Okay, so this isn’t strictly a science toy, but it does involve construction and a certain amount of critical thinking. This particular kit by Jumbnetics had 49 pieces of colorful plastic sticks, balls and magnets. Not to worry about the magnets though, they are completely encased in the balls and are safe for kids as young as 18 months old.

I love construction toys for the valuable skill of critical thinking they provide. My six year old son loves Legos but my one year old daughter is still at the stage where everything she touches ends up in her mouth. That’s why I’ll be letting her play with these Jumbonetics Construction Toys one here in a few months.