Feature - STEM & Educational

Boxing clever

STEM toys are important for developing essential 21st-century skills, engaging children in science, technology, engineering and mathematics concepts through hands-on experimentation and problem-solving activities. Toy World finds out how suppliers balance learning with fun and takes a look at some of 2025’s biggest launches.

Year after year, suppliers find new ways to make STEM concepts accessible via age-appropriate toys, from simple coding games for pre-schoolers to advanced robotics kits for teens. With research continuing to demonstrate that early exposure to STEM principles through play significantly improves children's analytical thinking, spatial reasoning and persistence in problem-solving, these toys address parental concerns surrounding digital literacy and prepare children for the increasingly technology-driven world of work.

All this means suppliers need tocarefully tread the line between fun and education. Too fun, and there’s a risk STEM learning outcomes have been lost along the way; too educational, and the risk is that kids simply won’t want to play with them. Some STEM themes, however, naturally capture the imagination of kids. Space is one of them.

“Early inspiration is the spark that nurtures the next generation of scientists,” explains Chris Swift, senior national account manager at Celestron, a manufacturer of astronomy telescopes, microscopes, accessories and more. Celestron aims to make space exploration both easy and accessible for kids, while also catering to the adult enthusiast. The company’s patented StarSense Explorer telescopes are a shining example of this: using Lost in Space (LISA) technology and the power of a smartphone, they deliver a fully guided sky tour experience complete with spoken descriptions.

Having designed STEM optical equipment for more than 60 years, Celestron is trusted by national and independent retailers across the globe and even has a telescope on board the International Space Station. Despite this, its ranges remain accessibly priced; the Celestron Royal Observatory Greenwich Firstscope telescope, which can reveal the Galilean Moons of Jupiter, has an RRP of just £69.99.

At the Science Museum, which has been making STEM education fun since 1931, products are designed and developed in partnership with leading licensees to empower children to explore the world of STEM, and to inspire the next generation of scientists, inventors and engineers. As one of the UK’s leading educational attractions, the museum can call on the talented professionals that work there to assist in the licensing team’s work, which lends authenticity and real-world knowledge and expertise to the design process.

“Our hands-on products are designed in collaboration with professionals in the field to align with key learning outcomes,” says Amy Harbour, head of Licensing and Commercial Partnerships at the Science Museum Group. “We have recently developed a guide to work through with Science Museum licensees specifically for toys and games product and packaging development. It helps us highlight the educational elements of a fun product and ensures the key scientific principles communicated on the packaging are age appropriate – whilst celebrating the fun of course.”

This year sees the launch of the first ever Science Museum slime range, from Funtime. Amy says that while there’s lots of slime on the market, the Science Museum’s is unique because it explains the science behind this popular tactile compound. She adds: “This range went through rigorous product testing. Not only did we want to make sure that kids loved playing with the products, but we also wanted to ensure it was parent friendly. Science Museum slime is easy to clean - we like to think of everything.”

The Science Museum isn’t the only one committed to revealing the science behind a product or process. This year, Clementoni is launching Idea! Perfume Creator Deluxe, which lets kids mix and create scent combinations while also learning the science behind smell. The kit joins the company’s award-winning Science & Play Smart-Tech Greenhouse, which invites green-fingered young scientists to experiment with growth mediums, heat, light and humidity as they grow their own plants.

“At the heart of our company is a statement made by our founder Eiichiro Tomiyama in 1924: ‘Toys must have an element of surprise, a sense of creativity and design. Without these, there is no progress,’” explains Mary Wood, managing director – Europe, Tomy, when asked how Tomy approaches the STEM and educational toys category. “That founding philosophy is evergreen and is as true today as it was then.”

Tomy is supporting this year’s introductions, which include the gravity-defying AirToobz range, by investing in an ever-agile advertising strategy to mitigate what Mary calls the “shifting sands” of the marketing landscape, while Celestron’s retail partners are supported by its dedicated and knowledgeable business development team. Chris concludes: “We ensure sales success by understanding our customer’s business and suggesting products that we’re confident will perform. All products for the hobby and toy market come in full colour descriptive retail boxes that will sell directly from the shelf, and we work with retailers on an individual basis to formulate awareness, driving activity tailored to their stores. Also, I’m delighted to say that members of the Toymaster family are now able to order carefully selected Celestron ranges directly via TIMS.”

Read on to learn more about the STEM and educational toy ranges our clients are introducing this year.