What child doesn’t love taking toys apart and putting them back together again? Well, maybe not the “putting back together” part. That really depends on the child. If you have an inquisitive child (which most children are) have you ever thought of turning your little one into a mini-mechanic?
Mechanic toys fall into the STEM category (science, technology, engineering, math), meaning that in addition to language development your child will also learn some STEM skills.
Below are some of my favorite mechanic toys for both boys and girls! I will also include ways that these toys can help with your child’s language development and learning. All of these toys are meant for children 3 years and up.
Build/Repair Engine Sets
There are several different engine repair sets available. I will tell you about 3 of them. Since the language and learning aspects will be similar I will discuss those together after showing you these sets.
Kids Engine Repair Set – Theo Klein Service Car Station
If Mommy or Daddy is a mechanic then this set is a must have! But even if you aren’t a mechanic, this engine repair set is amazing! Your child doesn’t even have to get his/her hands dirty yet can learn so much. Once the engine is fixed and the hood has been closed, the child can get behind the engine and pretend to drive around using the steering wheel and horn. A great toy for pretend play!
Build Your Own Engine Overhaul Toy Set
This set comes with 20 pieces including the engine base, parts, pistons, key, spark plugs, screws, screwdriver and wrench. The pistons move up and down with the turn of a crank. Once assembled the lights will work and engine sounds can be heard.
MY FIRST CRAFTSMAN TOY V TWIN MOTOR OVERHAUL PLAY SET
Another great engine repair sets for kids. The Craftsman set comes with:
- A 2V Engine that is meant to be assembled, disassembled and then reassembled again.
- A key for the ignition, a wrench and a 2 in 1 screwdriver (manual, not power)
- An engine block assembly, 2 spark plug wires, and real working pistons (turn the crank to see them go up and down)
- 2 spark plugs, oil filter, dip stick
Language and Learning Opportunities
Vocabulary: The words you choose to use should be dependent on your child’s age and language ability. Here are a few examples of new words:
- Open, close, lift, wheels, turn, cowling, spark plugs, wingnuts, breaks, air filter, oil, gas, dipstick, horn, (head)lights, repair, ignition, piston, key, wrench, screwdriver, tighten, loosen, etc.
Problem Solving: These sets are all about problem solving. Children can fix certain parts of the engine and then turn the key in the ignition to see how the engine sounds and make sure everything is working. Or they can see how the pistons go up and down. Keep in mind, each set is a bit different so they won’t all do the same things.
Pretend Play: If your child also has some ride on vehicles, they could drive around in one of those first. Maybe the car breaks down and they need to go to a mechanic. A tow truck might need to be called. Once at the mechanic the engine can be repaired! Or maybe the engine came from a UFO and the child needs to repair it fast to send those aliens back to Mars!
Fine Motor Skills
Hand Eye Coordination
Memory Skills: Children need to remember where certain parts go in the engine when they are taking it apart and rebuilding it.
Social Skills: These sets are wonderful for encouraging team work when more than one child is playing (or an adult and a child). Children must work together to accomplish a goal.
Assemble Your Own Vehicles
There are several different “take apart toy vehicles” that are meant for kids to assemble and disassemble on their own. I love them because they are basically 3d puzzles!
Motor Works
This junior mechanic set is made by Discovery Toys and comes with an airplane, motorbike and a car. You will also get a power screw driver, a standard screwdriver, extra screws and a toolbox (you will need to supply the batteries for the power screwdriver). Each vehicle has moving parts and once assembled can be played with.
Why I love this set:
Vocabulary: There are so many things you can talk about including the names of the vehicles as well as the tools.
Parts of a whole: This skill is essential to for deductive reasoning, organization and later on, math abilities. Children learn through play that a door and steering wheel does not make a car, the same as a snowball and a carrot does not make a snowman. By assembling toys such as the ones found in the Motor Works Set children can learn the labels for the parts of each vehicle and then get to assemble the vehicle themselves.
Pretend Play: Once the vehicles are assembled they can become part of many play scenarios. You and your child could build a ramp out of cardboard and test the vehicles strength to make sure they were assembled properly.
Sorting/Matching: Identify the parts of all the vehicles and sort them into categories, for example, place all the doors in a pile. Match parts that belong to certain vehicles.
Hand Eye Coordination
Fine Motor Skills
Problem Solving: Try assembling a part from the car with a part from the motor bike. Will it work?
Battat Take – A – Part Vehicles
Battat Take – A – Part vehicles are very similar to the ones in the Motor Works set. So, I won’t go into the language and learning ideas because I don’t want to repeat myself. The Battat vehicles are slightly larger than the Discovery Toys ones and you only get one vehicle, however each vehicle has between 18 and 21 separate parts. But, these vehicles do not come with a manual screwdriver, just a power one. The power screwdriver has 3 bits. There are also nuts and bolts in addition to screws with this set. Other than that Motor Works and the Take – A – Part vehicles are very similar and they are both from extremely reputable companies!
Kids love building! And these mechanic toys for kids will allow your child to build, experiment and test their creations, all while learning new words among many other valuable skills. Does your child have any of these toys? If not, do you think this is a toy your child might like? I love that the batteries in these toys are only required to run power screwdrivers, make lights work and provide some engine sounds. Other than that the child can completely interact with these toys on their own!
