Books and STEM and STEAM. It’s a match made for fun and learning. Every year, I am fortunate enough to receive a TON of books for review. So a few times a year, I like to go through my shelves and make a master list of my new favorites for the year. This list is packed with The Best STEM Books and STEAM Books for Kids. STEM and STEAM activity books, STE(A)M-inspired fiction books, and some really cool STEM non-fiction books, and a few fun arts and crafts books to round out the mix. Kids will love digging into the books and they make perfect gifts!
The Best STEM Books and STEAM Books for Kids
Wondering what I look for in the best STEM and STEAM books for kids? First, FUN. Because if the books aren’t entertaining for kids, it’s doesn’t matter what’s inside them. They won’t get used. Next I look for something that encourages kids to get creative, think, or learn something. All of these books on the list do just that!
STEM Activity Books and STEAM Activity Books
The heart of STEM and STEAM is hands-on learning and that’s why activity books come first in the list. A chance for kids to dig their hands (and their brains!) right into a subject and feel it while they’re learning it.
Of course I have to kick this off with my own book :) The next book in our #1 best-selling series of STEAM activity books is STEAM Kids in the Kitchen.
STEAM Kids in the Kitchen is packed with a whopping 70+ activities and recipes, this book will get the kids having fun and learning in the kitchen. Ever wonder what makes bread rise, what molecular gastronomy means, or how a solar oven works? You’ll find out in this book that teaches and excites with fun hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math projects. It’s half cookbook, half activity book, and allll fun.
Want to get a copy of STEAM Kids in the Kitchen right now? And get cooking today? Grab the STEAM Kids in the Kitchen Ebook right now!
Ana from Babble Dabble Do set her creative genius onto colorful projects for preschoolers in STEAM Play & Learn. Kids will love painting marshmallow structures, exploring physics with a homemade scale, and taking building to a giant scale with paper bag blocks. Oh and cool chemistry like potions and citrus volcanoes too.
Amp up your kiddo’s next doodling session with some fun engineering challenges. This Engineering Scribble Book is my new fave creative journal for kids! The cool illustrations guide kids through fun topics like the moon, forensic facial recognition, water engineering, wearable tech, and more. They’ll design ways to reuse recyclables their own rollercoaster  and think through how to solve any problemthey face. And you’re gonna  it.
Genius LEGO Inventions with Bricks You Already Have
LEGO sets can get expensive. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just build with what you have? Enter Genius LEGO Inventions with Bricks You Already Have. This books gives you step by step instructions for exciting new builds. This book focuses on cool things that move, making it perfect for the tinkerers in the house.
STEM and STEAM Inspired Fiction Books for Kids
If your kiddos have advanced past the picture book phase, I have some awesome chapter book series for them! And a very special interactive picture book for the littles, too.
My science loving girl has some favorite chapter books! Zoey and Sassafras is the story of a young scientist and her cat sidekick who go on STEM adventures. She loves the fun mysteries that Zoey solves with science and that Sassafras coincidentally looks just like her favorite stuffie… I love the real STEM learning sprinkled throughout a story with a strong female role model. All around a hit in our house!! There’s six in all right now (and more to come, I think!) with fun titles like Unicorns and Germs, Monsters and Mold, and Merhorses and Bubbles.
The Questioneers (and the Rest of the Rosie Revere Series)
If your kiddos are fans of Rosie Revere, Engineer, then this brand new chapter book series is for them!! The Questioneers series is a celebration of STEM, perseverance, and passion. Like its characters, Iggy Peck, Rosie Revere, and Ada Twist, every budding architect, engineer, scientist, mathematician, and leader, will become inspired to solve everyday mysteries and come to think more critically about their world. Be sure to check out our fun projects based on the books too!
The Secrets of Animal Camouflage
I love it when books get kids engaged with some sort of interactive feature, like the lift the flap and more. The Secrets of Animal Camouflage gets its interactivity from a flashlight. When kids shine a light on the back of the page, camouflaged animals appear in their habitats. Check out the whole Shine-A-Light series of books on space, construction, animals, and more.
STEM-inspired and STEAM-inspired Non-Fiction Books for Kids
Get ready to be inspired by this entertaining list of non-fiction reads the will inspire kids to learn, think, and strive to be whatever they want to be.
Did you ever think there would be a way to make learning the periodic table a little less dry? Make the book interactive! Kids will love exploring the elements with this book and gather some fun trivia and learning along the way!
Kids will get a kick out the funny comparisons in this book. Silly facts like the size of a giant squid’s eyeball is bigger than a basketball. Or that a typical cumulus cloud holds 500,000 liters of water, and would weigh the same as 83 elephants!! You’ll love hearing the kiddos say, “Did you know???”
I’m always looking for great books that inspire our kids to reach bigger, overcome obstacles and be what they want to be. The Amazing Scientists series does just that. Kids will be inspired by the stories of Dr. Temple Grandin (The Girl Who Thought in Pictures), Dr. Patricia Bath (The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes), and Raye Montague (The Girl with a Mind for Math) through these gorgeously illustrated picture books. Each of these women never let “You can’t.” be the right answer.
Arts and Crafts Books for Kids
I always like to add a couple of straight-up arts and crafts books to the list. I fully believe that art turns kids into creative thinkers which translates to better problems solvers and better STE(A)Mists. So here are a few of my favorites arts and crafts books for the year, too.
Ordinary carrdboard becomes anything but ordinary in this fun book from another one of the STEAM Kids authors! From costumes, to games, to animals, to tube puppets, there’s a project in here for all your maker kids.
This series of crafting books for kids encourages them to think bigger than the obvious and turn trash into something cool. A toilet paper roll, sock, egg carton, or a cereal box suddenly become guitars, olws, dragons, and fire trucks. Just add kids and creativity :)
You can see this entire list on Amazon to check if these books are right for you and the kids. Click HERE to see the full list!
More STEM and STEAM Gifts for Kids
This is just one of a series of STEM and STEAM gift guides I’m creating this year. Check them out (I’ll be updating this space as they go live!).
I’ve tested and researched to find the best robots, robotics kits, toy robots, etc. for your kids!
Looking for Something to do RIGHT NOW? Grab a STEAM Kids Ebook! 52+ Projects
Science, Tech, Engineering, Art, and Math Fun for Kids
Looking for some more STEAM inspiration that use can use right now? Instant gratification style? Check out STEAM Kids: 50+ Hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math Hands-On Projects for Kids ebook! It’s packed full of a year’s worth fun learning activities that will wow the boredom right out of your kids.
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