Parents can think of Snap Circuits as a kind of electrical engineering version of Lego in that with the right components kids can pretty much build whatever they can dream up without having to solder anything or risk damaging connectors by forcing them into a small breadboard hole, which we think is perfect for younger kids. Despite being specifically to be safe and usable by kids with snap together and plastic encased parts, Snap Circuit kits are still surprisingly affordable. The projects in the beginner kits are a little simpler and easier to put together than the regular kits and, perhaps more importantly, they use far more pictorial instructions than regular kits, making it better suited for pre-readers and those just starting to read. Snap Circuits Bric – for Lego enthusiasts As such, it’s probably not a great place for a beginner but if your child is getting into robotics, wants to create more sophisticated projects, or has some experience with Arduino, it’s definitely worth a look. Price

Kids can start off learning about basic circuitry and then eventually progress to programming their own Arduino robot or smart plant watering device. If you’re looking for a way to introduce even younger kids to the world of electronics, Snap Circuits does provide a kit for that. One potential limitation, as we mentioned above, is the uniquely-designed snap-together components that Snap Circuits uses. This means that if you or your child have a unique idea to explore, unlike traditional electronics kits for kids you can’t just pop into an electronics store and buy some wire and some sensors to use with the kit.Extreme Version - Contains over 80 parts to build over 750 projects. Includes everything from SC-500 plus projects in solar, electromagnetism, vibration switches, and 70 computer interfaced projects. Includes Projects 512-692 and CI-73 manuals.

Snap Circuits can also help kids hone various related cognitive skills that will be important in future STEM learning, such as:As they explore and use Snap Circuits, kids will learn the fundamentals of electronics and electricity. In particular, they’ll learn: This means kids can use the components of one kit with another, letting them collect components and build increasingly complex and cool projects. By snapping a wide variety of brightly colored components together, kids can easily create their own real life, functional circuit boards of varying complexity and in doing so learn the fundamentals of electronics and electrical engineering concepts, from basic circuits to microcontrollers, from Arduino to coding and beyond. Recommended Ages

The Snapcino kit gives kids a super easy and accessible introduction to Arduino and can greatly expand their opportunities for creating electronic devices. Essentially, if it involves a circuit and electricity you can probably figure out a way to build it with Snap Circuits. With the BRIC kits, kids can start off by building something cool with Lego and then really easily add things like lights, motors, sensors to bring it to life.So kids who have some difficulties reading may need a little help in this regard from their parents. How Snap Circuits work Officially, Snap Circuits is designed for kids ages 8 and up, and overall we think that this is a good starting age for the product.