This information is from 2022. Check out the Family Fun Calgary Experiences Gift Guide.
The holiday season is here and kids are getting busy writing their letters to Santa and creating their Christmas wish lists. Parents are also busy writing lists of to-dos and trying to squeeze errands and extra trips to the mall in between work and family life. But who really wants to aimlessly wander the mall with hordes of other tense shoppers? We just want to enjoy some special holiday moments, exchanging our stress for the wonder of the season. The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) is here to help you get these presents wrapped up, figuratively and literally. Take a look at the APEGA Holiday Gift Guide for all ages, filled with science, technology, and discovery!
(Keep reading to find out how you can enter to win one of the gifts!)
How do you find the “perfect” gift? You want something that’s fun and educational because kids learn best when they are engaged! APEGA has put together a holiday gift guide for toddlers to teenagers, filled with ideas for the perfect gift. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) topics affect nearly every area of our lives and are found in many job fields and these foundational skills will benefit every child. This Christmas, you can promote problem-solving, logic, and hands-on learning, all with a Christmas gift your child will love!
Leave the stress behind and just enjoy the magic. Christmas shopping = done!
All listed prices are approximate and for guidelines only. You’ll find even more great toys in the APEGA Holiday Gift Guide.
This is a great age for buying gifts because the world is a wonderful place to discover. Everything is so exciting and it’s easy to catch their interest (at least for a while!). This is the perfect time to start investing in toys that help them explore the life around them.
Magna-Tiles Sesame Street Cookie Monster’s Shapes $47.99
C is for Cookie! And F is for Fun! The Cookie Monster’s Shapes set lets your child have fun playing with the Sesame Street crew while discovering shapes, geometry, and more!
Beaker Creatures Bubbling Volcano Reactor $41.35
Trigger bubbling volcanic eruptions again and again with this playset and working science kit! Comes with a classification card and mini-poster filled with fun science facts.
Haba Number Maze Magnetic Game $29.99
Kids use the magnetic pen to move the balls around the maze, practising motor skills and learning about numbers and matching with the help of some cute barnyard animals!
Design & Drill Sparkle Bot $36.23
Get your glitter on! Build your Sparkle Bot, screw in the multicoloured bolts, and customize your creation with glittery stickers. Perfect for STEM-based play in basic engineering.
Thames & Kosmos Kids First Boat Engineer Kit $59.99
Join two young engineers to build model boats, then put your boats in the water and watch them float!
Kids in this age range can really start identifying what they’re interested in and they are becoming so much more capable. It’s exciting to watch them develop new interests and build new skills! Give them a leg up with these great gift ideas.
Hape Science Experiment Toolbox $56.99
This compact junior inventor toolbox contains everything children aged four and up need to perform exciting experiments that will teach them about science and inventing.
Smithsonian Rock and Gem Dig $29.99
With the Rock and Gem Dig, budding geologists excavate and identify gemstones and minerals while learning how these natural wonders are formed.
E-Blox Build Your Own Bubble Making Machine $34.99
Kids create their own bubble-generating machine complete with 3D circuits and a geared motor!
Snap Circuits Jr. 100 Experiments $59.99
Snap Circuits Jr. comes with more than 30 colour-coded real circuit components that can be easily snapped together to create working circuit boards, just like the ones found inside televisions, radios, and other electronic devices.
T3 Solar Robot Building Kit $33.99
Kids can build three different solar robot toys with this kit—dinosaurs, insects, and drilling machines—all while developing hand-eye coordination, logical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Chemistry Experiment Stem Educational Toys $52.32
Kids can perform more than 80 chemistry experiments with this kit, having loads of fun while they develop STEM skills and an interest in science.
Salt-Powered Racing Car Science Kit $52.99
Explore alternative energy with this racing car kit. Add just a few drops of salt water to the car’s engine, and watch it run!
As kids leave elementary school behind, they are developing and refining skills that will take them into high school and adulthood. Let them continue to play and explore. Soon, they may have interests and talents that outpace yours!
Hydraulics Cyborg Hand $51.38
The Hydraulic Cyborg Hand simulates the movements of a human hand using hydraulic power for mechanical transmission without electricity. Use different grip techniques to hold a variety of items, such as a bottle, balls, or tiny screws.
Hydraulic Maze $26.95
Discover the world of moving machines and equipment with the Hydraulic Maze! This kit focuses on mechanical engineering and teaches kids about hydraulics and how they are used in daily life.
4M Green Science Weather Station Mini Observatory Kit $29.95
Observe and record the weather with your own multi-functional weather station and use the kit with a recycled soda bottle to create a terrarium to study the greenhouse effect on plants.
ThinkFun Gravity Maze Falling Marble Logic Game $44.99
Gravity Maze is a combination logic game, marble run, and STEM toy that builds spatial reasoning and planning skills.
4M Levitation Science KidzLabs Anti-Gravity Maglev $36.67
Make a pencil float in mid-air, engineer a personal transporter using the principle of the maglev train, construct a metal sculpture that defies gravity, and more with this cool kit.
6-in-1 Space Fleet Solar Robot Kit $63.52
With this STEM toy solar robot kit, kids can build six different innovative models: space station, space explorer, space rover, space shuttle, astronaut, and space dog. Cultivate your child’s interest in exploring the universe!
National Geographic Mega Science Lab Activity Kit $59.97
The National Geographic Mega Science Lab is a huge, three-in-one science kit with everything kids need to perform 19 Earth science, chemistry, and science magic experiments! The kit also includes a bonus guide with 30 more experiments to try using common household items!
WIN A TOY! For even more ideas, go to www.apega.ca/giftguide. While you’re there, enter to WIN one of the APEGA Holiday Gift Guide STEM toys by finding Gus, the APEGA holiday dinosaur, and filling out the form for your chance to win. Contest is open until  11:59 pm MST on December 1, 2022. See all contest rules and conditions at www.apega.ca/giftguide.
There’s a certain look on a child’s face when they are deeply engrossed in an activity. It’s a look of peaceful concentration, interest, and happiness, and as a parent, it’s a joy to observe. The hardest part is narrowing down what STEM toy is best suited for your child this year! But when you give the gift of exploration and discovery, everyone wins.
Look out, world, here comes the next generation!
2022 APEGA Holiday Gift Guide:
Website: www.apega.ca/giftguide
