Physics fundamentals become playtime fun with the Pendulonium STEM Challenge from Learning Resources. This hands-on activity set challenges kids to send the included launch balls flying toward goal cups and targets with the help of a three-piece adjustable pendulum. What seems like a collection of simple tasks will actually challenge each child’s engineering, problem solving, and critical thinking skills as they play around with early physics concepts such as force and momentum in search of the ideal solution. In addition to using their brains, kids will also have to make careful use of their muscles—the pendulum in the Pendulonium STEM Challenge is completely kid-powered, and helps build hand-eye coordination and muscle control without the need for extra batteries, springs, or rubber bands. Each activity set comes with a full-color booklet filled with easy-to-build challenges, which also ramp up in difficulty to encourage leveled play and continued development. Set of 16 pieces includes three-piece adjustable pendulum, six cones, two launch balls, one arch with windmill, two goal cups, sheet of decorative stickers, and full-color booklet featuring challenges.

Available at: www.amazon.com

Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog helps special needs kids build up hand muscles and fine motor skills as they replace the chunky, peg-shaped “quills” within the holes that dot the smiling hedgehog’s back. The learning doesn’t end there—Spike’s colorful quills also lend themselves well to lessons in counting, sorting, and color identification skills. Kids can arrange the quills by warm or cool colors, work on sequences and patterns by alternating colors, or count up the quills with the help of numbers printed on the hedgehog’s back. Once playtime is over, Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog is a snap to clean up—each piece is made of plastic that can be easily wiped clean, and the quills stow snugly inside the hedgehog’s body, which adds simplicity to storage too.

Available at: www.amazon.com

Kids will love greeting their tiny magical friends with this fairy welcoming kit. Complete with ten projects and special instructions on how to summon a visit from their favorite fairy while they’re sleeping, this kit is essential to giving your child a boost of confidence. Whether they’re looking for a tooth fairy to help them when they’ve lost a tooth or a brave fairy to give them courage when they’re afraid, this kit will make all of their wishes come true. Kids can decorate a fairy door, dress up a special fairy doll, craft a wand, and more, to turn the experience into the perfect fairy tale.

Available at: Online or at your local book, toy, or craft store.

Children’s imaginations run wild as they transform egg cartons into 6 barnyard animals. Specially made egg cartons tear apart and glue easily. Fun animal facts throughout the book give an added giggle as kids paint and add googly eyes, cotton balls, and pre-cut accessories to make their very own farm animal friends.

Available at: Online or at your local book, toy, or craft store.