Leaps and bounds ahead of cheap, plastic microscopes, this sturdy, heavy-duty microscope is very reasonably priced at $65.60. A scientific instrument like the ones used in high school labs, it produces clear, sharp magnifications of such materials like frog’s blood, mosquito head parts, and human skin cells. The kit also includes forceps, prepared slides, blank slides, test tube, and a petri dish. You and your budding scientist can also buy blank slides and collect your own specimens to examine up close. Advertised for children 9 and up, it’s really fine for any mature, careful child to enjoy provided there’s an adult nearby to help. We were impressed by how easy it was to set up and operate the microscope.

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As children advance from the 3rd grade to preparing for middle school, they learn even more complex subjects in school: history, science, social studies, health, etc. We looked for educational toys that not only enhanced the skills kids possess from ages 8 to 12, but made learning and discovering new things fun and entertaining.

Our top 10 toys involve:

1. Fun for the whole family
2. Creativity, imagination, and working out puzzles
3. Social interaction
4. Strategy, logic, and problem solving
5. An advanced appreciation for science, engineering, and creating models
6. Games that encourage competition and teamwork

Educational Toys Buying Guide

Playing Board Games with the Family: The Advantages for Kids

Having a game night is not only a fun, inexpensive way for the family to spend time together, it’s also an opportunity for children to learn important skills. Children young and old benefit from the time you spend together playing cards or board games, much more so than from plugging in to electronic devices or watching TV.

Consider what children learn from these interactive experiences:

• A healthy sense of competition and the importance of teamwork
• Recognizing different shapes, numbers, and words
• Grouping, counting, and sorting items
• Social skills, such as waiting for other players to take their turns
• Fine motor skills, such as handling cards and game pieces
• Problem solving, strategy, and logic
• A chance to improve and excel
• Winning and losing gracefully

Games don’t even have to be specifically educational. Classic games like Jenga foster concentration, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills as players try to extract the pieces of a tower without knocking it over.

Card games require kids to think ahead about their plays, so they learn strategy. With only so many cards in a traditional deck, they also learn about the laws of probability, an advanced concept for children.

Monopoly is a classic board game, but one that takes a long time to play—something difficult for young kids and parents alike. Monopoly Junior uses smaller denominations and takes less time to play, making it more accessible to young kids as they learn the basics of adding, reading, and color recognition.

Many board games have different levels of difficulty, or you can adapt the rules yourself to accommodate younger players. You’ll love seeing brothers and sisters getting along, helping the youngest members with the complicated aspects of the game. For the entertainment it provides the whole family and the benefits to your kids’ cognitive development, consider adding game night to your weekly routine.

Featured Educational Toys Articles

10 Best Children’s eBooks

Children have always loved storybooks, and today’s e-readers and tablets take advantage of children’s natural affinity for technology. You and your kids will enjoy reading stories together on an iPad or Kindle Fire with all the brilliantly colored illustrations… [more]

Should Children Play with Smartphones?

More and more parents today are handing over their smart phones and tablets to their children. Kids are little pros when it comes to pulling up videos, downloading apps, and navigating…[more]

5 Benefits of Play for Children

Children learn about the world around them and develop mentally and physically through play. Researchers have found that unstructured play not only keeps kids occupied and entertained, but it’s key to a children’s natural development. It’s so important, in fact, that in 1989 the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights… [more]

Knowing What Toy Materials Aren’t Safe for Children

In recent years, parents have become increasingly aware of dangerous materials found in common children’s toys, often those made overseas. We now have regulations on what materials are safe and which ones should be avoided in children’s toys and other consumer products. BPA, or Bisphenol A, is an organic compound found in many plastics…[more]

5 Educational Apps for Children

Kids naturally clamor for your smart phone or tablet because they like the fun games. You yourself probably enjoy a few mindless, addicting apps when you have time to kill. Fortunately, there are also several apps that serve an educational purpose, and kids will still find them entertaining. 1. Word Book and Puzzle Box HD: For preschoolers to first-graders, Aids with … [more]

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Top 10 Educational Toys for Children Ages 2-4

Toys for tots ages 2 to 4 are not only entertaining but educational, helping them develop fine motor skills, concentration, dexterity, problem solving, creative play, and imagination. As we looked at a number of toys for children in this age range, we looked for a number of important factors, including: 1. Educational value, 2. Durability, 3. Easy storage and … [more]

More Toys for Kids 8-11

Children have always loved storybooks, and today’s e-readers and tablets take advantage of children’s natural affinity for technology. You and your kids will enjoy reading stories together on an iPad or Kindle Fire with all the brilliantly colored illustrations intact. Here are 10 of the most popular eBooks available for children ages 5 to 7.

1. I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll

Ethan doesn’t know what to do when the monster under his bed goes on vacation for a week. He just can’t fall asleep until his monster returns.

2. Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library! By Vicki Myron and Bret Witter

Inspired by a true story, Dewey tells of a cat rescued by a librarian who becomes a library’s faithful mascot. Dewey takes his responsibility as the official library cat seriously.

3. Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine, and a Miracle by Major Brian Dennis, Mary Nethery, and Kirby Larson

This heartwarming true story describes the friendship formed between a lonely stray dog in Iraq and the Marine who starts to take care of him.

4. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

A young raccoon nervous about starting school receives a reassuring story from his mother that helps him accept their brief separation. A New York Times bestseller, the story helps children deal with separation anxiety.

5. The HICCUPotamus by Aaron Zenz

A delightful story to read aloud with its playful rhyming, The HICCUPotamus tells of one hippo’s bad case of the hiccups and his friend’s attempts to cure him.

6. Toot and Puddle by Holly Hobbie

Two cute pigs named Toot and Puddle share postcards with one another as one travels the world and the other finds fun things to do at home.

7. The Teacher From the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler

A boy has a strange and funny nightmare about his new teacher who becomes a fire-breathing monster. This amusing story will appeal to children just starting school who are a little hesitant because it shows the character facing his fears.

8. Can I Bring My Pterodactyl to School, Ms. Johnson? By Lois B. Grambling

A boy comes up with creative excuses to bring his pet pterodactyl to school. Kids who love dinosaurs will delight in the illustrations and funny adventures of these characters.

9. Pirate Bob by Kathryn Lasky

Swashbuckling tales of Pirate Bob and Yellow Jack will delight children who enjoy thrilling adventure stories. The colorful characters sail the seas in search of treasure.

10. I’m Really Not Tired by Lori Sunshine

An amusing, tongue-twisting bedtime story, I’m Really Not Tired convinces young readers that Mom and Dad don’t have any fun after the kids go to bed.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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More and more parents today are handing over their smart phones and tablets to their children. Kids are little pros when it comes to pulling up videos, downloading apps, and navigating…[more]

5 Benefits of Play for Children

Children learn about the world around them and develop mentally and physically through play. Researchers have found that unstructured play not only keeps kids occupied and entertained, but it’s key to a children’s natural development. It’s so important, in fact, that in 1989 the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights… [more]

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In recent years, parents have become increasingly aware of dangerous materials found in common children’s toys, often those made overseas. We now have regulations on what materials are safe and which ones should be avoided in children’s toys and other consumer products. BPA, or Bisphenol A, is an organic compound found in many plastics…[more]

Toys That Help Kids Read

If your children are just learning how to read, then you understand how important it is to encourage them to practice and develop reading skills. It’s helpful to look for ways to incorporate reading lessons into everyday situations—for instance, asking kids to sound out words on billboards as you’re driving… [more]

A Child’s Development level from Ages 5-7

Once your child reaches early school age, he or she will have already become fairly self-sufficient and will only become more so. Each day provides new opportunities to learn, explore, and discover more about the world. The educational toys that kids at this developmental stage play with enhance the skills that they’re learning in school…. [more]

Kids naturally clamor for your smart phone or tablet because they like the fun games. You yourself probably enjoy a few mindless, addicting apps when you have time to kill. Fortunately, there are also several apps that serve an educational purpose, and kids will still find them entertaining.

1. Word Book and Puzzle Box HD

• For preschoolers to first-graders
• Aids with spelling and sounding out words with phonics
• Designed for the iPad
• Kids can drag letters to the correct places to form words and simultaneously hear the letters sounded out
• Reward system encourages kids to keep playing so they earn more items for their special room

2. Math Evolve

• For kids in early school grades
• Kids use addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication to operate a spaceship to save the world
• Includes multiple levels and bosses to defeat, testing kids’ learned math skills
• For solo play or multiple players
• On the iPad’s touchscreen, players have greater control and maneuverability

3. Phonic Fun & Games

• For preschoolers and kindergarteners learning the ABCs
• Includes alphabet cards, guessing games, letter tracing practice, and memory games
• Enhances fine motor skills
• Creative designs teach lower- and upper-case letters in a memorable manner

4. Foodie the Bug

• Well-rounded app for kids learning about different cultures and ethnic foods
• Designed for iOS devices
• A cute bug flies over various landscapes collecting food ingredients for various ethnic dishes
• Intuitive gameplay involves tilting the iPad or iPhone to move the character

5. The Nutcracker Musical Storybook

• App combines the music of Tchaikovsky with beautiful hand-painted illustrations by Yoko Tanaka
• For the iPad or iPhone
• As much about the classical ballet music as the reading experience
• Includes a story mode, where kids read at their own pace, and movie mode, where they enjoy the music and visuals seamlessly

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

Related Top 10 Lists

Top 10 Educational Toys for Kids Ages 8-12

As children advance from the 3rd grade to preparing for middle school, they learn even more complex subjects in school: history, science, social studies, health, etc. We looked for educational toys that not only enhanced the skills kids possess from ages 8 to 12, but made learning and discovering new things fun and entertaining. Our top 10 toys involve: 1. Fun for … [more]

Top 10 Educational Toys for Children Ages 2-4

Toys for tots ages 2 to 4 are not only entertaining but educational, helping them develop fine motor skills, concentration, dexterity, problem solving, creative play, and imagination. As we looked at a number of toys for children in this age range, we looked for a number of important factors, including: 1. Educational value, 2. Durability, 3. Easy storage and … [more]

A big hit in recent years, Apples to Apples is a fun game you can enjoy with the family or at parties. The rules are relatively simple, but provide a lot of creativity and giggles. Players take turns being the judge and playing an adjective card. The other players must select a person, place, or thing card they think goes with the adjective. The judge then picks his or her favorite comparison, whether it’s a logical connection or completely nonsensical. Kids enjoy the game because they get to defend their choices and try to sway the judge; at the same time, they’ll learn to make connections and argue persuasively. Apples to Apples is intended for kids at least 12 years old; younger kids may not understand all the words and concepts on the cards. The game costs $27.90.

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An educational computer game that children will want to return to frequently, Crazy Machines lets you experiment with levers, pulleys, cranks, gears, and other tools to create robots, blimps, cannons, catapults, and much more. The game also includes over 200 puzzles that take some ingenuity and creativity to figure out. With so much freedom in designing your own contraptions, adults will recall the inventions of Rube Goldberg. It’s just as much creating your own inventions on the screen and watching them work. An entertaining game for the budding engineer, Crazy Machines costs just $6.51.

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An entertaining game for adults, Mad Gab is suitable for kids at least 10 years old. Warning: Playing the game can prompt uproarious laughter and silliness. Each card features a word puzzle, a string of seeming nonsensical words that you must repeat over and over to work out what object, person, or saying it sounds like. Children may find the game challenging, but there are 2 levels of difficulty, so they can start out with the easy level until they get the hang of it. The brainteasers force players to listen carefully and trust what their ears, not their eyes, are telling them. Mad Gab costs $22.09.

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The charm and excitement of Rory’s Story Cubes lie in its simplicity. Players roll the 9 dice and come up with a story based on the pictures showing. Your family can create your own rules and limits to make the game more challenging, but even young kids will grasp the basic concept of the game. Perfect for parties, family nights, and any situation where kids could get antsy or bored, the pocket-sized game sparks creativity, imagination, and artistic expression. Children will learn to speak and listen well, and they’ll quickly master the art of storytelling by piecing together a string of random images into a coherent story. The game is available for $7.18.

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Not only does this globe serve its obvious purpose as a model of the modern world, but it also includes over 10,000 quiz questions suitable for kids ages 8 and up. A clear voice asks the questions, and the globe times how long it takes you to find the answers. Kids can play solo or with up to 4 players. It’s a well-designed, interactive visual tool that will spice up the geography lessons and reinforce what kids learn in school. Some of the questions are surprisingly challenging and may even require a little outside research. This talking globe from Educational Insights costs $84.53 and comes with a 1-year warranty.

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The Kindle Fire isn’t designed specifically with kids in mind, but today’s tech-savvy children will figure out how to navigate this e-reader within minutes of pulling it out of the box. The vibrant 7-inch display is ideal for children’s picture books so you and your kids can read together and enjoy the illustrations. There are virtually hundreds of educational apps available for download that will make practicing math, spelling, reading, and puzzle-solving fun and addictive to kids. The main thing you have to decide is whether you want to buy this $199 device for a child or for yourself. It’s probably better to monitor how your child uses it; with access to the Internet, videos, games, and much more, your kid may wander to features that have more of an entertainment than educational value.

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For the inquisitive child who loves engrossing, hands-on projects, the Snap Circuits SC-300 kit will provide hours of delightful electronic fun. This set includes over 300 electronic projects kids can build themselves following step-by-step instructions in the manual. The pieces are clearly labeled and color coded, and there are no tools or soldering required. Pieces simply snap into place on the plastic grid. Your kid will get a kick out of creating the electronic circuits necessary for a door bell, burglar alarm, and radio. The projects advance in complexity, so children can enjoy Snap Circuits for years to come. A perfect tool for teaching kids the basics of electricity, Snap Circuits is available for $39.95.

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An human anatomy book and model set for kids ages 8 to 12, this Squishy You kit includes a 12-inch plastic human model with 9 removable squishy organs. Kids will love pulling out the intestines, heart, and lungs with forceps, organizing them on a tray, and then reassembling the human body. It’s like the game Operation, but with an actual educational purpose. The brightly illustrated book enhances the experience, teaching kids to appreciate the vascular, muscular, and skeletal systems. Learning how the body works has never been this squishy, slimy, and entertaining. The set is worth $22.22.

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In a clever twist on the game Uno, players attempt to build lines of blocks featuring the same color or shape. The grid of tiles that develops resembles a Scrabble board. One of the great aspects of Qwirkle is that you can set up anywhere as long as you have a large enough playing space. The rules are simple enough for young children to grasp, but there are so many possible combinations of colors and shapes that you and older kids will be drawn in by the strategy and logic involved. Games typically last 30 to 45 minutes, which can help kids learn to focus for long stretches. Qwirkle is available for $20.62.

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