Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old?

#81

Post by JPLKit » Tue, Mar 03, 2020, 4:12 PM UTC

mcgrath_sh wrote: post #32

mattbrewsbytes wrote: post #25

Duplo - larger Lego that they mostly can't put in their mouth. Be prepared for about a decade of being bored with kids toys. Also realize that your child may not be interested in anything you are interested in, its ok. They are their own person.

I have purchased Duplo for three friend’s kid’s first birthday and they have been a hit. Recommended age is 18 months, but 6 months to a year out, they get more use out of my gift than the others. Duplo is also compatible with Lego, which means they can be used as filler, etc. as they get older. Now one couple is having their second kid and I need to find a new present!

Search for 'duplo marble run'. I've found knockoff versions on ebay for ~$5. My 8 & 10 year old still love to play with the set. It's fun to build and fun to send the marbles down the path.

Re: Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old?

#82

Post by zoomablemind » Tue, Mar 03, 2020, 4:17 PM UTC

While toys are always fun, in case of STEM I would focus on developing active attention. That is not just immerse but also observe the result (success or failure), think of ways to make it better. Basically developing the cause-effect pathways, letting kid identify and solve a problem. Tons of chances for this with everyday objects.

Once kid is able to scribble, make him take "notes" of observations. Say, kid plays doctor and receives teddy bear as patient, asking what bothers him and taking notes of that. Measuring temperature with beeping thermometer, then deciding if there's fever and "prescribing" teddy bear some remedy or regimen.

Look around your house, there lots of safe objects that can be used as functional "toys". After all kids want to adapt to the "grownup" world.

Re: Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old?

#83

Post by BrockSamson » Tue, Mar 03, 2020, 4:17 PM UTC

Symbiote wrote: post #38

Everyone else is suggesting things to purchase, so I'll suggest things you can find or do outside. The last few are from [1], which I came across a while ago. - Play "identify the waterfowl in the park" followed by "chase!" and (for larger geese and swans) "run away!". [This should satisfy the other comment "play sports instead".] - Then, collect sticks in the woods and build a shelter. Extra points for using differe…

Nice list, thanks

Re: Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old?

#84

Post by cjg » Tue, Mar 03, 2020, 4:42 PM UTC

A balancing cactus - e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plan-Toys-0410101-Balancing-Cactus/...

Re: Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old?

#85

Post by blue11 » Tue, Mar 03, 2020, 4:46 PM UTC

Lots of negativity in this thread and comments from people that either have not had children or have had them so long ago that they don't remember what is age-appropriate for a 3-year-old.

I'll just second some of the common recommendation:

- Magnatiles. There are a lot of manufacturers out there, some brand name, some not. The good thing is that at this point they have all standardized on the tile sizes, so they are usually compatible.

- LEGO Duplo. The standard LEGO sizes are too small for most toddlers. Duplos are perfect. Kids (and parents) quickly tire of the set themes, but the good news is that you can mix and match pieces and let the kids build whatever crooked houses they want to build.

- Trains and other vehicles that go on rails.

- Picture books that you can read to them while they can follow by looking at the pictures. This is tricky, because in my experience most children books are not great. The biggest problem is usually the lack of a story. Many books are supposedly educational or teach kids good values, but they are poor at story telling. If there is no good story, kids are not interested. Many books also don't have a good balance between text and pictures. Too little text and there's not much for you to read, they'll flip through the book in seconds. Or pictures that do not have enough detail to match the text. Anyway, the only solution is trial and error.

Admittedly, none of these are exactly "STEM", but I think that's OK. What's more important to stimulate creativity and make learning fun.

Re: Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old?

#86

Post by jawilson2 » Tue, Mar 03, 2020, 4:46 PM UTC

xn wrote: post #78

Our kids liked the Robot Turtles board game. The kids are the programmers, playing cards to give instructions. The parent is the computer, executing the instructions (while making silly sound effects).

My kids loved that one. I was sad when they outgrew it.

Re: Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old?

#87

Post by annoyingnoob » Tue, Mar 03, 2020, 4:50 PM UTC

Outdoor ready vehicles, sticks or other outdoor objects, sand/dirt - have fun!

Focus on playing with your son, don't worry about the education bit so much at 3yrs. Focus on having fun, he will learn and not even realize it. Don't expect a 3 year old to spend a lot of time on a single activity, mix it up.

Re: Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old?

#88

Post by annoyingnoob » Tue, Mar 03, 2020, 4:52 PM UTC

taneq wrote: post #18

Wooden train set, blocks, those magnetic shapes that stick together, a sandpit, k'nex / duplo, an activity board (switches, hinges, moving/sliding bits etc. fastened to a piece of board), a water table with some buckets and things, play doh (home made is fine). Also let him join in with things you do around the house (cooking? cleaning up the yard?) - just giving them something to carry so they can be part of it will…

Make the play-dough, make the blocks, make the activity board - with your kid.

Re: Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old?

#89

Post by kick » Tue, Mar 03, 2020, 4:52 PM UTC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Nim

Re: Ask HN: STEM toy for a 3 years old?

#90

Post by c22 » Tue, Mar 03, 2020, 4:55 PM UTC

yboris wrote: post #80

jaxn wrote: post #69

Read to him. The number 1 way you can set him up for success is to spend time reading to him. The cool thing is that you can read content that you are interested in. Even hacker news comment threads.

As far as I remember, and as my parents tell me, I was able to read at the age of 3. I'm from Russia, and the language is easier to read one-letter-at-a-time when compared to English, but I still feel like it's possible (with enough time investment from parents) for a child to start reading by the age of 4. I strongly suspect that learning to read at an earlier age is beneficial for a child. And it's not too early to…

I know a 3-year-old that reads English. If your kid shows an interest in reading all you have to do is provide some resources and they will learn. Don't try to force it on a kid who's not (yet) interested though. Different kids will work on things in different orders--I've also known many 3-year-olds who couldn't read but they all excelled at something else.