Snaptricity, Electronics Exploration Kit (Stem Building), for Kids 8+

Got this kit to begin explaining electricity to my 3.5 yr old granddaughter. Of course, it is capable of experiments way beyond what we'll be doing, but the simplicity, clarity, durability, and general design of this board make it fantastic for explaining how and why lights work, switches, magnets etc. I was surprised at the depth of instructional materials included. It's listed for 8 yr olds and up, and it would be great for those ages, but the design is such that it's good for much younger kids too. I've had a lifelong relationship with electronics in the hobby universe, and I can really appreciate the forethought and work that went into designing and implementing this kit. The snap concept is great. The reversible motor with the fan/flying saucer is wonderful. Using the motor for a generator, and having a meter to see low level effects will be fun. I worked out all this stuff with random supplies scrounged here and there when I was a kid, so didn't need a kit like this, but I'm sure I would have loved it. And might even have avoided a few major shock experiences working with line voltages. No regrets, but this kit is a fantastic way to introduce youngsters to that invisible "stuff" that we are so interdependent with in this modern world. I probably ought to add that it seems one might easily burn out the meter, for example if it is on the lowest amp range and is connected directly across the batteries. Don't know if it has protection built in, but for those not familiar with meters, they're pretty sensitive about how much current you put through them. No problem on the voltage measuring range, but on the amp ranges, make sure you follow the instructional circuit closely before closing any switches.

I've bought these for nephews and other kids as gifts. They seem to enjoy playing with this. I appreciate that they are actually learning the basics of electricity in a safe, kid friendly environment.

Myself and my 9 year old son have a great time using this device. The pieces are a little hard to press together and take apart at times but it works great. The instruction manual gives detailed descriptions of how and where to put the pieces together to make the circuits. Or you can create your own which is what we do a lot of times too.

I really enjoyed playing with this toy before I gave it to my nephew. It has some really intriguing experiments. The motor spins backwards and forwards depending on how the electricity is sent to it. The cool thing is that you can run the fan backwards so it doesn't fly away first, then reverse polarity and it flys off. The educational value is good. But the book is a bit too big and I think the same lessons could be compressed down to fewer chapters. My number one wish on this set would be for a reset-able fuse on the battery pack. That way you could teach kids about short circuts in a safe way. Right now, short circuts are the first chapter, but you are not able to actually experiment with short circuits because if you turned on the project it would fry out.

same as in picture

We gave this to two of our 8-year old grandsons who show an interest in science. Wow, it is a very impressive toy. One of the boys played all day Christmas with it and spent the day making circuits from the projects provided in the booklet. My son, an engineer, made up challenges for him and he would figure it out and come back for more. It teaches kids how circuits work and what is needed for sounds, lights, movement, etc. It came with an amp meter, which fascinated the boys when it was connected to the different applications. Both families are anxious to buy additional sets to add to this one. This is probably one of the best educational toys out there. We are impressed with the quality of the product and how well made it is. The snap circuit rods are durable and would never break from what we could tell. We felt it was high quality for a great price.

My 9 and 11 year old grandsons love this kit, especially the helicopter thing. It’s doable for them but challenging, so it makes them think and do some trial and error and pay attention to detailed instructions. This is a fun gift for kids who like to experiment with tech stuff.

Initially I bought Snap-Circuits for my 4 and 5 year old boys. I found the collection of capacitors, resistors, integrated circuit modules, and transistors was a little too abstract, and I was thinking I really wanted more stuff like electro-magnets, relays, motors, generators, switches, potentiometers, and maybe resistive loads like light bulbs and diodes -- more basic electrical stuff, of which there's some in the circuit kits but not a lot. My boys are 5 and 6 now. I added Snaptricity to our collection of mostly unexplored Snap-Circuits, and suddenly they're creating all kinds of basic circuits with switches, buttons, lights, motors, and electro-magnets. They're starting to understand the flow of electricity, polarity, magnetism, and resistance (as they add more loads to their circuits). I've set the transistors and stuff aside for now, because there's tons of stuff to do with these more basic components first. For older children, they might be ready for the electronic components sooner, but with my younger kids, these electrical parts are great. We do not follow the instructions. So it helps to have extra components on hand instead of the minimum number required for the book experiments. Some of our circuits are more than elegant and minimalist. I recommend buying two kits, or this kit and another one like the 100 or 300. The brilliant thing about these components is the incredibly simple and effective button snap-connectors. The only downside to these components is they are encased in plastic for durability. The plastic is clear so the internal components can be seen. This is really a good thing, but it's worthwhile to have a coil/electromagnet that is un-encased, as well as a speaker/microphone (electromagnet with a diaphragm) that is not encased, and a motor that can be disassembled/dissected.