Childhood play experiences greatly influence a person’s spatial reasoning abilities. This is the conclusion of a recent research on the impact of childhood play on spatial skills. The study showed that children who played with construction-based toys such as puzzles, Legos, and blocks outperformed their peers in spatial reasoning tests.

Anne Gold, a researcher in the field of spatial intelligence, noted that "By providing spatial training to K-12 children, and providing spatially demanding toys before schooling starts, we can give them the opportunity to develop skills important in fields like science, technology, engineering and math."

So do you want your kids to develop their spatial skills and succeed in STEM fields? Here are ten toys you should consider buying or borrowing from a local toy library:

Wooden Building Blocks

​Toys that promote spatial skills don’t need to be complicated, attributes like simplicity and open endedness are great paths to creative and spatial thinking. Basic building blocks are loose parts that encourage children to problem solve, experiment, build, and explore.

Recommended age: 6m+
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Wooden Geometric Stacker

​Stacking puzzles are toys that promote visual discrimination and spatial awareness. As children place one ring on top of another, they learn that the pieces have different dimensions. In addition, as they grab each ring, they become spatially aware how far that ring is from them and how far should they stretch their arms to place the rings on to the pole.
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Recommended age: 12m+
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Tangrams

A tangram is a traditional Chinese puzzle that consists of seven pieces called tans. The seven pieces include one square, one parallelogram, and five triangles. Arranged correctly, the puzzle pieces can be fitted together to create a larger shape. Solving puzzles is great for enhancing spatial reasoning, learning geometry, and improving fine motor skills.
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Recommended age: 18m+
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Colourful Cubes
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The colourful set of cubes is a 3D puzzle that helps kids understand basic math concepts such as counting, patterning, spatial reasoning, area and volume. It also helps them develop and improve their 3D visual perception. It can be used as a fun brain teaser or a problem solving game.

Recommended age: 3+

Pattern Blocks

Pattern Blocks are one of the mathematical manipulatives developed in the 1960s by Education Development Center as part of their Elementary Science Study project. They are both a play resource and a tool for learning in mathematics, which serve to develop spatial reasoning skills that are fundamental to the learning of mathematics. Among other things, they allow children to see how shapes can be composed and decomposed into other shapes, and introduce children to ideas of tilings.
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Recommended age: 18m+
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Pentominoes
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Pentomino tiling puzzles and games are popular in recreational mathematics. Usually, video games such as Tetris imitations and Rampart consider mirror reflections to be distinct, and thus use the full set of 18 one-sided pentominoes.

Recommended age: 18m+
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Lego

Lego consists of colourful interlocking plastic bricks accompanying an array of gears, figurines called minifigures, and various other parts. Lego pieces can be assembled and connected in many ways to construct objects, including vehicles, buildings, and working robots. Anything constructed can be taken apart again, and the pieces reused to make new things.
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Base Ten Blocks

Base ten blocks are a mathematical manipulative used by students to learn basic mathematical concepts including addition, subtraction, number sense, place value and counting. The student can manipulate the blocks in different ways to express numbers and patterns. Generally, the 3-dimensional blocks are made of a solid material such as plastic or wood and come in four sizes to indicate their individual place value: Units (one’s place), Longs (ten’s place), Flats (hundred’s place) and Blocks (thousand’s place).
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Recommended age: 3-10
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Gears Set

This set of gears enables children to create hundreds of endless colourful constructions. The set includes a storage box overflowing with gears, cranks, connectors, and interconnecting base plates.
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Recommended age: 3-10
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Builder Starter Set

This is a construction set perfect for building things from children’s imagination. Children can plan, experiment, build, and test their ideas by using the pieces in the set. The pieces include mix of nuts, bolts, screwdriver, hammer, connectors, and pre-drilled wooden construction pieces that will allow a variety of creations. This set should enable all sorts of free-play for your budding architect, builder, or demolition expert. It encourages and develops the problem solving, perseverance and creative thinking that are integral to the STEM fields.

Recommended age: 3+

​So these are the toys that can enhance spatial skills. Whatever brand or model you choose, remember to always check if the toy is safe and age-appropriate for your child. Consider looking for ones with a fairly wide age-range so that your children will be able to enjoy them for a long period of time. In addition, play these toys with them. Build things and solve puzzles together. Social, communication and language skills are all improved through playing with them. Children become more confident and develop a stronger sense of identity through play.

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Resources:

https://www.google.co.nz/amp/s/phys.org/news/2018-02-spatial-skills-higher-construction-based-toys.amp 

https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-activities/toys-that-help-children-develop-spatial-skills-creativity-and-social-skills/#.XQBWVBaxWEc

http://lettoysbetoys.org.uk/12-fun-toys-to-foster-stem-skills/
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