Science and STEM gifts under $50

Suits a weather watcher or someone who likes calm, pale colours on the wall.

A screen-free fiddle puzzle that works for a kid's stocking or a coworker's desk.

A fun stocking filler for a birdwatcher or anyone who likes Australian wildlife.

A curious small gift for someone who likes unusual stationery and wants a pen that never needs a refill.

A small keepsake puzzle for a dinosaur or fossil fan; quick to finish and nice to redo.

For a dinosaur-mad preschooler who likes digging and scooping, contained in a bin rather than all over the floor.

A festive make-and-eat project for kids who like cooking with a grown-up, and the treat bags make the results easy to share.

For a curious child who likes watching things grow; it teaches plant science with real edible results.

For a young rock collector who likes a hands-on project with something to keep at the end.

Suits a car fan aged nine and up.

For a curious child who likes building things and then using them to look at leaves, insects and fabric.

For a teen or adult who likes electronics and wants a project that ends in something usable.

A low-cost science gift for a curious eight-to-ten-year-old.

For a younger kid who wants to play chemist with real, messy, safe experiments.

For a kid who likes experiments that leave something to keep on the shelf.

Works for a friend who likes wildlife and would welcome a gift that also gives.

For a kid who likes both science experiments and baking, done with a grown-up.

A feel-good gift for an animal lover that is also a donation.

A small game that works for mixed ages, since quick eyes matter more than experience.

Suits a kid who likes building and wants to see how motors and solar power work.

A tactile desk toy for kids who fidget, and adults tend to play with it too.

Suits a tween or teen who likes space or quick puzzles on a quiet afternoon.

A first mechanical build for a kid who wants to see how gears turn motion into movement.