School may be out, but little brains don’t take a vacation. A few minutes of playful, hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) exploration each day keeps curiosity soaring and prevents the dreaded “summer slide.” Studies show that children who regularly engage in STEAM activities sharpen critical-thinking, collaboration, and innovation skills—traits employers prize for the 2030s and beyond.
Below you’ll find five skill zones—mirroring the sections in our store—and Bright Bean toys that transform sunny afternoons or rainy-day retreats into aha! moments.
SCIENCE — Observe, Hypothesize, Experiment
-
4M Weather Station – Kids plant the anemometer in the backyard, track temperature with the built-in thermometer, and even upcycle a pop bottle into a mini greenhouse.
-
4M Crystal Growing Experiment Kit – Seven dazzling experiments teach geology basics and patience (waiting 24 hours for crystals to form is the ultimate delayed-gratification lesson!).
Mini mission: Keep a summer “field notebook.” Jot daily sky observations or crystal measurements to spot patterns over time.
TECHNOLOGY — Circuits, Code & Cause-and-Effect
-
Snap Circuits Beginner – With just 14 chunky parts, kids as young as five build 20+ light-and-sound projects while mastering the idea of a closed circuit.
-
Snap Circuits Snap-2-It Board Game – A race to flash your LED first teaches conductivity, strategy, and good sportsmanship all at once.
Tech twist: Challenge your engineer to redesign one project so the LED turns on only when the room lights are off.
ENGINEERING — Design, Build, Re-build
-
MAGNA-TILES Stardust (15-pc Set) – Mirrors and glitter add extra “wow” to every geometric creation, encouraging iteration and structural testing (how tall before it tips?).
-
MAGNA-TILES® Combo + microMAGS (20-pc Set) – Standard tiles meet 75 % smaller micro pieces so kids solve real-world scale problems.
At-home hack: Put a small fan two feet away and see whose tower survives the “wind tunnel.”
ARTS — Create, Communicate, Imagine
-
Hey Clay Fluffy Pets – Air-dry clay plus a step-by-step app walks budding makers through sculpting six cuddly critters while boosting fine-motor skills.
-
VTech DigiArt Creative Easel – Switch from light-up tracing board to classic chalkboard, then fold flat into a tabletop studio—perfect for porch painting sessions.
Creative cue: After sculpting or drawing, have kids “pitch” their masterpiece—storytelling connects art to language development.
MATHEMATICS — Count, Compare, Calculate
-
Numberblocks Wooden Building Blocks Activity Set – Beloved TV characters One to Five stack into every shape they can make; 20 guided challenges sneak in early algebra and spatial reasoning.
Daily digit: Roll all the blocks, add the totals, then race to build that number in cubes—mental math meets tactile play.
Shop the Collection
Ready to fill the toy box with tools for tomorrow’s inventors? Click any product above or browse our full STEAM Learning section. Orders over $35 CAD ship free, so curiosity really does pay off.
Questions about ages, siblings, or summer shipping times? DM @brightbeantoys or email hello@brightbeantoys.com—our play experts answer faster than you can say “eureka!”
Here’s to a season of sunshine, giggles, and mind-blowing “I built this!” moments.
