As a child, toy shopping was great wasn’t it?
Contents
Walking through aisles and aisles of glistening boxes, stuffed animals, and motorized cars, we wanted to take it all home!
Now as an adult buying for children, it can feel so overwhelming, can’t it?
Toys that stimulate and challenge our children are on the increase, with more of us after the best engineering toys for girls.
With more and more women undertaking a career in engineering, it's never too soon to introduce your child to the wonderful skills and hours of entertainment with an engineering toy.
There is a lot on the market, and finding one suitable can be a challenge!
For those after the best engineering toys for girls, keep reading! We have found the best toys, added a buyer’s guide to help you make the right choice, and an FAQ section for those with some burning questions!
Happy reading and of course, toy shopping!
In a hurry? Check out our top pick to grab your toys and go!
OUR TOP PICK
An affordable option from MagBlock is these magnetic blocks, great for a range of ages!
With bright colors, these blocks are advertised as suitable for children aged 3 and over. Great for playing with family or independently for older children, the stacking blocks are great for promoting engineering skills.
The simplistic design will provide years of fun for your daughter and the magnetic toys are easy to snap into place.
The blocks stack very easily, great for when your child is playing, but from a sensible parent point of view, they are also easy to store and travel with!
Those who struggle to entertain children whilst traveling can breathe a sigh of relief, as these will keep your children entertained and take up minimal space while you travel.
The blocks are made from high-quality ABS and are nontoxic and dust-free, great for durable use for all ages.
Magnet toys can be concerning to give to our children, especially those who tend to swallow toys. Magnets can be very dangerous.
Thankfully, these magnetic blocks are incredibly safe, made with a unique, one-piece design, making them one of the safest magnetic blocks on the market.
Customers praised the strength of these magnets, holding together their child's creation, great for open-ended play.
Some customers did say that the blocks felt a little flimsy compared to other brands, but most were happy with the sturdiness of these.
The unique shape of these blocks provides endless options for building and designs. You can make whole towns, houses for their other toys, and many other options, making them extremely adaptable.
They are a great choice for children who go through phases of interest quickly allowing for multiple toys to be created, for example, if one week they are plane crazy, and the next obsessed with building skyscrapers, these blocks will be able to cater to every desire.
Pros:
- Affordable.
- High-quality materials.
- Designed for children aged 3+.
- Wide variety of play options.
- Non Toxic materials.
Con:
- Some customers found the blocks a little flimsy.
EDITORS CHOICE
A decently priced option and Toy award winner is pepper Mint in the Great Treehouse Adventure. A great way to introduce girls to the world of engineering and to stimulate them is with this toy!
Pepper Mint is a young female engineer who your children will follow on her science expedition in the rainforest. The toy allows children to build a large wooden treehouse and conduct experiments.
There are also additional building projects that add more elements to the treehouse, allowing endless play opportunities.
The toy also comes with a 32-page storybook manual and experiment guide, along with a scale pepper Mint figure.
The toy is designed to cover lessons in physics, engineering, and electrical science. It's a great one to get girls excited about engineering.
For those worried about play potential, once complete your child is left with a complete treehouse, allowing them to create their own adventures and storylines, great for those creative children after hours of play!
The treehouse is recommended for children ages 8 and over, great for those slightly older children itching to build and create.
Customers found this a great educational tool for their children, with older and younger kids enjoying helping out as well.
Some customers did find some of the instructions a little complicated, so you may find yourself roped into helping out with this one!
For those after an engineering toy that heavily features a female engineer and promotes endless play opportunities, this is a great toy to consider!
Pros:
- Suitable for ages 8 and over.
- Can play with after the project is completed.
- Teaches about engineering, physics, and electrical science.
- Decently priced.
- Well made.
Con:
- Some of the instructions may be a little complex to follow.
BEST VALUE
Pakoo offers a great gift to get your child excited about engineering at an affordable price!
This toy allows your child to create 5 different electric toys. The set is made up of 109 pieces and a step-by-step instruction guide to help create these wonderful pieces.
The set comes in a handy box with a handle that some customers did find poorly made, so you may be better off decanting the parts into your own sturdier box.
The set features a battery-powered electric motor drive enabling the models to move, so your child can watch its creation come to life!
Made of bright colored non-toxic ABS materials, they are durable and BPA free as well. Create for those curious children who are prone to exploring the world with their mouths!
Thanks to the multiple models your child can create, the set offers a range of difficult models, allowing you to use the set for years to come!
Starting with 5-7, moving on to 7-9, and then offering 9+ years old the opportunity to create and challenge themself.
This is a great toy for those children after a challenge, as you can introduce more challenging models as you see fit, offering the flexibility not often seen in toys.
Pros:
- Affordable.
- Suitable for a range of ages.
- Non-toxic and durable.
- Great for solo or group play.
- Instructions are easy to follow.
Con:
- Some customers found the box it comes with poorly made.
RUNNER UP
PANTHEON offers an affordable engineering toy for girls, introducing them to the world of circuits.
The circuit board is great for children over the age of 6, offering 59 projects for them to follow. Hours of endless fun and educational development can be had with this toy.
The board can be expanded with additional kits too, allowing you to keep adding to your child's fun! You can also use LEGO pieces with this, as the bricks are compatible!
Although these can only be used for play as they will not conduct currents and should not be placed on the circuit board.
The board includes a magnetic switch, light circuits, lighting, and changing the colors of a fiber optic tree, turning on and off a fan and so much more!
A great way to engage your daughter is not only engineering, but science, technology, and math.
PANTHEON also offers a 100% money-back guarantee so you can buy with confidence and know any issues will be addressed swiftly.
Some customers noted that the board did not come with any instructions, but not everyone noted this issue. A quick call to customer services would hopefully resolve this issue!
For those after a circuit board to introduce their daughter too with lots of possibilities, this is a great option!
Pros:
- Affordable.
- Suitable for children aged 6 and over.
- 59 projects to do.
- Expandable with additional kits.
- 100% money-back guarantee.
Con:
- Some customers did not receive any instructions.
RUNNER UP
Relive your childhood with your children with this huge Lego set at an affordable price!
The set contains 900 pieces offering a range of colorful bricks, shapes, and pieces. You also get eyes, wheels, windows, doors, and hinges, allowing for countless creative possibilities.
Lego offers wonderful open-ended play, with this set even coming with a brick separator to disassemble pieces! I don’t know about you, but my set was sorely lacking one of those!
This Lego set features 3 levels of building complexity, a great introduction to Lego, or adding to a collection!
The set is designed for children 4 years and older, and thanks to how diverse the collection is, your daughter will love creating with this.
My personal favorite was building houses (often windowless, because what is light?), there is something for everyone with this set.
Customers enjoyed the versatility of the Lego set and spending time creating with their children.
Although some did note that a few of the pieces are very small, so take care to avoid ingesting or vacuuming them up!
For those after a large set and endless possibilities, it's time to prepare your feet for the pain of stepping on a Lego brick once more!
Pros:
- Affordable.
- 900 piece kit.
- Diverse.
- Suitable for ages 4 and over.
- Comes with a brick separator.
Con:
- Some of the pieces are very small.
Best Engineering Toys For Girls Buying Guide
When buying any toy, there are factors to consider, and it's no different from an engineering toy for a girl.
We’ve highlighted some of the factors to consider to help you buy that perfect gift.
Skills
Sometimes toys labeled as engineering toys won’t introduce any engineering concepts or teach your child anything new.
For those looking for toys that will provide educational development and entertainment, look for toys that will teach something. Toys that involve building, project kits, board games, and robots are usually good choices for this.
Related: Why Board Games Are So Expensive
Engineering dolls with no accessories and pre-built construction toys tend not to teach new skills so are not always the best option.
Replayability
Some engineering toys will provide one use, for example, a project that you build and complete once. This can feel like an ineffective use of your money, and may quickly be forgotten by the child too.
Toys that allow for multiple plays, such as building blocks, or toys that encourage open-ended play, will not only provide you with value for your money but hours of endless play too.
Ages
With an engineering toy, you want to be sure that your child will be challenged and stimulated, without the engineering skills being too advanced for them.
If the task is beyond their capabilities they may become discouraged to continue, leaving them feeling unconfident, and you with a toy gathering dust.
The age guides on toys can be helpful, but remember that you know the child better than the box does. If the girl you are buying the toy for is very advanced for their age, the toy could stimulate them, leaving them bored quickly.
Some toys are listed with a general age, such as 3 or 6+, designed to be versatile and allow for multiple ages to use these. They can be a good choice and will hopefully provide years of educational entertainment for your child.
Use the age recommendations on the toy as a guide to help you make your selection.
Longevity
Children as we know can grow and change in the blink of an eye! It's important then to get a toy that will work well for a variety of ages.
It will allow the child to remain stimulated and challenged, this is where building blocks, for example, is a good gift, as the child develops they can continue to create more advanced designs.
Not only will this save you some money, but it is also a more sustainable option and allows for children to get the most out of their toys.
It's also great to consider for children with siblings, as they can share (daring thought, I know) and use across all levels.
Price
Everyone has a different budget, and it's important to set a clear one before you begin your search.
Toys can be expensive purchases, but they don't need to be.
You can get some great engineering toys at a great price, saving you some pennies and providing entertainment for children.
Frequently Asked Questions
For any last-minute questions, have a look at our FAQ section below!
What is the difference between girl and boy engineering toys?
Engineering toys are, at their core, the same regardless of the gender they are targeted at. Engineering toys designed for girls so have some benefits for your child.
Engineering toys for girls usually feature a female engineer as a role model. This is something we don’t often see across other mediums our children are exposed to and can be extremely empowering. It shows girls that they can be involved in typically a male-dominated field.
If your child has never been exposed to engineering toys before or played with typically “girl” toys such as dolls, it may seem a big challenge to introduce engineering toys to her.
Engineering toys are typically viewed as “boy” toys and have for years been targeted at a male audience. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying ‘boy’ toys for your daughter and vice versa, children are susceptible, and may not want to play with a ‘boy’ toy.
Engineering toys targeted at girls are a good way to introduce your child who has not been exposed to them before. It will help to break down any barrier that it's a boy toy, or that engineering is for boys only.
This can be a great way for you to introduce unisex toys to your child and reinforce the idea that girls and boys can play with whatever toys interest them.
At what age should a child be introduced to engineering toys?
This depends on what you are calling “engineering toys” as the building blocks we buy toddlers can be viewed as engineering toys thanks to their promotion of building and designing.
Encouraging them to stack and knock over blocks introduces toddlers to some of the basic teachings of engineering.
For more specific engineering toys it's best to check the age listed on the toy so that you aren’t providing your child with a toy that is too complex for their age. On the other hand, it's also not a good idea to provide your child with a toy that is too simplistic, as this will bore and disengage your child.
For those looking to introduce a child to engineering toys, open-ended toys are the best to introduce and stimulate them before moving onto more specific toys.
There's no right age to introduce engineering toys, especially if your child is showing signs of interest, just be sure it is appropriate for them.
What can I provide alongside engineering toys for a girl?
An engineering toy designed for a girl will go a long way in showing her that she can engage in STEM-based activities.
For those wanting to empower and boost their daughters’ confidence, introducing them to other female engineers is a nice addition to the toy.
Books featuring female characters, or famous female engineers can be read to or with your child to help further her confidence and empower her to pursue her passion for engineering.
Trips to interactive science museums if your budget can allow this are also a fun and interactive way to further stimulate her. Be sure to check what's available in your local library, perhaps a trip to the library or joining an engineering-based club may be a fun option to consider!
As a parent of a five-year-old inquisitive boy, I have gained a lot of experience finding fun activities and toys to help him understand science and understanding our world in general. On this blog, you’ll find an extensive amount of tutorials, guides, and toys about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math based on my personal experience to help your child develop critical STEM skills.
