PROS
♥ Makes a great gift idea!
♥ Membership can be cancelled at any time.
♥ Free shipping
♥ Toys focus on STEM which many believe all kids should be exposed to these days.
♥ You can cancel just one or two months without cancelling your entire membership.
♥ Able to subscribe with Amazon Credit Card with 5% rewards
♥ Toys will range in price, some being less than $20 while others are more than $20
CONS
♥ Only one subscription per age range per account.
So this means if you have more than one child in a given age range you would need to create another account.
♥ Only ships within the US and Puerto Rico
♥ Some toys you get may be in the upper age range.
For example, one review stated their child’s age range is in the lower end of the 5-7 group and the toy was labeled as 7+
♥ You won’t know what you are getting until the product ships. But you can return it if you don’t like it.
If this makes you second guess the Amazon STEM Club, perhaps you would be better off choosing your own toys based on STEM features.
If your child is 3 or younger, these are toys that I highly recommend (from a speech-language and general development perspective)!
Do Kids Really Need STEM Toys?
In my opinion (based on my education and experience working with young children) children do not need STEM toys in order to be successful as adults.
There are many toys out there that would fall in the STEM category that are not marketed as such. Blocks are a great example!
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, children need to learn many preliminary skills for future success.
These skills can all be obtained through play with traditional toys and interactions with peers and parents/caregivers.
Some of these skills include problem solving, social skills, critical thinking, cause and effect, vocabulary development, etc.
A child who does not have access to toys with the STEM label can and will still learn these crucial skills.
However, what STEM toys can do is inspire an interest in STEM fields.
Unfortunately, there is no evidence behind this for young children.
Personally I wouldn’t bother with STEM toys for children under the age of 5 or 6.
Will you give it a try?
