Best STEM Toys For 5 Year Olds

Looking for great STEM gift ideas for a 5 year old? 

KiwiCo has some awesome STEAM learning projects for all ages, especially for 5 year olds!

I’ve covered KiwiCo since 2020, so be sure to check out my reviews on their Panda Crate line and Koala Crate line , plus how it works.

Today I’m going to walk you through some of the exciting STEAM options for older preschoolers or early elementary kids with a never ending interest in learning and creating, which make STEAM gifts like KiwiCo such a great option for this age range! 

What is STEAM?

STEAM stands for Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics. 

Basically it’s similar to STEM, but with the added A for arts. Both STEAM and STEM encourage kids to work on hard and soft skills for problem solving, analytical thinking, creativity, and innovation.

Making them excellent options for your child’s development.

Why are STEAM toys so great for 5 year olds? 

While STEAM is important for all ages, as it uses such a wide variety of skills, it’s especially important for 5 year olds as they are figuring out their interests, learning how the world works, and building critical thinking skills. 

STEM toys also encourage a deeper concentration than screens and “entertainment” or passive toys because they always have an activity component that encourages cognitive development on many levels.

KiwiCo is a great option for STEAM gift ideas for all ages

KiwiCo has been a pioneer in STEAM learning boxes for kids encouraging innovation and creation for over a decade. 

Using the principles of STEAM, kids discover new interests while exploring how the world around them works and building their own finished STEAM inspired project. 

How does KiwiCo work?

KiwiCo currently offers multiple Crate lines which are age and interest based as well as a storefront where you can shop by age or interest.

The options get more challenging as kids get older, so for the purposes of this review, we’ll solely look at kindergarteners and early elementary aged kids. KiwiCo has some amazing options that are essentially like mini-homeschool lessons working motor skill, creativity, problem solving, critical thinking and more.

KiwiCo Unboxings

Before we get into some unboxings and mini reviews, I want to note, all three of these are suggested for 5 year olds and felt incredibly age appropriate for a kindergartener's skill level and interests.

My Body and Me Crate Review: 

My Body and Me was the first crate we got from this line which included 3 activities:

• Building a stethoscope,
• Making plush organs,
• Creating x-rays

These felt like a great next step from KiwiCo’s Panda Crate line which had a “threading” activity. This took it up a notch with actual sewing of felt organ pieces. Additionally, their doctor kit had a stethoscope, and now kids can actually get into the STEAM lesson behind how stethoscopes work which is really awesome to witness.

Astronaut Solar System Review:

The Astronaut Solar System came with 2 activities: building a solar system and a rocket launch, plus a little book.

All of which both my 3 and 5 year old REALLY enjoyed. This was awesome for mixed ages or multiple kids with LOADS to do.

This crate took us a few days to get through, making it an awesome value and the learning itself was fantastic. From talking about the planets, to constructing the solar system I felt like they learned so much and watched their confidence growing as they rapid fired questions too. 

The rocket launch was also a big hit with so many lessons. I loved the “failure to launch” troubleshooting section. This really encouraged a level of precision on the child's part when ensuring the red tube doesn’t touch the connector. Which is why I say these are so age appropriate and really challenge kids to be one step outside their comfort zone while deepening concentration and building confidence. 

Crystal Garden Review:

The Crystal Garden required a level of patience, precision, and order that was just the right amount of challenge for my 5 year old. 

It taught lessons around color combining, thoroughness and precision that she hadn’t really been challenged with in the past. This is a skill I love for developing the prefrontal cortex and thinking things through in the long run when solving problems and led to a great conversation about the areas that didn’t grow crystals.

Kiwi Crate Reviews: 

Going back 6 years when I was becoming a new mom, I knew about KiwiCo and always thought it was for older kids, because I remember seeing this line EVERYWHERE with older kids and just thinking how cool it was!

Of course I quickly learned that KiwiCo actually offers crates for newborns and toddlers all the way up through adulthood which I’ve covered extensively in the past.

[RELATED] More KiwiCo Reviews

But all of that is to say, these really awesome STEAM projects are what always excited me about KiwiCo before I knew anything about them and it’s lived up to the hype in my head so far! 

My kids and I enjoyed each of these crates.

Each one taught a new lesson in science, understanding how things come together to work, and expressing creativity.

Personally, I think these are GREAT for siblings to do together! For instance, the “My Body and Me” Crate has multiple sewing and decorating opportunities and multiple kids can work on different parts of the X-Rays at once.

The Astronaut Solar System crate allows multiple kids to work together painting the different planets and taking turns assembling the solar system. 

The Crystal Garden has multiple color droppers, and if you feel comfortable letting littler siblings join in with the dye, they can each decorate different plants on the panel.

This is how we’ve personally done things with a 3 and 5 year old. My 3 year old flows in and out, while my 5 year old and I work on stuff. The crates are designed in a way that I can easily give my 3 year old a “job” during the lesson and he LOVES sitting and learning alongside his big sister. 

Just like other KiwiCo Crate lines, some of the crates note levels of parent involvement and messiness levels for you to plan ahead accordingly.

Moms KiwiCo Kiwi Crate review: 

I love the range of KiwiCo Crates where they really hybrid the STEAM concepts.

For instance the Body Parts crate of course has your standard sciences, but there’s also art involved with the sewing and creating. 

Same concept applies to the Capillary Action crate and the Crystal garden. 

And while the Astronaut Solar System, Arcade Claw and Mechanical Sweeper crates really focus on engineering science, all have heavy art aspects too.

Additionally, I just find having KiwiCo’s crates on hand to always be so convenient on rainy days or during long weekends or school breaks. They are an awesome screen-free option that feels like we brought the science museum home, and keeps the kids engaged for the day at a fraction of the cost of a museum entrance fee. 

Does KiwiCo require parental assistance?

A little  – 5 year olds will likely need an adult to help read the booklets and guide the lessons, however the actual building and creating are well tailored to the average five year olds skills and dexterity in my experience. 

KiwiCo did a great job of keeping these crates do-able with a small step outside of most kids comfort zones to help them learn and grow while fostering connection between you and your child. 

As a parent, the big thing is asking questions and guiding them; and not getting tempted to DO the crate for them! 

Overall I was really impressed with both being able to take a step back and how long my five year old stayed engaged in each project. 

Can you buy just one Crate?

Yes, you can choose your Crate using the “start with this crate” option or in their store; but some crates are only available with a subscription! 

KiwiCo Kiwi Crates Price:

Currently, prices vary from $18.50 to $23.95 on subscriptions (use code TCM to save even more on new subscriptions here!!) or $29.95 when purchased from the store. 

Kiwi Crate Coupon:

You can use discount code TCM for 50% off your first month of a new subscription (NOTE: It's 20% for Panda Crate's!)

Final thoughts

The learning opportunities KiwiCo provides are really awesome in our experience with very few comparable STEAM toy options out there that cover the cognitive developmental range with such breadth and depth. 

Yes, they’re getting obvious STEAM lessons about the body or solar system, but they are also getting lessons on innovation and creation that can only come from tinkering around with things and learning how they work. 

Those tracks being built in a child’s mind are invaluable in my opinion for years to come. 

I’d love to hear if you’ve tried out KiwiCo for working STEAM skills with your kids and what your thoughts were in the comments! Which crate looks most interesting to you! Don’t forget to use code TCM for a discount on new KiwiCo subscriptions!