In 2016 and 2015 I made a list of best Christmas STEM Toys for kids! If I may say so, they are still good lists today, so do check them out. Be aware I use Amazon referral links so I get a little kickback (and you support this blog!) when you use these links. I’ll be using the pocket money to…wait for it…buy STEM toys for kids! So thanks in advance!
Here’s a Christmas List of things that I’ve either personally purchased, tried for a time, or borrowed from a friend. These are great toys and products for kids of all genders and people of all ages.
Piper Computer Kit with Minecraft Raspberry Pi edition
The Piper is a little spendy at first glance, but it’s EXTREMELY complete and very thoughtfully created. Sure, you can just get a Raspberry Pi and hack on it – but the Piper is not just a Pi. It’s a complete kit where your little one builds their own wooden “laptop” box (more of a luggable), and then starting with just a single button, builds up the computer. The Minecraft content isn’t just vanilla Microsoft. It’s custom episodic content! Custom voice overs, episodes, and challenges.
What’s genius about Piper, though, is how the software world interacts with the hardware. For example, at one point you’re looking for treasure on a Minecraft beach. The Piper suggests you need a treasure detector, so you learn about wiring and LEDs and wire up a treasure detector LED while it’s running. Then you run your Minecraft person around while the LED blinks faster to detect treasure. It’s absolute genius. Definitely a favorite in our house for the 8-12 year old set.
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