Manipulatives

3 years & up. Gears! Gears! Gears! Beginner's Building Set Get "little engineers" building! Hands-on construction sets with spinning gears build early STEM skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and perseverance. The perfect beginning set! Includes colorful gears, cranks, connectors, interlocking bases; and an Activity Guide. Challenge patterning and problem solving skills with these exciting sets of gears, cranks, connectors, pillars, and interlocking plates! Includes… More »

3 years & up. Children can create dough eggs to put in the birds nest! Each dough mat has a numeral and corresponding counting dots so children know how many dough eggs to make and place in the nest. These mats are a wonderful and engaging way to incorporate math and fine motor skills. Activity card(s) included Gently wipe clean with a damp cloth, air dry. Measures 8.5" x 11". Set of 9.

3 years & up. Our jumbo-sized beads are perfectly designed for little hands! Crafted from durable, unbreakable plastic, these beads are built to withstand years of hands-on learning in the classroom. This set includes 360 vibrant, chubby beads in six fun shapes and six bold colors, each featuring extra-large holes for frustration-free stringing. Packed in a convenient plastic container, these beads make for easy storage and endless creative fun. The round bead measures 0.75 inches, making it… More »

12 months & up. Colorful fabric owls with ribbon feet and crinkle bodies for toddlers to match and sort. Embroidered features, satin ribbons and crinkles enhance tactile and sensory awareness. Included: 5 sets of 3 owls in orange, red, purple, blue, and green. Machine washable.

18 months & up. Toddler STEM toy Grippies® Links features easy-to-stack and connect magnetic construction blocks and two sizes of magnetic characters to encourage both building and dramatic play. Encourage pattern recognition and simple to complex construction concepts alongside dramatic play with the secured magnetic building pieces. With soft, over-molded plastic textures and tactile grips in four bright colors, Grippies® Links are perfect for small hands to grasp. The blocks pivot… More »

5 years & up. The only limit to this building set is your imagination! Build 50 different models including a dragon, swing ride, robot and more. Comes in a blue plastic  tub that holds all K'NEX® parts, or partially and fully built models. Set contains 417 classic K'NEX® pieces to build over 70 unique models and whatever else you can create.

18 months & up. Introduce light and color exploration, along with early STEM skills, through the organic and layered builds of Grippies® Windows. Over-molded metal ball connectors join colorful, secured magnetic panels to create 2D and 3D builds. Tactile grips and over-molded plastic are soft and easy for little hands to hold. Watch your young builder discover magnetic principles, properties of light, and color recognition through multiple building and patterning activities. Compatible with other Grippies® sets.

4 years & up. Build towers of quirky robots, spinning gears, and wobbling cranes with this Robot Factory set by Learning Resources. Stack robots on top of each other and place them on spinning gears or hang them from wobbling cranes and springs. Each unique robot and building piece can be attached to another in several different ways and from several different angles so that the only limit on engineering is your imagination. Promotes STEM learning. Size: Robots measure 2.25"H. Includes:… More »

8 years & up. Explore the basics of mechanical physics by building a series of simple machines designed to perform complex tasks that make our everyday lives easier. Build 26 working models focusing on six simple machines: wheels and axles, levers, pulleys, inclined planes, screws, and wedges. Learn the science behind your builds in the full-color, 32-page manual and follow the easy to understand step-by-step instructions to assemble each machine. As your understanding of mechanical physics… More »

4 years & up. Create a limitless world of people, animals, architecture, robots, vehicles and more! This set is comprised of 12 unique plastic shapes and features six colors. IO Blocks connect with secure, yet easily adjustable friction fit and features a beautiful matte finish. The high-quality design of IO Blocks offers open-ended building possibilities and problem solving, puzzle-like qualities. Great for Parents and Educators interested in STEM skill development. Free IO App available from… More »

12 months & up. The Stretch Tubes & Connectors Set is the ideal early STEM toy! This assortment of connectors and stretchy flexible tubes easily snap together, or into the holes on the connectors vertically, horizontally, or any angle imaginable, to create fantastic creations. Children will feel a real sense of accomplishment as they discover how to fit the tubes into the holes, or snap them together. Made of durable, safe plastic; stretch tubes and connectors come in a plastic stackable… More »

4 years & up. Set creativity free with the Spaghetteez Flexible Construction & Building Set! Spaghetteez are soft, flexible building sticks that easily click together to make colorful creations. Spaghetteez develop fine motor skills, encourage 3D insight, and stimulate creative thinking. Spaghetteez also make great fidget toys because they bend and twist without making noise. Set contains soft craft sticks in different lengths and colors (the longest stick is 12"), various accessories… More »

18 months & up. Introduce young builders to organic construction and social emotional expression with the curved shapes of toddler STEM toy Grippies® Curves. Inspired by shapes found in nature, the colorful curved rods with secure magnetic ends encourage magnetic and tactile exploration through patterning and 3D construction. With cute faces on the over-molded metal ball connectors, toddlers can create expressive characters or expand their builds. The tactile, soft touch pieces make Grippies®… More »

3 years & up. With over 100 manipulatives, take AR sand play to the next level! Let children's imaginations run wild as they dig for dinosaur bones, roam the Serengeti, or manipulate the North American landscape. Explore underwater worlds while sifting through sand for seashells and other treasures! Each set includes 5 aluminum sand sifters, 11 dinosaur skulls, 12 dinosaur bones, 11 vinyl dinosaurs, 48 real seashells, 11 vinyl sea animals, 6 vinyl African animals, 13 vinyl North American animals,… More »

4 years & up. In this jungle-themed set, monkeys fly through the palm trees by their tails, then spin, twist and turn. Colorful set features plastic gears, crank, connectors and base plates for endless building possibilities. Kids develop their own "gears jungle" or use the easy-to-follow instructions. Includes 136 pieces.

4 years & up. Children will have many hours of fun with this exciting Mega Marble Run! The marbles will disappear inside the columns, roll down the assorted chutes, spin through the paddle wheels, and ring the bell on the wiggly chute. Construction set includes: 3 paddle wheels, 3 vortex, a wiggly bell chute, staircase, 180 degree turn, 2-way chute, and other various pieces. Create simple or complex marble runs with the colorful slot-together plastic pieces.

3 years & up. With 68 plastic components, the number of run designs is limitless. Includes 12 marbles to run through flippers, funnels, across ramps, and into catch all hoppers.

3 years & up. Children can experience Eastern-inspired architecture, indoors and outdoors, building with the Notch Blocks Eastern set. Solid plastic, neutral-colored blocks feature notched parts that easily connect for strong, detailed builds. Using included ladders and bridge pieces, children can build different structures with varying elevated platforms and span natural elements. Set includes 10 double-sided build cards. Available in 87 pieces or 132 pieces.

3 years & up. These counters turn sorting and counting activities into exciting adventures. Soft rubber counters in 6 colors packed into a reusable plastic tub. Suggested activities also included. Fish measure approximately 2.5". Set of 60.

3 years & up. This kit is full of fun and STEM learning! Build your own domino stack, chain reaction or run. The dominoes are built to pro-scale so they are balanced for perfect building and toppling. The rapid tracks, spinners and templates help you design anything you can imagine such as stunts, tricks or cool designs. The possibilities are endless! Kit includes 180 kinetic dominoes, 5 rapid tracks, 1 staircase bridge, 1 speed template, 2 straight tracks, 12 domino arcs and 3 spinners. Non-toxic materials.

4 years & up. Straws and Connectors are ideal in helping children develop Science, Technology, Engineering®, and Math (STEM) skills. It allows children to enhance hand-eye coordination, motor skills, logic, and problem-solving skills all while playing. Build a fort, rocket, boat, tower, tunnel, or bridge! Design your own scientific model, or create something unique. The opportunities are endless! The straws fit snugly on the connectors and are flexible so you can build arches and tubes.… More »

2 years & up. Encourage children to explore their creativity as they build and discover basic engineering skills. My First Polydron Gears Set is ideal for introducing younger children to the concept of STEM, using gears. Assemble structures using squares and add gears by simply pushing them into place. Once connected, turn one gear and see the rest of them rotate! Not only do the gears mesh together on a flat surface, but also at an angle of 90 degrees. Features 36 durable, lightweight plastic… More »

3 years & up. Never has building been so wild than with these colorful and different bricks. Designed to snap together right side up and upside down to create a unique pivoting action. The set contains large and small Flexiblocks®, Flexiwivels, Flexiwheels, axle blocks, Flexilinks, and Flexibears. 373 piece set. Made in the USA.

5 years & up. Create your own unique marble run with zany-patterned, magnetic foam pieces! This Tumble Trax™ Magnetic Marble Run by Learning Resources will help hone your critical thinking skills and stretch your imagination as you figure out how to line up the pieces in a way that keeps your marbles moving smoothly down to the bottom of your run. Can you make the marble speed up, slow down, stop, or change direction by rearranging the pieces? Follow the activity cards to guide you as… More »