Manipulatives

3 years & up. Make patterning even more engaging with these Colorful Multi-Shape Links with Jar for Learning Shapes and Patterns. Children will love building chains using three different shapes and six colors with this giant 500 piece set. These shape links are great for counting and sorting activities too! This set promotes color recognition, shape recognition, dexterity, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. The pieces store in a convenient jar with screw-on lid and handle.

12 months & up. Ideal for imaginative play. Extra-chunky jumbo star connectors are easy to connect from any direction. Stack, build, connect, twist and snap the Jumbo Star Connectors together. The jumbo-size shapes are ideal for small hands. A great set for fine motor and manipulative areas and for the young architect who is just starting to build. Easy to clean and sanitize. Includes its own container for storage. Set contains 24 pieces in 5 different colors. Each piece measures 4.75" in diameter.

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 bin with locking lid. Set includes 40 tubes, 10 cube connectors and 10 round connectors. Tubes measure 5" x 1".

2 years & up. Construct colorful creations with this snap-construction set. These soft, playful blocks will promote fine motor development and creativity. The pieces of this snap-construction set are made to resist cracking when snapped together. Help a child build socialization skills through facilitating communication and interaction. The unique snap construction of the pieces also fosters visual sensory development. Includes 50 pieces.

3 years & up. Thanks to the thoughtful integration of a multi-sensory approach, the Connections Pentagon Play System is an engaging toy that can be used and enjoyed by children with various strengths and diverse abilities. This open-ended and accessible toy system creates a personalized learning experience that adapts to each child's unique needs and emphasizes inclusivity. Set includes 18 small pentagon pieces, 18 large pentagon pieces, 55 various clips, 40 nut and bolt connector pieces, and 30 strings that encourage building, tactile exploration, and abstract thinking, as well as the development and strengthening of physical dexterity, fine motor skills, and problem-solving skills. Encourage children to creatively express their ideas and build confidence in their thinking through hands-on play. Includes mesh bag for convenient storage.

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.

12 months & up. The Jumbo Linking Cubes Manipulative Set is the ideal early STEM toy! This set of 48 cubes feature grooves and ridges that easily slide and link together to form imaginative structures. Cubes can link horizontally, or vertically in endless combinations. Little ones will explore color and shape recognition, spatial relations and early engineering concepts. Sized perfectly for little hands, cubes are made of durable, safe plastic and feature rounded edges. Linking Cubes come in 6 bright, appealing colors in a stackable plastic storage container with locking lid. Cubes measure 2" x 2".

2 years & up. Add a new dimension to manipulative play with this 96 piece set. Simply clip the edges together to create an unlimited array of constructions. Build people, buildings, animals and more. Explore symmetry versus asymmetry, discover color combinations. Strengthens design, structure and balance skills. Enhance the designs by creating them on top of a light table. Comes with activity card(s).

6 years & up. Create stories and expand problem solving skills with the Imagination Kit. Choose a challenge, design an idea, make a prototype, experiment, review and improve for the next attempt - repeat the process! 100+ challenges cards and 600 pieces including add-on pieces such as clips, eyes, shoes, and duck feet.

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 just the right size for small fingers to grasp and explore! Set includes 6 lacing strings.

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.

12 months and up. The Jumbo Hexagon Manipulative Set is the ideal early STEM toy! This set of 48 jumbo hexagon pieces feature knobs that can easily snap into place to form imaginative structures. Little ones will explore color and shape recognition, spatial relations and early engineering concepts. Sized perfectly for little hands, set comes inside of a stackable storage bin with locking lid. Pieces come in 6 bright colors; red, yellow, blue, green, orange, and purple. Hexagon pieces each measure 4" x 4".

18 months & up. This engaging set features jumbo-sized transparent buttons in an array of basic colors and eight different shapes. Use for shape recognition, counting, sorting and patterning activities. Great addition to the light table, too! Largest button measures 1.75" in diameter. Includes 90 assorted counters.

3 years & up. This unique building set adds a new dimension to tube construction -- wheels! Children can build endless tube designs and add wheels to make them move. Easy-fit construction, this set includes 26 straight tubes, 26 shaped tubes, 6 tubes, 6 cross tubes, 8 wheels in assorted vibrant colors for a total of 72 pieces. This set also comes in a durable stackable plastic container.

3 years & up. Children can experience a nature-inspired, tactile building experience indoors and outdoors with Big Branch Block Builders. Real branches in various lengths feature notched sides for perpendicularly stacked builds. Special parts create window frame and roof details. The unrefined wood and real branch material wears over time, revealing cause and effect behaviors and natural evolution to children. Authentic marks, spots and imperfections in the wood pieces provide a natural appearance that strengthens organic connections to nature during play. Shortest branch measures 2.25", longest branch measures 13.75". Set includes 125 pieces and 10 double-sided build cards.

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 develops, use the building elements to construct your own working piece of simple machinery. Included: 132 building pieces to create 26 working models and a 32-Page full-color instruction manual.

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 plenty of pieces in one size for hundreds of 3-dimensional possibilities. Available in 100 and 150 piece sets.

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 when connected for organic, moveable play. Simplified, identifiable builds promote correlation between people and their environment through exploratory play. Compatible with other Grippies® sets.

3 years & up. How many animals can you stack? This delightful set includes 10 popular farmyard animals, a wheelbarrow, and a hay bale for endless stacking and imaginative play. Each piece can be used for stacking challenges or enjoyed individually for open-ended fun. Perfect for developing fine motor skills, balance, and creativity. The set comes neatly stored in a charming barn-style drawstring bag for easy cleanup and on-the-go play.

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 the APP store from your smartphone or tablet! 500 piece set.

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: 79 Mix-and-match pieces: Robots, gears, springs, cranes and stickers, Instructions.

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 pieces suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Includes: 5 squares with large hole, 13 squares with 4 small holes, 18 gears and 5 work cards with building ideas for inspiration.

2 years & up. These colorful bears are the perfect figures to help children become more confident in their counting. The chunky Papa Bear Counters are easy to grip and promote fine motor skills, color recognition, and other early math skills. Bears measure 1.5" high. 30 pieces.

3 years & up. This 90-piece set includes a variety of items to create working waterways. Children can experiment with the effects that construction, gravity, and distance have on water pressure and flow as they create endless waterway configurations. Materials are transparent to allow for easy viewing of water flow. The Build a Waterway STEM Kit builds on children's natural curiosity by providing the materials and freedom to explore. The funnels, measuring pitchers, connector tubes, blockers, and water wheel provide endless opportunities for child-guided learning. Children should be encouraged to build, create, and invent on their own. Experimentation and use of the included materials can be encouraged at the water table, in small groups, and for independent learning. Activity card(s) included.