Best Educational Toys for Middle-School Students

As tweens and young teens gain independence, they can take on science and engineering projects that require more expertise. These kits and sets offer challenges and new opportunities to learn. Many interact with apps or smart devices. Let's get started …

The goal of the Terraforming Mars board game is to make the Red Planet fit for human habitation. Players, representing a corporation sent to the planet to warm it, create oceans and build up the oxygen levels, compete for victory points awarded for such accomplishments as building cities or introducing animals. The goals are based on real science — for example, players must establish greenhouse gas production to warm the planet.

If your engineering-savvy student has a need for speed, the Lego Technic Hydroplane Racer kit may do the trick. Kids can build an aerodynamic, 2-in-1 model (it can rebuild into a race boat), complete with a large cockpit, propellers and engine pistons. The building process is designed to be immersive, and students can even consult an interactive 3D digital app as they work. (Recommended ages: 8 to 14 years)

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(Recommended ages: 12 and up)

An original created by ThinkGeek, Hoverkraft is a game of balance, much like Jenga, but with a high-tech twist. Players must build structures on a levitating platform held up by magnetic repulsion. The platform wobbles and wiggles, adding to the challenge of arranging the 24 plastic blocks in as fanciful a structure as the players can manage before they all come tumbling down.

Kids can experience 14 different robotic modes with this solar-powered bot, including a speedster, "zombie chaser" and surfer. The robot can move on land and water, and there are two skill levels, which means more experienced builders will still be challenged. Students can learn about alternative energy sources as they build dog-bots, beetle-bots and many more. Transparent housings (showing all the nuts, bolts and gears inside) and the ability to adjust the polarity on the solar panel make this set fun and educaitonal. And the best part? The robot is powered by the sun, so you don't have to stock up on batteries. (Recommended ages: 8 to 15 years)

Peer into the microscopic world with the Omano OM117L monocular microscope and the OptixCam Summit Series SK2 1.3MP digital camera. Great for home or classroom explorations, the microscope helps kids get an eyeful of solid specimens, such as insects, coins and plants. Users can also look at prepared slides or even perform dissections at magnifications of 40x, 100x and 400x. The microscope also comes with prepared and blank slides, a microtome, dyes, test tubes, a manual and cleaning tools. (Recommended ages: 9+ years)