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Buying gifts for the young people in your life — from “littles” to pre-teens — is one of the most joyful aspects of the holiday season. Rather than the standard (yet beloved!) Legos, Barbies, and superhero anything, you may be looking for gifts that can spark an interest in science, computers, technology and more.

Pam Gilchrist, director of K-12 Initiatives for the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Va., spends her working hours planning activities and course work aimed at building and growing kids’ interest in STEM-related fields.

“Our K-12 programs at Virginia Tech are designed to introduce young students to a range of technology fields starting at the elementary school age,” Gilchrist said. “The earlier students are exposed to mathematics, problem solving, and coding, the more likely they will see themselves in future STEM positions. And what better time to help them explore technology concepts than during the excitement of the holidays.”

Gilchrist shared her tips on the best 2024 STEM-related holiday gifts for kids of all ages.

Best Gift for Pre-K Numbers Lover

• Farm animal sets that come in different shapes, colors, and sizes for sorting and counting activities.
• Multi-colored Legos for free form building and counting.

Best Gift for Legos-Obsessed “Little Builders”

• Amusement park building set that features three complex, battery-operated rides.
• Magnetic tile spaceship construction set.
• Light circuit building kit with 175 options to explore.

Best Gift for Burgeoning Computer Scientist

• Tiny, ping pong ball-sized programmable robot equipped with a gyroscope, accelerometer, and colorful LED lights.
• Programmable device that brings creative projects and designs coded in Python to life. A creative, tangible, and fun way to marry art, computer science, and STEM.
• Robot coding kit that teaches kids how to code by touch using plugged and unplugged approaches.
• Kits that offer hands-on, project-based learning that makes STEM fun and accessible. Learners build confidence through engaging real-world electronics/technology projects with guided tutorials and simple instructions.

Best Tech Books – “Books are a popular holiday gift, and options that combine reading with fun introductions to technology are great for all young children,” said Gilchrist.

• Pre-K:
  • Baby University Quantum Science Board Book Set: It’s science for toddlers! Share the world of quantum physics, rocket science, neural networks, nuclear physics, and more.
  • Supervised Learning for Kids crack the code of AI and Machine learning early.
• Elementary School Hackers:
  • MindWare Math and Logic Perplexors are deductive reasoning and logic puzzles for elementary students.
  • The Friendship Code, part of the Girls who Code Series
• Activity Books
  • Cyber SnackZ an introductory cybersecurity activity book centered around a team of adorable animals who in different areas of cybersecurity. Made by Virginia Tech National Security Institute.
  • Machine Learning for Kids

Best Gift Familiar to Parents who were 80s Children

• Rubik’s Cube! Or the modern version, Go Cube: a smart cube that is app-enabled and lets kids (and parents) record their cube solving time and compete against others.

Best Gift for Future Doctor/Nurse/Physical Therapist/Data Scientist

• Databot brings the future of Data Science, coding, and science experiments to your home for K-12 students.

Best Tech Gift for Your Little Creative

• Specdrums make music with app-enabled music rings that turn colors into sound and make the world your instrument.
• VR Headset for Beginners Kids

“Virginia Tech is committed to inspiring, motivating, and preparing K-12 students for technology careers,” said Gilchrist. “We believe that starting in elementary school, all children should have access to computer science and STEM content and skills needed to thrive in the global society. Through cross-sector partnerships, we work to transform K-12 education.”

Starting in January 2025, the K-12 programming will have its own space at the Innovation Campus Academic Building One in the Potomac Yard neighborhood of Alexandria.

About Gilchrist鈥�舛寞&苍产蝉辫;
brings 20 years of experience in developing multidisciplinary K-12 programs across the United States to her role as director of K-12 Initiatives. She led programs throughout North Carolina public schools geared toward providing K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programming (STEM) for underrepresented and underserved populations. Gilchrist was responsible for the oversight, development, and evaluation of synchronous and asynchronous STEM programs for students, teachers, and parents. She holds a Ph.D. in education research and policy analysis, an M.S. in instructional teachnology, and a B.S. in middle grades education.

Schedule an Interview鈥�鈥�鈥�舛寞&苍产蝉辫;
To schedule an interview, contact Mike Allen in the media relations office at [email protected] or 540-400-1700.