As the STEM toy market continues to grow, the Toy World team takes a look at the latest Science and Nature toys for 2024 from top suppliers.

According to global research company Technavio, the STEM toys market is predicted to grow by $8.09b from 2023 to 2028, with the demand for toys that support STEM learning increasing as adults acknowledge the importance of this area in preparing children for future careers. This year has seen a rise in the popularity of creative Science toys that get children involved in their own learning by, for example, executing chemical experiments, digging for gems and fossils, erupting a volcano, hatching an egg and even creating their own binoculars.

As the representation of women in STEM remains at just over one-quarter of the overall workforce, encouraging girls to get involved with science from a young age could lead to a more diverse industry that is better equipped to tackle big world challenges. Halilit is one supplier aiming to make STEM toys that appeal to both genders, in hopes of bridging the divide.

With the growing awareness about children’s social and emotional well-being, theres been an interest in Science and Nature toys that also support this area of children’s development, according to Learning Resources’ Nicole Sparrow. “Consumers should expect to see more toys in this category that will encourage children to collaborate and work together on fun science learning activities,” she tells us.

Bandai is seeing incredible success with its National Geographic Build Your Own Volcano Science Kit, while ranges including its Shark Dig Kit, Gemstone Dig Kit and the Rock Tumbler starter kit remain strong best-sellers. Similarly, Brainstorm has recently introduced the Erupting Volcano Lab, which teaches children about the science of volcanos by allowing them to create realistic lava that oozes out of a volcano model.

To read more about the latest launches from these and other companies, click here for the full feature, which appeared on our March 2024 issue.