Children are born with an innate curiosity about how the world works around them. This ultimately leads to them taking things apart and, if they can, putting them back together.
When little ones can’t resist the urge to take things apart and don’t have toys to accommodate that urge, they can quickly turn to things around the house.
My littlest did this. She wanted to know how my lipstick worked. How did it magically come up when she turned the bottom? She wanted to take apart everything.
Instead, I found toys to satisfy that urge. My lipstick stays put, and she got to see how things work. She still likes to take things apart, but as she gets older the toys and activities change to accommodate that.
In this article
Toys For Children 3-5 That Like To Take Things Apart
Children in this age range are still working on fine and gross motor skills. This can make toys with itty bitty parts, like small Legos, frustrating instead of fun.
Most younger children are still putting things in their mouths at this age, which also makes these toys dangerous.
Instead, opt for larger toys that are safe for kids while they are learning how things work. Always keep your child’s developmental level in mind when selecting toys.
Building Blocks Are Perfect For Children That Like Putting Things Back Together
Kids that try to put things back together after they take them apart enjoy building things. This makes blocks the perfect choice!
Remember that blocks can be hard, so children that still throw toys will benefit from soft blocks. If your little one is not one to throw things, smaller building blocks with plenty of pieces for them to build houses, castles, etc. are your best bet.
- MOMS PRIORITY CHOOSE : Why Youll Love It? This smart gift answers to a 3 year old boy and girl’s need to practice independence and will keep them busy while you are dealing with other chores.
- TODDLER FESTIVAL GIFT : An impressive blocks set that promotes color recognition, matching, stacking and sorting skills.
- NATURAL WOODEN TOY: The Wooden Building Toys for kids are one of the few stack blocks that come with eye-catching color designs.
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Other great options similar to classic building blocks include:
- Large Lego styled blocks
- Lincoln logs
- 3D magnetic tiles
Toys That Are Designed For Children To Take Apart Are Another Great Idea
For children that don’t like to build things, there are plenty of toys that are designed for them to take apart. They can put them back together when they feel the urge to take them apart again.
For example, there are construction sets with large play screws that children can put together and take apart again. Other toys that children will enjoy taking apart can include cars for your future mechanic and more!
- Take Apart Car: This 2 in 1 DIY Racing Car is ideal for boys and girls who love cars and taking things apart. The 26 pieces set comes with plastic drill, screws and car parts needed to assemble, take apart, reassemble, fix & repair.
- Fun STEM Learning Toys: Race Car Toys for boys and girls to take apart car and put it back together by provided manual drill or electric screw driver (drill requires 2 AA batteries ,batteries not included).
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Most Of These Children Will Enjoy Stem Building Toys
Stem toys are a wonderful option! I found some toys for my youngest that were stem toys. It was simply a bunch of sticks, and balls with holes that the sticks could fit into.
You could build a spider, etc. They have magnetic versions on Amazon. However, you can also make a pretty cheap DIY version.
Pick up some mini marshmallows the next time you head to the grocery store. Your little one will love building things with marshmallows and toothpicks!
Toys For Children Age 6-8 That Like Taking Things Apart
Once children are past the age of five, they have better fine motor skills. They can easily take apart Legos or spend hours creating things with their old building blocks.
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Children in this age range are usually not putting things in their mouths anymore, which makes it safe to pick them up some toys with small parts.
Legos
Legos are a 6-8-year-olds dream! Children can build things, take them apart, and then build them over and over again. The only downside to Legos is that they do tend to make a mess if you have hundreds of them.
This is why we choose to keep ours in the littlest one’s playroom. If you’re just now entertaining the idea of Legos, start with a smaller set to make sure that your little one enjoys them, like this one:
- Designed to inspire open-ended, independent role-play based on real-life scenarios, this awesome Stunt Team toy is a fun introduction to the exciting world of LEGO City!
- Comes with everything a kid needs for action-packed, independent play, including a cool stunt ATV, motorcycle, 2 stunt driver minifigures with helmets, and a take-off ramp with flames
- Kids can combine the vehicles and characters in this set with other LEGO toy playsets to form their own unique creations for play or display
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This one is cheaper than larger Lego sets and gives you a chance to see how much your little one enjoys them.
If they really like Legos, you’ll notice them using the blocks in the kit to come up with their own creations. If not, you aren’t out of a lot of money because this set is under $10.
Minecraft Is Great For Children That Enjoy Building
If your child is at the age that they can play video games, consider picking up Minecraft. Minecraft gives children the opportunity to create things, destroy them, re-do them to perfection, and more!
In addition to being able to build buildings and towns, children can spawn animals, make rivers, and more. This game truly takes building to the next level.
Stem Toys For Kids 6-8 Years Old
Stem toys for this age level are taken up a notch as well! They come with more parts to encourage creativity. Parents have the option of picking up building sets, science kits, and more!
When children like to take things apart, it’s usually because they’re a bit more on the creative side or will enjoy engineering. Stem toys are the perfect option to help encourage their strengths.
- Trusted by Families Worldwide - With over 50 million sold, ThinkFun is the worlds leading manufacturer of brain games and mind challenging puzzles
- Develops critical skills – Playing through the challenges builds engineering, reasoning and planning skills and provides a great stealth learning experience for young players
- Clear instructions – Easy to learn with a clear, high quality instruction manual You can start playing and solving right away
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Other Types Of Toys To Consider
Children taking things apart is a sign of their natural curiosity. It’s because they want to see how it works. They want to know what makes the clock make a ticking noise.
Children that are curious often benefit from a wide variety of toys, not simply ones that they can physically take apart.
- 21 Mind Blowing Experiments – The science kit for kids has 21 exciting and interesting activities including; create your own lava lamp, creative crystals and of course volcano science kit the favorite of every child.
- All inclusive – This 24 piece kids science kit includes everything you need besides common household items. ( like eggs oil & water) All the chemicals, ingredients and apparatus that is required to create more than 20 experiments are included and neatly packed!
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Science Experiments
Now is the age that you can begin to help your little one delve into the world of science. Science explains how things work in the real world.
Consider picking up simple science experiments designed for children, like volcano kits. Dig kits (these are essentially boxes of sand with things, like bones, hidden in them) are another great option.
Books
Books are another way for children to learn about the world around them.
Consider books that are related to science, like ones regarding the solar system (curious children are always fascinated by the solar system), natural disasters, living things, etc.
Keep your child’s natural curiosity going by picking up books that they will find interesting. If you’re not sure, consider taking your little one with you to pick out books.
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Crafts
Children that like to build things are usually interested in arts and crafts. This could be simple art supplies like construction paper, a glue stick, scissors, and googly eyes.
Then, teach them how to use their supplies to create animals! This is a fun art project that is not overly messy.
Most marketplaces also sell craft kits for kids. Children can learn to make their own jewelry, or they might enjoy a pottery wheel that is designed just for children.
There are also car craft kits that are car themed, dinosaur-themed, and more! Pick up one or two cheaper ones to get your little one started!
Toys For Children 8 Years Old And Above That Like Taking Things Apart
When children don’t outgrow their natural curiosity, they continue to enjoy building things, taking things apart, and so on. Older children will start to have specific interests, which makes it a bit easier to find toys that they will enjoy!
Model Cars Are Always A Great Idea
Children in this age range have usually outgrown their old building blocks. They might still like Legos, but they’ll start to acquire other interests as well.
- Features detailed V-8, separate bed with positional tailgate, Spare tire, and soft black tires
- Model scale 1: 25
- Recommended for ages 12 and up
- Paint and glue sold separat
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If your little one loves cars, model cars are a great way to give them something to create. These start at level 1, which consists of snapping together plastic pieces.
There’s no paint or glue required. Level two and above require glue, often require paint, and have many more pieces.
However, as your little one works through the levels, they learn more about how cars are put together thanks to the detail that is included in model kits.
A Microscope
Pre-teens and teens that are interested in how things work might take significant interest in the world of biology. This gives them a close-up look at how cells work, and a microscope is a perfect way to encourage that interest.
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Microscope kits range from beginner kits with a few pre-made samples to biology class level microscopes that will allow children to create their own samples.
K’Nex
K’Nex is a toy that’s never going to become outdated. These toys are similar to Legos in the aspect of building things. However, they also include moving parts to help creations come to life!
Each kit includes everything you need to build what’s pictured on the box. Some include enough pieces for multiple projects. This gives your little one a chance to take apart their creation to make another one!
- Wind, Solar and Hydro Powered models that are all operational!
- Models focus on physical science concepts such as force, motion, simple machines, leverage, mechanical advantage, work, energy and efficiency.
- Comprehensive teachers guide aligned to NSES, ITEEA, NCTM and Common Core Mathematics standards included.
- 9 BUILDING IDEAS – Children will enjoy creating 9 fully functioning models with the colorful Renewable Energy Set.
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Other Toys To Consider
Books, science experiments, and crafting supplies are appropriate for any age! In addition to that, consider picking up toys that are designed towards your child’s interests. Examples include:
- Magnetic marbles to stack and take apart
- Versatile building kits, such as a giant box of random legos
- Cheap toys that are screwed together that children can take apart
- Bikes that need to be fixed (children can learn how the parts of a bike all work together as they fix it with you)
- Small toolsets that can be used to fix things around the house
Toys that involve engineering, constructing things, and taking things apart will continue to be of interest to these kids as long as their curiosity is not discouraged.
Curiosity is discouraged by not answering questions and not allowing children to explore things. Underlying conditions that result in a lack of motivation can also squelch a child’s natural curiosity.
Activities/Things That Encourage And Satisfy Curiosity
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Children that are extremely curious can get bored rather easily. Once they figure out something, they might not be interested in that toy any longer. This results in them needing something else to take apart.
If you’re anything like me, you probably can’t afford ten new toys a day for a little one to dismantle. That’s why we have activities and do certain things that can do the same thing!
Answer Their Questions
When children are curious, they’re full of questions! They want to know how things work, why we can’t travel to the sun, and everything else that pops into their adorable little head.
Answer their questions the best that you can. If you don’t know, look it up. As children get older, they can learn how to search the internet for answers to questions on their own.
Educational Movies
Children that are curious want to learn new things. This is where educational movies come in handy!
If your child asks questions about the solar system, let them watch documentaries about our planets. Educational movies about different cultures, various plants, and animals, or the ocean are also great ideas!
Let Them Help Around The House
When you let your children help fix things around the house, they learn how things work. For example, let’s say that you are changing a doorknob.
When you take off the old doorknob, your little one will see all of the components of the doorknob. Then, they can figure out how it works!
When children help you fix things around the house, they learn more and more about how things work, as well as important life skills.
Try New Things
Doing new things with children won’t only satisfy some of their curiosity, but it’ll also encourage it! Take them to local events that celebrate different cultures.
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Enjoy cooking new foods together. Head off to the farmer’s market to teach them about local produce and being healthy. The possibilities are endless when you decide to do something different every weekend.
In Conclusion
Children are born with a natural curiosity about the world around them. When we, as parents, help encourage that curiosity, we help our children find their passion.
Not only will they find their passion, but they’ll also develop a love for learning that nothing else can compare with. Utilize both toys and activities together to encourage them to take things apart, discover new things, and encourage curiosity.
