Reddit mentions: The best early development science toys

I'm sure you could go down to PM and say exactly what you've said here and get more recommendations than you can handle.

There are lots and lots of cool, challenging and beautiful puzzles out there - and you live near a warehouse full of them!

I assume there's a retail store, too? and the guys who do their videos must work there as well as Allan Stein who founded the company - I'll bet they all love to recommend stuff.

That said, browsing the site is fun once you find your way around and can avoid the things you don't like

Here's my standard "how to get started" rap (a little old, so some items might be unavailable):

I'd say you probably want to check out several different categories of puzzle:

• Disentanglement - This includes the wire puzzles, but also the various metal, wood and rope and wire and string varieties. I'd look at a couple of the harder wire puzzles as well as one or two metal and string or wood and rope puzzles. If you're new to these, ThinkFun put out a "Houdini - Master of Escape" set that's actually like a step-by-step course in disentanglements
  
• Packing/Assembly - Usually wood or plastic, these range from the ever-popular Soma Cube and other "make this shape from these pieces" puzzles to really complex packing problems - often in the form of "put these pieces into the box so the lid will close" or "fit these pieces in the frame" There are also some interesting hybrids like the 4L puzzle from Cubic Dissection or the LUV puzzle from Rombol (a Stewart Coffin design that's pretty tricky)
  
• Interlocking Burrs - My favorite category. Includes the traditional 6-piece Burr and variations by the thousands. I highly recommend the work of Stephan Chomine and Osanori Yamamoto in this area, but there are lots of great designers. Baumegger, Demirhan, Eyckmans, etc. Do a search for Pelikan (a manufacturer) on various puzzle sites. This is a pretty deep category with lots to explore - one subgenre is the TIC puzzle (Turning Interlocking Cube) which BurrTools won't solve (look for work by Ken Irvine, Jeff Namkung or Jos Bergmans). See more below
  
• Puzzle Boxes - Lots of fairly shoddy ones around, but some very nice things out of Japan (check the Karakuri Creation Group). The good ones tend to be expensive.
  
• Twisty - Rubik's Cube and its descendants - not my thing, but there are a million variations out there.
  
• Sequential Movement - sliding block puzzles and various sequencing puzzles (sometimes an overlap with the Twisty or Disentanglement categories). A great, cheap example is Rush Hour from ThinkFun that, like the Houdini set mentioned earlier is like a graded course in sliding block puzzles
  
  Anyway, I'd say try a couple of disentanglement things (both wire and wood), a packing puzzle or two and a few interlocking burrs (I recommend trying a relatively traditional one and a couple of the fancier ones from Pelikan or Cubic Dissection). See what sort of things appeal to you and follow on from there.
  
  Do check out the links in the sidebar, too. Allard's Blog and PuzzleMad are great, Rob's Puzzle Page is vast and you can learn a lot just by browsing PuzzleMaster and some of the other shops.
  
  Here is a list of wooden burr-type puzzles under $30 that I have played with and enjoyed - I made this awhile ago so thy may not all still be available, but this should get you started
  
  **Open Box Packing aka Deadly Romance - a really nice caged burr
  
  Cross Cage by Tom Jolly - a burr? 3D maze? Pretty cool
  
  Four Caged - a really tough little caged burr
  
  Epsilon - a knockoff of Vertex Burr #1 , originally designed by Yavuz Demirhan in 2012 - great puzzle
  
  Shape Shifter - very tough assembly puzzle - soma cube on steroids
  
  Sarcophagus - surprisingly challenging. I have a thing for "3 sticks in a box" puzzles like Tribord
  
  Matchbox aka Oscar's Matchboxes- tricky and a cool idea
  
  Double Saturn - similar to some of Osanori Yamamoto's classic work, this is tough little Pelikan-style puzzle on the cheap
  
  Four L - like The Double Saturn above
  

• NOT to be confused with the **4L from Cubic Dissection (which is a truly great puzzle,but OOP now)
  
  Quadstair
  
  Four In The Box - just above the $30 limit, but it's pretty fun and two puzzles in one
  
  Feel free to ask questions on the sub about specific puzzles or categories
  
  Puzzlers are a pretty supportive community - welcome!

That's a tough one to answer really, but here are a few thoughts on the subject.

If you are looking for the really basic stuff, as in you still need to learn ohms law and how to read a circuit diagram you can start out with the absolute basics;

• 200 in one kit: I started out with this one in 1984 and it's still around. You can also do a search for "electronic bricks", "snap circuits" or some such. It's considered more of a toy than anything else, but it will quickly get you up to speed at least.
  
  
• There is a 2 part lab made to go with a book by Forrest Mims at Radio Shack... Can't find it online, but it's a pretty good kit that goes with a good reference. It's one of the few things Radio Shack offers at a sort of reasonable price.
  
  
• Check out any number of sites for "Basic Electronics Kit". A lot of kit places will separate their kids by skill level. This won't give you an in depth understanding of all things electronic, but it will give you the "learn by doing" experience. You'll build things like larson scanners, and refrigerator alarms, pretty useless, but they are cheap at least.
  
  
• I'm going to add 'any arduino kit' to the list. You won't get ohms law or reading circuit diagrams as part of the lesson plan, but most of these kits will have lessons on how not to fry your arduino and you can pick up the basics by induction
  
  Now, if you already have the circuit reading and ohms law down and you just want to know where to go from there, you've got a lot more choices.
  
  
• Assemble your own kit: Once a person finishes with the above suggestions, they realize that it all would have been cheaper had they just done this at the beginning... Unfortunately, before you go through the basics you probably have no idea what to get for your self assembled kit. Electronix Express has two parts kits and a tool kit. I wouldn't call them the best, but they do have a wide selection of parts at a decent price.
  
  
• Arduino kit. Yes, I mentioned this already, but it's also a good step when "moving up" and learning microcontroller basics. There are better microcontroller boards out there, but arduino is like Ubuntu Linux; lots of community support.
  
  
• Advanced kits. Yes, I skipped intermediate kits. You can still look at those, but really, the difference between basic, intermediate, and advanced kits to me seems to have more to do with confidence than anything else. More parts, more complex diagrams and instructions. These kits will take you longer, but they are no more difficult than any other. One thing they sometimes offer is customizability which offers a great learning experience. I DO suggest that you find a kit that has some kind of support; a forum on the sellers website, or even user made videos on youtube. The instructions you get may not mention things like using blue-tac to hold buttons in place or have other helpful hints that a community may have for you.
  
  Well, lot to think about there. Good luck, and don't forget /r/AskElectronics for help.

Dave from EEVblog recommends building power supplies. They're pretty simple, and it doesn't hurt to have a bunch of them. You can find kits, which will teach you how to solder parts onto a PCB, but it's not too hard to design a supply around an LM317 regulator, the data sheet will have the circuit you need right on it. This will also be a good chance to learn the non-electronics skills you'll need; instead of buying a plastic box, make one out of plywood and paint it up.

Once you have a power supply or three, start playing around with simple analog circuits. You should have a breadboard and jumper wires and at least one good multimeter, though the aforementioned EEVblog recommends two, and not cheaping out on them. He did a $50 multimeter shootout , if you don't want to watch an hourlong video this was the winner, but it's worth watching to see why it won. Anyhow, you can find kits and project ideas online, get some random parts and start playing around until you have a good feel for old school analog circuits. Try to make up your own project and build it, even if it's completely useless.

At some point, preferably after you have a good grasp of analog circuits, you're going to have to move up to digital. Arduinos are a good start, they're popular enough that you can't look at a single page of Instructables without tripping over an Arduino project. You're going to have to learn some programming to make it go, but there's a million tutorials online. To make the pinball machine go, you're going to have to learn how to use the Arduino (or something like it) to control analog components, probably while giving them their own external power source. You'll also need to know how to drive a display for the scoreboard, and of course you'll have to program the logic for keeping track of the number of balls left, current score, and what inputs translate to what increase in score. The programming alone is a big undertaking, so if you go forward on this, be prepared to spend years on it.

A good project to do would also be to make a MAME cabinet. It's much simpler on the electronics side, you either hack the buttons and joysticks into a USB keyboard controller, or buy one of these which does the same thing, and then use an old PC and monitor. The hard part is building an arcade cabinet, which is still a lot simpler than building a pinball table. You'd be looking at a couple hundred dollars in parts, but that's not too bad compared to what you want to end up doing.

I have 3 nephews, so I've been through that. Right now I'm struggling with what to get them at 13 and 16.

This probably isn't the "coolest" gift, but it's a good gift and not all that expensive: Money Savvy Piggy Bank.

Snap circuits say they're good for 8 year olds, but you can judge your nephews on that, and I think they may have simpler sets.

Think Geek now has a kid's toys section. Also Edmund Scientific has great educational toys.

If they're into Lego, Kenex are great too.

I find surfing Amazon is really good for finding stuff; put in some toys you know they have and like, and see what other people bought that's similar.

I usually try to get my nephews one gift I think that's good for them, and one gift that they'll just have fun with.

My minecraft kid really loves the shirts that feature his youtube heroes, in fact i'm getting him a pat and jen shirt this year, but he also loves the dantdm one from walmart. As Ejalamung suggested, sunglasses are huge and a watch is great. Those are two really good ones.

Nerf shooters go over really big, as well as the toy archery kits.

Have you looked at anything like snap circuits?
https://www.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC-100-Electronics-Discovery/dp/B00008BFZH/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1478652891&sr=1-1&keywords=snap+circuits

My kids also really loved this, moon in my room
https://www.amazon.com/Remote-Control-Décor-Night-Light/dp/B000EUHKUE/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1478653304&sr=1-1&keywords=moon+in+my+room+uncle+milton

Hope you have a wonderful christmas!

Classic games are always good as you are familiar with them and you can re-use components for some. My favorites in no particular order

Games

Hangman
Read a list of words from a file, randomly select one, and play a game of hangman!

War
Model cards and a deck of cards, give the 'AI' half the deck, the player the other half, then keep drawing with user interaction. Doesn't really require AI and is a pretty simple simulation

Tic-Tac-Toe
Self explanitory. Bonus points for functional AI

Rush Hour
See classic rush hour games. Get the player's car to the other end of the traffic jam. Bonus points for a hint system where the next move is given to you.

Sudoku
The classic numbers puzzle. Again, bonus points for a prediction system. bonus points + 1 for a solver (given any soduku puzzle from your favourite puzzle book, it will automatically solve it for you)

Applications

Tip Calculator
Calculate tips. Bonus points for not using any buttons (I.e., the tip is automatically re-calculated when you move a slider / edit a value)

Grocery List
Create a list of grocery items for going to the store. Be able to save out and read back in Grocery Lists. TripleQuadruple bonus points for being able to print.



Edit: I would like to add -> you shouldn't focus on projects for python. Think about what you want to do, then think about the best tool for the job. All of these can be done in python. But you should be focusing on the overall process, not the specific language you are learning if that makes sense. For example, if you learn to do it in Python, you should be able to do it in C# and Java as they have pretty similair (relative) mechanics. Write down a lot of crap before you write a line of code. What objects do I need? How will these objects interact? Am I even going for an OOP model, or can/should this be implemented functionally?

Way back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and I was a young fella, I forget how old but probably pre-teen, my parents bought me something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-200-in-One-Electronic-Project-Lab/dp/B0002AHR04 To make a circuit, you'd just bend back a spring and shove a wire in between the coils. Looking at the "related products" on Amazon, it seems like there are a few competitive products out there too. The kit my parents got me kept me entertained for a very long time. This was possibly enhanced by my father who, being an electrical engineer, would periodically involve me fixing broken appliances, handing me the sledge to help tear down walls during renovations and whatnot.

This kit taught me the basics of flip-flops (which can be used to MAKE NOISE! as well as flash lights), relays etc.

---

My current flight of fancy is the Arduino and that may prove a more useful tool for you because it can all be done with low voltage, a bread board and a bunch of wires and even better, it needs a computer to program it. The Arduino IDE includes a whole bunch of example programs.

The most basic program is "flash" which just literally flashes an LED. Your next step would be to alter the duty cycle of the flashing. Now have it flash two LEDs and have them on different duty cycles.

A Chinese Arudino UNO clone Starter Kit (which in addition to some basic components and a breadboard includes a stepper motor, servo, tilt switches and other cool things) will set you back less than $50. Additional wires (I recommend getting a pack each of M-M, M-F and F-M dupont leads) are cheap as chips and will help you hook up all the other awesome things you can get like the "arduino sensor kit" which contains no less than 37 different kinds of "sensors" including ultrasonic range sensors, joysticks, push buttons, etc.

Armed with those two kids, a bunch of wires and a laptop running the Arduino IDE, there's a whole world of awesome to play with.

Show me pre-teen who wouldn't like an ultrasonic alarm pointed at her door to make a buzzer ring when mum opens the door, and I'll show you a kid who... is too engrossed in a book to notice. (OK, so my analogies aren't always top notch)

There are lots of great gender neutral toys for all ages! I'm especially fond of building toys, especially for younger kids. Blocks and tinker toys are great (I looooooved mine), and legos (especially those open-ended sets) are good for when they get a little older.

Educational toys are also a good one. A three-year-old isn't gonna realize that a set of Go Fish Alphabet cards will help them learn the alphabet. They think it's just a fun game. Older children can move into board games and puzzle games like Rush Hour.

A lot of arts and craft kits are gender neutral, too. Remember those Klutz books? Sure, they've got Glitter Face Paint While You Do Your Nails and Have a Tea Party kits (which, tbh, I actually don't think are that bad), but they've also got some awesome kits for paper airplanes, origami, learning magic, and learning to sew (a skill that everyone should have).

Also, science toys and kits. Chemistry sets are perfect for older kiddos, and younger ones are happy with dinosaur action figures or solar system plushies.

Finally, books. You can never go wrong with books.

What did you enjoy playing with as a child? Does the giftee have any particular interests (e.g. crafts, music, reading, science)? I'd start with those two questions and go from there.

Preschool teacher here!

Expensive STEM stuff -- I've worked with all of them. If I had to get one, I'd probably do Osmo.

Bee bots

Dot and Dash

Cubetto

Osmo

---------

Other Manipulatives and Toys:

Reptangles - I found these at Savers and my students are super in to them right now.

Snap Circuits

Ikea Cars (not really stem but fun and high quality)

Mobilos -- can create cars but also so many other things

Marble runs of any style

"Pattern Play" Blocks -- We have these but I don't have the instructions, but kids still end up making fun designs out of them!

BIG Waffle Blocks

Architectural blocks sets -- for example

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I have a major soft spot for board games (and related) at this age. Here are a few I love.

Animal Upon Animal

The Little Orchard

Count Your Chickens

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

Snail's Pace Race

Rivers, Roads, and Rails

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Ultimately, though, your focus should be on having fun! Your 3 year old does not need to be reading and writing or doing basic math. He should be learning to play cooperatively, self regulate, and be independent. I would focus on language skills and his ability to communicate effectively and understand directions. I teach Pre-K (currently 5 year olds about to go into Kindergarten) and I do not care at all whether they can write their names or do simple math.

You can't really skip the theory if you want to work on meaningful, original projects; you probably don't have to read "The Art of Electronics" (1000+ pages!), though. If you have a basic understanding of physics or software engineering, I would shamelessly plug my own short but anatomically correct guide to electronics here.

When it comes to hands-on experience: IMO, single-purpose kits (from Sparkfun and so forth) are probably not that great. They are good to practice soldering and get results quick, but do not teach you much: when you are done, you likely won't be able to recreate that circuit from scratch, or alter it to your liking. Trying to understand - and then building - various projects from All About Circuits, Make blog, or so, might be more worthwhile, as they usually come with a much better and more verbose explanation of how things work, and how the author arrived at that particular design.

Oh, and here's an unorthodox tip: if you are intimidated by breadboards or perfboards, this great set should be a good way to experiment with fairly sophisticated circuits, too. I have it for my kid, but I would not be ashamed starting with it as an adult: unlike their "snap-on" sets, it's not dumbed down at all.

What next? As soon as you are reasonably comfortable with analog electronics, you should try harnessing the power of digital circuits. My recommendation would be to start with understanding 7400 series ICs (well, 74HC), and build a variety devices with it. Heck, a calculator or a rudimentary computer is really not that complicated, and it's extremely satisfying to put them from basic logic components alone!

At that point, moving to AVR ATmega microcontrollers (using avr-gcc or WinAVR) should be a breeze - and will enable you to do complex data processing and output control for your circuits with little or no effort.

A seemingly convenient shortcut is to go with Arduino for digital circuitry instead; the upside is that the platform has a less pronounced learning curve, and a vibrant hobbyist community. The downside is that you end up paying a lot more, and you will soon realize there is no escaping the pesky low-level details if you want to master more advanced devices.

Sonya, Your Momma wouldn't tell you this but ....

Sweet child, this world is made up of all kinds of people with different ways of thinking, believing and feeling, this is important because be different is not being wrong, being different is what makes you unique. Love what makes you different, and love what makes others different.

I hope it's okay to share more than one thing that I think every child should have.

rock tumbler

Snap Circuits jr kit

Prime Club game

Happy birthday!!

• Fire TV Stick, which is a lower-cost alternative to the awesome Fire TV. (think Apple TV, but actually good)
  
  
• Raspberry Pi which is a tiny fully-functional/fully-featured ARM computer.
  
  
• Arduino, which is an easy-to-use electronics prototyping platform, great if you're interested in learning how to make your own electronics and whatnot. (you might also want this, this, this, this, and this. Should be less than $40 altogether, though you could also probably find like a starter kit that comes with an arduino, book, and components.)
  
  
• Huion drawing tablet, great for if you want to do digital art. I haven't used this model specifically, but I do have the (bigger/more expensive) Huion 610 Pro, which I love.
  
  
• Amazon Prime student was like $40 IIRC, not sure if that has changed though.

• I can't recommend a better book than this one.
  
• Get this resistor kit. Seriously, I bought one of these a year ago and I've never once had to buy more resistors.
  
• You're going to need a capacitor set like this one.
  
• You're also going to need a breadboard.
  
• Make a trip to Maplin and get an assortment pack of LEDs and a few switches. Trust me, this will make your life a tons easier when it comes to making proof of concept or test circuits. And they make circuitry more interactive and fun!
  
• Lastly, get a cheap multimeter. You can get one at Maplin or somewhere similar for like <15 pounds.
  
  Sorry about the links, I'm in the US so the prices will be in USD but that shouldn't be a problem. I really hope you find this hobby as intriguing as I do, I started a year ago making little flashlights and what-not and now I'm making motion detectors and all kinds of cool gadgets. If you'd like some guidance or help, don't think twice about PMing me! Best of luck.
  

Didn't know you were talking about free-energy videos. Anyway, those are a complete hoax. Sorry, but there's no way to create free energy. As for your son, here's a list of electronics and magnetism science kits I would recommend:

I highly recommend this one, I had one as a kid and loved it!:

$34.99 Elenco 130-in-1 Electronic Playground and Learning Center (ages 12+)

$26.49 Thames & Kosmos Magnetic Science (ages 8+)

$24.00 Thames & Kosmos Motors and Generators (ages 8+)

$18.85 4M Magnet Science Kit (ages 8+)

And here's some nice assortments of fun magnets to play with:

$19.95 46 small-medium magnets

$34.95 100 small-medium magnets

$69.95 26 medium-large magnets

Nice to see the new community for Make: Electronics. Charles Platt really did a awesome job of teaching electronics to beginners in a way that got their hands dirty quickly with some fun projects. Do yourself a favor and get the 2nd edition of the book as the projects were redone from readers input and the 2nd edition book now includes Arduino based projects so it is perfect IMO as you get to learn the basic circuits and foundation principals first which in turn leads you into microcontroller use and automation. I got the Make Electronics 2nd ed book and these electronic kits that have the components for each experiment in the book for my wife that I never thought was going to have a interest in electronics and she loved it. Right from the beginning when she was told to put a 9v battery on her tongue and wanted me to watch lol. It was perfect for her as she would of never spent the time to order all of the electronic parts to follow along with the projects if she didn't have the component kit. I just ordered another set for my nephew for x-mas as he just turned 12 and wants to learn robotics eventually so IMO this would be the perfect start for him to understand electronics and have a idea what is going on first.

You can do quite a bit with a few sets of pipettes and a small centrifuge. Basically any experiments you want to run up to 400 level Cell and Molec, but I would imagine you'd want to start simpler with 7th and 8th graders. Electrophoresis is cool, but the practical concepts behind it are probably a little beyond middle schoolers. If you wanted too though, you would need pipettes and a centrifuge anyway. Regardless, these are the two instruments they wil use the most should they actually pursue science, so it would probably be beneficial to have early exposure to them.
As for experiments, I always thought bacteria cultures were kind of fun when I was in high school. You can grow bacteria that glows in a black light. Kids love things that glow. Plus if you have a basic microscope you can actually count colonies, and run a full ap level lab experiment. If you don't have a microscope, you can use this TvEyeclops thing.

http://www.amazon.com/EyeClops-Bionic-Eye-Multizoom-Green/dp/B000PGRBGA

My brother has one. Not as clear as a regular microscope, but it's suits the purpose and allows you to the show the image on a TV Screen. You can probably use it to look at a bunch of things in your curriculum. from onion cells to salt grains. Ultimately, even if you did the experiment as a class exercise, it would be pretty good experiance into what real science is like in college and the work place.
You can buy everything I listed here, plus the first round of reagents and consumables for some experiments for about three grand. Leaves you some money for hot/stir plates, beakers, and basics.

And I just realized my undergraduate bio lab at a 30k/yr college was funded on less then 5 grand...

It looks like you're set up as far as it goes for electronics (projectors, a TV, and hopefully at least one computer) so I wouldn't waste any money there. Look for things that are reusable and don't have a high cost of upkeep.

Basics

First and foremost set aside some money for classroom basics that will be useful for any type of science lab.

• Safety goggles
  
• Good quality rulers
  
• Tape measures
  
• Stopwatches
  
• Duct tape
  
• Wire clips
  
• Cheap multimeters
  
• Battery chargers
  
  Life Sciences
  
  This is probably the cheapest subject to teach since a lot of the things you'll cover can be grown in coffee cans and mason jars. You'll need flower pots, some spades, watering cans, and some grow lights if you don't have good natural lighting. You can do simple and cheap projects like a tabletop biosphere with some mason jars. You should probably get one decent microscope with a camera you can hook up to a computer or directly to a projector. The students don't need to learn to use a microscope, they need to learn about whatever you're looking at with the microscope.
  
  Physical Sciences
  
  If you want to teach the kids electronics buy this whole series of books and several of these bad boys. The Electronic Playgrounds are fantastic for teaching basic electronics because they don't need any soldering, are very versatile, and best of all reusable. If you lose some of the wire they come with just clip your own. IIRC the instruction booklet gives all the gauges different wires.
  
  Earth/Space Sciences
  
  These sciences are larger in scale and scope than you might be able to demonstrate in the classroom. You might buy a cheap weather station and make a project out of keeping track of the readings. Over the years students will be able to compare their measurements to those of classes made years prior. This is also a place where decent software or just some good imagery will help teach the subject.
  
  Check out the following sites for some idea for experiments/demonstrations/activities and then work backwards from there. Figure out what you would need to perform experiments you think will fit your lesson plans and then build a shopping list. There's a multitude of science demonstration projects you can do very inexpensively. If you're smart with your money you can fund your science lab for the next few years even if you've got to spend all the money right now.
  
  Exploratorium Science Explorer
  PBS Kids Science Experiments
  Hands-on Activities for Teaching Biology to High School or Middle School Students
  National Geographic Lesson Plans
  Scientific American Bring Science Home
  
  
  Get a class subscription to Make magazine, National Geographic, Astronomy Magazine and whatever else seems appropriate. Build a small science library in the classroom. Get some good science oriented DVDs. As a practical matter you might also want to get a nice locking cabinet to store whatever nice new things you end up buying. It would be horrible to spend your grant money only to have all your new expensive equipment stolen by some asshole.

Yeah you've pretty much got it. The controller you linked is the newest version of the teensy, and while it will work fine and will be more upgradable, since you are on a budget you could use any of the teensy boards for this. I would probably just a teensy++ or 2.0. As far as upgradability goes, it depends on what you think you might want to add. For comparison, here are the specs for the ($30usd) teensy++2.0(www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Teensy-2-0/221541256601) :

8-Bit AVR Processor (AT90USB1286)
128K Flash Memory, 8K RAM, 4K EEPROM
USB Can Emulate Any Type of Device
Single Pushbutton Programming
Arduino Compatible
8 Analog Inputs
46 Digital I/O Pins
9 PWM outputs

and the ($20 usd) Teensy 2.0 :

8-Bit AVR Processor 16 MHz (ATMEGA32U4)
31.5K Flash Memory, 2.5K RAM, 1K EEPROM
USB Can Emulate Any Type of Device
Single Pushbutton Programming
Arduino Compatible
12 Analog Inputs
25 Digital I/O Pins
7 PWM outputs

note the difference in analog (faders, knobs) and digital (buttons, switches) IO pins, and think about what you might want to add down the line to decide.

You can use any Teensy controller, arduino, any arduino clone, or any microcontroller that says it has a teensyduino or arduino compatible bootloader. Almost all of the controllers on this page would be suitable for the application I've described.

A breadboard is a rectangular plastic block that is covered in holes with contact clips inside them that you push wires into to build a prototype of your circuit before you do any soldering. It consists of two power "buses" (common contacts) that run down each side, each with a positive and negative hole. In the center are two banks of holes that are arranged into rows of 5, in which all of the holes in each row are connected.

This probably sounds pretty confusing but they are very easy to use, and allow you to quickly build, troubleshoot and test your design before soldering anything, and when you do solder, you can just go piece by piece from your breadboard. This video actually shows a light-controlled midi controller being put together on a breadboard using a Teensy, and shows it interfacing with ableton in real time. Take note of how the power buses on the sides are used, and how the board sits over the ravine, otherwise all pins opposite each other would be shorted to one another.

This page explains how breadboards work very well. In the videos of the teensy on the breadboard, the controllers are the version with header pins to be used with breadboards. This will make it much easier for you to prototype your design, then when it works how you want, you can actually transfer it to a "permanent breadboard" that has holes through the board surrounded by solder pads that you will solder you circuit to once you drop all the wires and teensy pins through the board. If you get one like this that has the exact same layout as a standard breadboard you can literally lift it off the breadboard and drop it into the solderable board if youre gentle. If you can get scrap wire and solder materials (be sure to watch a few videos on soldering ICs and microcontrollers, as the teensy really is teensy, about 17mm x 35mm, so you can imagine how close the pins are. Soldering really isn't difficult if you are patient and prepared though) and build you own enclosure, you can easily keep this under budget.

Yes, perfboard, breadboard, protoboard. These are all correct although "breadboard" often implies the solderless type like this (more info here).
You connect a resistor by bending it's leads and pushing them through the holes. Then you solder them onto the board on the other side (you know what resistors look like right?)
Usually I place all my components on the board and then wire the components together according to the schematic. Here's an idea what the back side might look like.
In the end it is rare that the board and the schematic look at all similar.

Do you have all the components you need?...
Nevermind that for now... To Youtube!!
There is soooo much material on youtube. I searched "how to populate a perfboard" and clicked a random vid. Looks promising. I didn't watch the whole thing, but clearly it's related to what you're trying to learn. Likely there are better tutorials, it's just a matter of searching and watching.
Good luck! Don't be afraid to break things :)

My 4 year old understands Set if I limit the variables a bit (like picking only 1 colour to play with) so your 5 year old could probably play. She also likes Rush Hour which is a solitaire game, but I set up the scenarios for her. She’s starting to get into Quarto which is a bit like Set mixed with tic tac toe.

Labyrinth is a pretty easy game, though she lost interest in it pretty quickly (probably due to the overwhelming cuteness of Pengeloo which came home shortly after).

Hey! I actually had very little knowledge of drones/electronics, and then I started lurking on this subreddit and became inspired! I did a bunch of research first, which pretty much consisted of watching build videos and googling "how do I build a quadcopter". I made sure to google any words or lingo that I didn't understand, like "what is an ESC", and "how does a flight controller work". I also tried to search this subreddit for things like "what flight controller should I use" and watched a lot of build videos.

Once I had a decent understanding of the basic parts and components, I bought a toy grade RFT quad, flew/crashed it, and took it apart to look at the various components. I also decided at that point that I wanted a deeper understanding of electronics, and bought this book, though I think that step is highly optional and not required to build a quad. I started working through the book, and also bought this soldering practice kit. After completing the practice kit, I felt more or less ready to try to build this tiny whoop.

Since this was my first build, I tried to keep it simple. It really just consisted of some very easy soldering and then putting the rest of the parts onto the frame. If you'd like more specific instructions or explanations of anything I did, let me know! I think this build could definitely be accomplished by anyone with a desire to learn. I learned a lot along the way, and I'm already planning a bigger more complicated build.

Something along these lines would be a good place to start, just to get more comfortable with soldering in general: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002LUAL6

Or honestly, any other kit that looks interesting to you on Amazon, Adafruit, Sparkfun, etc.

Specifically for mechs, grabbing some switches from a switch tester and playing around with small boards like these could be a good follow-up step to get direct experience with what you'd be doing when assembling your own board:

• http://techkeys.us/collections/accessories/products/the-enabler
  
• http://techkeys.us/collections/accessories/products/techkeys-keyboard-business-card
  
  Hope that helps.

You are going to want to balance tools and parts.

TOOLS (must haves)

• Multimeters (At least two, I suggest starting with one cheapo ($5-$10) and one in the $30-$50 range)
  
• Variable regulated power supply with current limiting (Skip the cheap/dangerous chinese crap and get a used HP/Agilent/Keysight one off ebay like this or this.)
  
• Breadboards (several)
  
• Jumper wires
  
• Wire strippers and cutters
  
• Decent soldering Iron ($50-$100) (DO NOT CHEAP OUT ON THIS)
  
• Desoldering pump and/or wick (The ctrl-z of the soldering world)
  
• Heat shrink tubing for sealing connections (Especially if you are going to be doing outdoor stuff)
  
• Microcontrollers (I suggest starting with an Arudino Uno since it has the largest amount of online support material, you could get an Uno kit, any of them will be fine)
  .
  .
  TOOLS (eventually)
  
• Logic Analyzer (Let's you see the logic signals in your circuit which is super helpful for debugging, I have a bitscope micro which is decent, but the software kinda sucks and is more than just a logic analyzer)
  
• A function generator (variable voltage and frequency for sine, square and triangle waves) (Again I suggest used off ebay, something like this.)
  
• Oscilloscope (a really amazing tool for actally seeing what is going on in your circuit)
  .
  .
  PARTS (vaguely in order of usefullness)
  
• Elenco Resistor Kit
  
• Elenco Capacitor Kit
  
• Elenco Transistor Kit
  
• Elenco Diode Kit
  
• Elenco LED Kit
  (Of couse you don't have to get the Elenco kits, those are just the ones I use and really like)
  
• Voltage regulator ICs (Great for providing regulated power to things that need more than what your arduino can provide)
  
• Trimmer Potentiometer Kit (really useful to have around for many projects)
  
• Old electronic equipment to scavenge parts out of (Many of my parts have come from old equipment or broken ATX computer power supplies. Tearing stuff apart is both fun and yields great parts.)
  .
  .
  .
  I think that's all for now...

yeah it's good to be able to make custom lengths with solid wire but i think jumpers they are generally easier, pretty fast and neat. (this kind of thing: https://www.amazon.com/microtivity-400-point-Experiment-Breadboard-Jumper/dp/B004RXKWDQ).

i think i had a similar plan with big muffs, i actually made a vero version with all the variable components socketed and the intention of being able to try all different cap and resistor values, transistors, diodes etc... and it's had the same values since i put it in the box.

Well, a love for Dr Stone is a love for science. I don't know how old your brother is, but when I was a kid in the 90's science kits were way more common. I've seen some in Walmart and there's this $5 store called 5 below that has some but I'll look on Amazon and see what relevant kits I can find.

here's a telescope for $33. Senku's thing is space. Space is awesome. You may also consider seeing if your local college has a telescope, I was surprised to find out that mine does and it's open to the public!

Here's a crystal growing kit. Chrome loves rocks.

Here's a microscope and here's the one I lusted after after I saw one on TechTV Screensavers $18 so cheap now! Tempting...

Electronics kit!! I had one of these! My parents threw it away because they said I was obsessive about it.. now I watch Big Clive tear apart garden lights... Senku make a radio too, which I think you can make a crystal AM radio with this kit if I remember correctly.

I have a 7 yr old girl (and 5 yr old boy) both of whom love science & any type of hands-on activity. I emphasize hands-on because I would suggest not getting a DVD set or book set.... kids are more apt to get excited about actually DOING science (oh, and I'm a former science teacher too). My daughter also enjoys reading science books & I just let her go wild at the library & she always finds something that surprises me.

We got my daughter "Snap Circuits" last xmas and BOTH kids love it. It's a little hard for them to do alone & MANY (most?) of the circuits/projects are over their heads conceptually. Regardless - this is a set that they can both use for years (in the reviews, there are many teens and pre-teens who enjoy experimenting), and it DOES help to show the basic concept of what a simple circuit is/does and what components may be present. They have come to understand that a circuit includes a closed loop, power source, etc... Looks like their smallest model is less than $30.

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SC-100-Snap-Circuits-Jr/dp/B00008BFZH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376360010&sr=8-1&keywords=snap+circuits

Another thing that both kids have loved is just a basic "science experiment" kit that my bro-in-law gave her for her 6th b-day. I was opposed to ever buying one of these sets b/c so many of the ingredients are just simple household items - I thought I'd much rather have them experience the "magic" of science via materials in the kitchen cupboards. But - the kits are really great & provide a lot of instruction & explanation & include things that you wouldn't necessarily have on hand. I think they're actually well worth getting (and contain lots of fun pipettes & test tubes/etc). I can't find a link for the one she got, but search Amazon & you'll see lots of selection for $20 or less.

I suggest this:

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Practical-Soldering-Project-Kit/dp/B0002LUAL6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1406761425&sr=8-4&keywords=learn+to+solder+kit

It's a very good kit, and will give you plenty of practice before you solder your Poker 2. No frills, and will give you plenty of practice for through hole soldering.

Combine this with a practical, but good quality soldering station:

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/ref=sr_1_3?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1406762091&sr=1-3&keywords=soldering+iron

A desoldering pump:

http://www.amazon.com/Sucking-Vacuum-Desoldering-Solder-Remover/dp/B005GIPKOW/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1406762167&sr=1-3&keywords=desoldering+pump

And some solder:

http://www.amazon.com/Alpha-AT-31604-60-40-Solder-Ounces/dp/B00030AP48/ref=sr_1_1?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1406762345&sr=1-1&keywords=solder

To learn, there are plenty of Youtube videos, I recommend you also solder the Elenco kit, then desolder everything to get a feel for how the desoldering pump works (it's super easy, you can't really screw it up). Then, solder it together one more time for extra practice.

All together, about $66 bucks. Add in the cost of the switches, and you're looking at a little over 100. Still a bunch cheaper than the Poker 2 from Massdrop ($143.50), and you've just learned a life skill. For me, that's totally worth it, but then again, I'm an engineer, and learning useful skills is what my entire profession is based on.

---

EDIT: Get this soldering kit instead:

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SP3B-Practical-Soldering-Project/dp/B0002LUALG/ref=pd_tcs_compl_t_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=00RQRQTCJ767WDS4D7KV

Cheaper and has more soldering points. The other one has a shitty speaker which doesn't add much to the soldering lesson, but drives the cost up.

Video microscope.

http://www.amazon.com/Eyeclops-61081-EyeClops-BioniCam/dp/B00153C5KY

http://www.amazon.com/EyeClops-Bionic-Eye-Multizoom-Green/dp/B000PGRBGA/ref=pd_sim_t_4

Magnifying classes

Prisms

Various rock samples, you can gather these for free

For electronics, you can build a simple bench-top power supply from PC power supplies. A cheapo pc power supply runs about $20, and will put out 3.3V, 5V and 12V. Also, they can provide a lot of power, and so 1 supply can power a lot of experiments.

Programming-wise...

Arduinos are fun, and with some servos and potentiometers, can be used to build robot arms. Potentiometers can be gotten at Radioshack. Servos can be had from places like Hobbypartz.com. Boarduinos, made for tacking onto breadboards, work great with the simple bench power supply built from a PC power supply.

To use a boarduino, you will need a breadboard

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-9440-Breadboard-JW-350-Jumper/dp/B0002H4W0U/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1319603959&sr=8-12

Cheaper ones can be found. But these are great for electronics.

On the "Simpler is better" angle,

http://scratch.mit.edu/

The scratch programming language provides a simple visual interface to building programs.

Hijacking to give some tips on toys and fun activities that can help solidify all this in your brain if you're more of a tactile learner (don't feel bad that these are "kids'" toys, as most of the people I know really only use their children as an excuse to buy them...):


Snap circuits help you get the idea of electricity transmitting information. Plus the informational material is written for someone who is actually nine.

https://www.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC-300-Electronics-Discovery/dp/B00CIXVIRQ


Then you can look at how those work a little further using Arduino:

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/accessories/apd/a9335657?ST=pla&dgc=ST&cid=302851&lid=57581044&acd=1230980731501410&ven1=A9335657:54715087668:901pdb6671:c&ven2=:&ven3=272703650778773293

Lego robotics also use Arduino:

https://www.fractuslearning.com/2016/08/29/making-programming-lego-robotics/

You know how Lego has that picture by picture guide to building? Imagine learning robotics that way. My daughter at some point decided she didn't want to use Lego for whatever reason, though, so she's getting this for Christmas:

http://www.robotshop.com/en/makeblock-mbot-ranger-3-in-1-transformable-stem-educational-robot-kit.html

I realize these are costly items. But there are also budget versions and we also use programmr to help understand how code actually executes actions in an environment.

If you're interested in learning more, or if you know someone who is (especially a kid), hands on is really the way to start. Otherwise they'll be like me and take apart your electronics to see what's inside... that's also fun.

First of all props to you to introduce your son to electronics and ask to find a good method for him to learn it out of interest.

I remember having electronics kits which had a bunch of simple components connected by those metal spring terminals. They often came with booklets to go step by step through simple projects to gain some understanding.

Perhaps you could look at toy shops and see if they carry some educational electronics kits? I remember book shops also sold them though I'm not sure if they'd still.

I found this on Amazon, seems a bit different with magnets snapping together but looks like it goes step by step in explaining: https://www.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC-300-Electronics-Discovery/dp/B0000683A4/. Looks a bit expensive but not sure if that's different in the US.

Oh boy I even found one of those kits with the spring terminals: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000IUD2

Best of luck!

Came here to say a butterfly growing kit. You get the kit and a voucher to order the cup of butterflies when the parents are ready to have them. Then they hatch and you let them free. It’s super cool. Ages 2 through myself at 34 love them. Insect Lore Butterfly Growing Kit - With Voucher to Redeem Caterpillars Later https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000ISC5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_obnTDbVK4AB6X

I'd recommend a snap circuits board to teach them about electricity. Something like this.

Anything with simple machines (screw, ramp, pulley, wedge, lever, wheel, etc.) that they have to assembly is also a good idea but most will require the ability to use a screwdriver and limit their ability to experiment on their own. Those that don't will likely be a little lame like simple kinex and lego stuff.

Finally chemical sets are nice but will definitely require adult supervision.

If they liked the perplexus, get the child a Snap Circuit Jr. Its a great learning tool for electronics and circuits, but also a ton of fun to build things along the way. Comes with instructions for like 80+ different mini games etc.

https://www.amazon.ca/Elenco-Snap-Circuits-Jr-SC-100/dp/B00008BFZH

You can also add onto the kit later if they enjoy it.

I just ordered components to make my first box mod, but have done small electrical work before.

Helping Hands will make your life much easier, may not be necessary if you only intend to make one mod.

a decent digital multimeter is required, as is a Soldering iron.

A Breadboard is very useful to ensure everything works as it should, before you have it all finished and put in the case.

those are all I can think of right now, sure there are others people use regularly though

Hey bud, I think it's great that you're interested in this hobby and am happy you're doing some research before plunging in. Do you know how to solder yet? That's an important skill in building your a drone since nearly everything in the building phase will require it. I had to start out with a little soldering practice kit before I started building a quadcopter. Soldering with a quadcopter can be difficult because everything is so small!

If you've got soldering down though, and you want a good starting kit that comes with pretty much everything, you can find some on eBay for pretty good prices, I've built four ZMR250 DIY kits purchased on eBay over the last couple years and they've all flown great. (That kit isn't totally complete though, you'll still need a transmitter/receiver and batteries.)

That kit is about £61, you can get a FlySky FS-T6 transmitter which comes with the receiver for £35 which leaves you over £50 to cover a couple batteries, a LiPo Charger, other misc electronics/parts you might need like voltage regulators or connectors and shipping. (which might end up being a little over £150, but that's how this hobby tends to go..)

With ThinkFun, were you looking at games like this? I played games like that in the gifted classes I had in elementary school, and they were a lot of fun. These days, you can even download that type of game for an iPhone or iPad for 99 cents, or for free.

For older kids (say, 10 and up), the card game 24 is great for building critical thinking and math skills.

You could get them an indoor star projector thingy like this. Or maybe a moon in my room and a really soft throw blanket.


Or how about a theme park gift card? That way they can buy the tickets when they want. Maybe if they like a certain theme park with certain characters you can buy them a novelty from it (like a Steamboat Willy) and some candy themed from there.


Nature? Awesome! How about wildlife documentaries on DVD? Maybe a cool wilderness guidebook? What about a butterfly kit? Oo! How about a firefly light?


Ok I'm out of ideas off of the top of my head for now, but I think it really is doable. :)


^I'm ^trying ^here

i also enjoyed microscopes and scientific experiment kits when i was little. i think the best present i got was a "fun with electricity" cd rom! you could connect electrodes and a battery and create things like metal detectors and closed circuits. [here] (http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SC-300-Snap-Circuits/dp/B0000683A4/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1333731473&sr=8-10) is a similar kit i found on amazon

The simplest is to use a radio chip like from Silicon Labs - 99% of all radios you'd buy from Walmart, etc. use these chips these days.

They are designed for "digital" so they have SPI controls to set tuning. You'll want a custom PCB for these but it only requires power, clock, SPI microcontroller, antenna, and audio power amplifiers.

You can also build "old school" discrete FM radios using discrete parts (e.g. transistors or older FM ICs). Google for circuits for these. They are strictly more complicated to build.

Ones like this are "minimally functional" - it's not high fidelity. These are so-called "super-regenerative" radios which can product radio interference or added noise in the audio. But it's quick-and-dirty easy.

A superheterodyne is better but far more complex. You need IF transformers and more circuitry. Strictly the Silicon Labs are implementing a superhet internally. I recommend an FM radio kit rather than design/build your own completely from scratch.

https://www.amazon.com/Elenco-FM-88K-FM-Radio-Kit/dp/B004YHZE0G

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/fm-radio-kit?rmvSB=true

https://www.sciplus.com/p/amfm-radio-kit_2451

If you love butterflies, you could always raise your own in the spring. I'm happy to see that you are trying to find who you are and to be happy with yourself. Keep smiling!

Yeah, the innerfidelity video is great. I also practiced my soldering on a cheap little kit with a lot of components like this. That helped me become comfortable with my iron and again, more confident in what I was doing.

Toy robots like Transformers Rescue Bots might work for her age. As she gets older, introduce her to toys like Snap Circuits to help her learn about electronics. Understanding about electronics will come in handy for anyone who likes building robots.

A great way to get started with this stuff is through a company called SparkFun based out of Boulder Colorado. They sell two kits both for about $100:

1. https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12060
   
2. https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13154
   
   These kits come with all the sensors, LEDs, transistors (controllable switches), and a really easy to read tutorial book to take you step by step from blinking an LED to controlling stepper motors.
   
   $100 can be a bit much so if you don't care about looks as much/want to buy sensors as you go you can buy the Arduino (https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11021), Breadboard (http://www.amazon.com/BB400-Solderless-Plug-BreadBoard-tie-points/dp/B0040Z1ERO), a refill kit (https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13110), and a few transistors (https://www.sparkfun.com/products/521) for about $50 bucks and then all of SparkFun's tutorials are online (https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/sik-experiment-guide-for-arduino---v32/experiment-1-blinking-an-led). These include all the code, how to use the sensors/wiring, and anything you want.
   
   Good luck!
   

This is really excellent advice! Sometimes just staring at a book is not going to make it stick. Another fun way to get some hands on electronics experience is with those project kits built to teach kids. Doing all of the projects in something like this or this shows you a lot of the theory in a way that will stick better because you have actually seen it work. And they cost less than a text book.

Wow, you guys have a lot of toys.

The nerdiest things I own are electronics project kits. I got my first one as a kid, this one, the 130-in-1 (a different brand, but exactly the same, down to the colors).

While in high school, I found a great deal on this 200-in-1 kit that had a little slicker layout and meter on the front.

Towards the end of high school, I went to radio shack and picked up this beauty, which has a breadboard and a whole bunch of components. It comes with two books, Basic Electronics and Digital Logic Processors. The latter dives into ICs, all of which are included.

I haven't played with them in a while (too much external stresses), but when I do, I'm also going to learn how to program Arduinos to see how I can combine what I learn from each to make something really cool.

There is competition, but they don't seem to emphasize learning curves, where they start with simple projects that grow in complexity as new concepts are learned. The kits seem like a hodge-podge of parts and a project book, without a lesson plan.

This is an ideal product, though it involves simpler circuits and targets 8-and-ups. I'm hoping to target 12-and-ups.

Cool project. The soldering should be pretty simple, and it's fairly easy to learn. I would recommend buying a soldering project kit, something silly like this: amazon link that you don't mind messing up and learning on.

Snap Circuts is the modern version of my favorite toy as a kid... It's pretty easy to start on this and by the time he's able to safely use a soldering iron he'll totally be able to design and build circuts.

Youtubes

Trial and Error

Stuff like aftermarket stereo (assuming a basic install of head unit + Subwoofer) are relatively easy, but also very easy to do very badly.

The basics are - everything needs Power(+) and Ground(-), and in cars a some stuff will get it's ground from the frame (door pins, etc) or engine block. Everything needs a fuse. If you're connecting a new wire directly to the Positive (+) battery terminal it MUST HAVE A FUSE OH GOD PLEASE READ THIS AND NEVER FORGET IT.

For example, on a basic head unit you have a bunch of wires, but they're all doing really simple things. 4 pairs ( 8 wires) are for speakers, each one has a - and a +. Then you have the main power, the ignition power, and a ground (used by both powers). Then you usually have a + and - feeding a power antenna/signal booster. So you really just have 3 things wired up - Speakers, Power, and Antenna.

If you really want to learn it, grab some cheap "Electrical experiments" kit and you'll learn quick how different components work together and what kind of mistakes you can make in a pretty low-risk environment.

If people are looking for ideas for educational toys, this range of kid's electronic circuits are great - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Snap-Circuits-SC-100-Jr/dp/B00008BFZH/

They are compatible with other simlar ones (e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cambridge-Brainbox-Primary-Electronics-Kit/dp/B001MJ7DB2/)

Great to find in charity shops and car boot sales too since you can keep building up a library of components

Soldering is fairly easy, especially if you are just soldering the pins on switches like in that Sentraq kit.

While a better quality iron is nice, you will get by just fine with a basic iron. Here is a basic iron that includes a practice kit.

Snap circuit sets are cool - they aren't necessarily something you play with afterwards, but since he likes putting things together, he can take apart and rebuild endlessly. It's for 8 and up, but if he can read on an 8 year old level or just follow the charts, he should be able to do it. He can also try his own projects. They're fun.

Well then, before you take on any Gameboy soldering, you should get a kit like this and practice. The deluxe kit comes with a much better soldering iron though for only $20 more which will last longer. Finally, buy some rosin flux before you mess with the Gameboy, it makes modifying existing solder joints sooo much easier and more pleasant.

I am 23 years old, and go to an engineering college. Every one of us own Legos. They are never outdated. You can get the kits, or really cool architecture ones to let the kids build the Eiffel tower or something.

Don't know if you have girls or not, but there is always GoldieBlox. The kids I nanny have the spinning machine. They also really love Snap Circuits. I also got them a stack of origami paper several months ago, and we learn different creatures together while talking about their habitat, what they eat, etc. We make whole webs with predators, prey, plants, everything. My boss also recommended me Dr Toy to look at when trying to find new projects for the kids.

I'm an engineer at an electric utility and we use Snap Circuits to demonstrate basic concepts of electricity to middle- and high-schoolers. The kit has a lot of variety in the activities and is a simple means of experimenting with electricity. It's easy to assemble and reconfigure too, which is nice. I've spent hours at various public outreach events playing with this toy and would recommend it to kids and adults alike.

My 11 yo son got snap circuits a few years ago and loved them. I think they'd still be cool for your son. Snap circuits are electric parts that snap together like legos and you can make projects such as a light that flashes or a siren. It teaches them about electricity and it's my favorite educational purchase ever. It's $20 for a basic kit that does about 80 different projects in increasing difficulty. They are rated #1 in science education on amazon. They come with everything.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00008BFZH/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1426979922&sr=8-1&keywords=snap+circuits&dpPl=1&dpID=51J81R-V0TL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

I mean, define compatible. I'm confused about what you're looking for exactly. If it is rated for the power specifications you need and terminates in a way that you know how to work with there's not too much more you need to worry about. If you post your circuit we can maybe give you some better guidance, but I think as long as you get reasonably-rated through hole versions of your parts you are going to be fine.

Do you have a base stock of parts like caps and resistors? If not, this Electronic Suprise Box is a cheap shotgun method of getting a base stock going, plus you usually get a decent selection of LEDs, switches, or whatever else they sweep off the table in to your box. If you don't want to dedicate a ton of time to sorting them, you can order kits like this and this.

If you're wanting to better understand how this stuff all works, then check out Getting Started In Electronics by Forrest Mims. You won't regret it.

Most importantly--and I can't stress this enough--RadioShack should be your last resort. You'll pay 10x as much for terrible components. Things that cost pennies on Mouser or DigiKey will be dollars there.

You should look into a kit like this one

• http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-AmeriKit-Learn-Solder-Kit/dp/B0009Z3JJA
  
  It has a soldering iron, and a bunch of components so you can learn how to solder. Pretty basic stuff.
  
  After that you should look into building a couple of the Velleman kits
  
  
• http://www.velleman.eu/products/list/?id=342509
  
  
  Beyond that, it's really up to yourself and what your interests are. Getting a grip of soldering and understanding how stuff is put together is a good starting point.

ok my advise would be to buy the part and also buy some solder practice kits like this https://www.amazon.com/Elenco-AmeriKit-Learn-Solder-Kit/dp/B0009Z3JJA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523380566&sr=8-3&keywords=learn+soldering and once you feel comfortable solder the part to the drive you should be able to get comfortable after a few hours its not super hard just dont rush.

> I do agree that DIY needs to improve and be as foolproof as possible, but right now the efforts are pretty good, for example with epipen alternatives.

To me the "future" lies in comparing which simple plant-based herbs and medicines (which can be cross-referenced against the pubmed tests) have already been mastered by Native populations (such as aspirin, alcohol, other teas and herbal crap.

This, to me, would reduce the commercial aspect of treating health as a "Value".

Thus the DIY would supplement but not fully replace Big Pharma. But in my view, with equipment for testing, there's not much holding back tomorrow's adolescents from building a circuit to test impurities or other measurements.

How about Electronic Snap Circuits?
I had something similar as a kid (although not nearly as cool) and enjoyed it a lot. I kinda miss it, actually. It has very good reviews on amazon.com but is recommended for 8-14 year olds. However, that may not be a problem if you're helping, eh?

RadioShack used to have those electronics project kits, like the 30 in 1, 160 in 1, etc.
They came with a manual and some easy diagrams for the first few projects, then the connection listing for more advanced ones.

All the wiring is done between spring terminals.

Like this https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0035XSZDI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_qgHXDbWM7TM2X

The RHS is pretty good, congratulations!

For the LHS you're attempting to use a floating (i.e. neither terminal grounded) 12V power supply, to synthesize -3.4V_with_respect_to_ground and +8.6V_with_respect_to_ground (3.4 + 8.6 = 12). I recommend you connect these supplies to two circuit "stages" . Stage1 is an NPN transistor circuit that takes (0V, +3V) inputs and produces (+8.6V, 0V) outputs. Stage2 is a PNP transistor circuit that takes (8.6V, 0V) inputs and produces (-3.4V, +8.6V) outputs. Or you can zener clamp the high level of stage2 so its outputs are (-3.4V, +3.4V).

It's a shame you went straight to dead-bug-on-groundplane soldered implementation, without first building on a solderless plugin protoboard. In its current form, trying out modifications will be difficult.

Can't go wrong with Rush Hour.Link
Another one I've enjoyed is called Solitaire Chess Link

It's been a while since I've played them, it might be time to play again

One way you could help make yourself a valuable part of the team is by learning to solder. You can pick up an entire soldering kit for pretty cheap that will include some practice stuff. Here is an example:

Learn to Solder Kit

Nice. I had this http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Electronic-Playground-Learning-Center/dp/B0035XSZDI/ref=sr_1_8?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1370635549&sr=1-8&keywords=electronic+science which was quite good. Also a tin of bits and bots is another good one, LEDS, buzzers, wires etc.

please forgive the lack of formatting below, but here are a few toy favs:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4W4PTS/ref=s9_acsd_zwish_hd_bw_bNEt4N_c_x_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=QCMJ545PGH645VFRWMDW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=84225ac7-32bd-54a6-8497-91c509904cf0&pf_rd_i=343404011&th=1 if you want a traditional pet

https://www.amazon.com/Wish-Novelty-Control-Interactive-Robotic/dp/B076KF1CSM/ref=sr_1_6?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1510792179&sr=1-6&keywords=robotic+pet another traditional but cool pet

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075CXV6Z6/ref=s9_acsd_topr_hd_bw_bNEt4N_c_x_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-11&pf_rd_r=QCMJ545PGH645VFRWMDW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=84225ac7-32bd-54a6-8497-91c509904cf0&pf_rd_i=343404011&th=1 getting a little out of the norm but still a cool companion
https://www.amazon.com/MSRM-Smart-Ball-App-Enabled-Robotic/dp/B01KMC76DE/ref=sr_1_9?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1510792179&sr=1-9&keywords=robotic+pet my personal favorite
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014WO96Y/ref=s9_acsd_top_hd_bw_bNEt4N_c_x_1_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=QCMJ545PGH645VFRWMDW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=84225ac7-32bd-54a6-8497-91c509904cf0&pf_rd_i=343404011 a classic

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075BNF5Y5/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1 middle of the line type toy

my personal recommendation is to get a soldering kit first and watch the EEVBlog tutorials on soldering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Sb21qbpEQ part 1 is equipment, part 2 is throughhole, and part 3 is surface mount (which you don't have to watch). Part 2 is the most important; because you're just doing throughhole you can buy a cheap soldering station for like 25 bucks since throughhole components can take a bigger beating than SMD stuff.

I got the Elenco FM radio kit on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-FM-88K-FM-Radio-Kit/dp/B004YHZE0G because it was cool and gave me more of an incentive to finish. This part is to just work out how to throughhole solder on something that doesn't cost 80-100 dollars; you'll probably feel like you have the hang of it after a couple minutes, but it's better to get that way before you start on your board

Just to add one more suggestion. I had something like one of these Elenco 130-in-1 Electronic Playground and Learning Center when I was really young and I probably built 90% of the circuits in the book. It's a lot of fun and they do a fairly good job of describing how the circuits work. You connect components using precut wires to "spring" terminals.

I think OP is referencing something quite a bit different from a standard breadboard. It's probably something more like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Electronic-Playground-Learning-Center/dp/B0035XSZDI/ref=zg_bs_2528073011_12

They also come with rather large booklets that give definitions of all the electrical components and what they do as well as instructions for dozens of different cool projects you can build with it. I remember mine had projects for like a rain detector, a security alarm, a morse code clicker, etc.

How many kids per session? Same kids do all 6 sessions?

I really love the German examples given for introduction. 9V battery, LEDS to see what happened.

You could use $2.10 solderless breadboards Issue I had was my surplus resistors had oxide on the leads, so you had to hold the resistor and spin it while pressing the lead against a pencil eraser to clean that layer of oxide off.

There are plenty of tutorials out there. Use CR2032 for longer run times. Honestly though these are aimed at young kids, all you can really do is make the LED turn on, it's not very exciting after the first few minutes.

Have a look at Velleman kits. The MK150 Shaking Dice or MK112 Brain Game MiniKit would give him something to do and you can both use them once finished.

If he's interested in learning basic electronics you could go for a kit like this or this They normally start out with a basic LED and battery and end up with tone generators and flashy lights. If you buy a extra breadboard you can both make projects at the same time.

You could also get an Arduino starter kit. They are really cool, the projects also start at flashing led but end up with much more interesting and complicated projects like ultrasonic distance measurement, moving parts and robots. Just be aware it's not as social and you'll lose him into the computer and programming for hours at a time.

>First, can any of you recommend some good kid-friendly resources for learning the fundamentals of physics, electrical theory and engineering, particularly as they relate to Nerf blasters?

https://smile.amazon.com/Nerf-Blaster-Modification-Guide-Unofficial-ebook/dp/B07KGG7P89/

https://smile.amazon.com/Thinking-Physics-Practical-Lessons-Critical/dp/0935218068/

This same kind of thing can be accomplished using breadboard, nerf mod supplies, switches, battery packs, solid-core wire, and a multimeter.

https://smile.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC-100-Electronics-Exploration/dp/B00008BFZH/

https://smile.amazon.com/3D-Printing-Projects-DK/dp/0241302218/

And then when a bit older

https://smile.amazon.com/Research-Design-Qualitative-Quantitative-Approaches/dp/1506386709/

That looks really interesting! For younger kids I would recommend snap circuits for ease of use.

yup. a friend of mine got a kit like this for his five year old, and i happened to see it at the science store, too. i played with it for quite a while myself. it's something i'd get for my own kid, if i ever have one.

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SC-300-Snap-Circuits/dp/B0000683A4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324335395&sr=8-1

Since he is interested in technology, you can see if he would be interested in this kit. You can also show him some youtube videos of science experiments and see if he would be interested in doing any of those.

Beauty

• Hair Chalk Kit
  
• Fashion Headbands Kit
  
• Sparkle Tattoo Set
  
• Ink-a-do Tattoo Pens
  
• Mani Pedi Party Set
  
• Nail Stickers
  
  
  Tech-y Toys
  
  
• Voice Changer
  
• Snap Circuits Jr.
  
• Coke Can RC Car
  
• RC Copter
  
• RC Quadcopter
  
• RC Mustang
  
• RC Tranatula
  
  Nerf
  
  
• Strongarm Blaster
  
• Zombie Hammershot
  
• Thunderblast Launcher
  
• Bow Blaster
  
• Zombie Strike Target Set
  
• Crossbolt Blaster
  
• Rebelle Crossbow Blaster
  
• Pink Crush Blaster
  
  Arts & Crafts
  
  
• Scratch Art Kit
  
• Travel Spirograph
  
• Needlepoint Butterfly
  
• Spirograph Tin
  
• Paper Airplanes Kit
  
• Rock Pets Garden Frog
  
• Perler Bead Kit
  
• My First Sewing Kit
  
• Butterfly Necklace Maker
  
• Paper Bead Making Kit
  
• Shrinky Dinks Jewelry
  
• Needlepoint Flower
  
• Clay Charm Craft Kit
  
• Mr. Sketch Scent Markers

No, I haven't actually. But telling people to be careful does no preclude people from being able to do some basic soldering. Because assembling a keyboard is actually pretty low on the required skill level.

If you'd like to learn how to solder, here's a kit you can buy. You'll realize that it's actually quite a fun skill to have, and attempting the assembly of a keyboard might be something you'll learn you're interested in.

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-AmeriKit-Learn-Solder-Kit/dp/B0009Z3JJA

Arduino and Rasberry Pi are two embedded system ecosystems that have big communities and support. You could get a newb kit and start from there.

Also, back in the day, it used to be all about analog electronics. I had the "Getting Started in Electronics" Radio Shack book by Forrest Mimms, and a 50-in-1 experiment board.. Super fun.

If I wanted to make something computer-y / motor-y, I would probably make a track-running inverted pendulum to freak out the squares...

Holy hell, you're amazing , I'm print a hold to Arduino to complete this learning process.
>
Edit: also, not even joking, maybe you can pick up one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Maxitronix-200-in-One-Electronic-Project-Lab/dp/B0002AHR04.

This is actually really amazing, how didn't i hear of it before?
Thank you so much man, you are using a lot of ways for me and lighting my way, Thank you

I had a gyroscope when I was ten-ish... like this one... it was pretty cool (I still think they're cool).

My kids used to have one of these : eyeclops
It looks like it could be crappy, but was actually really cool and functional. It magnified up to 200X and displayed on the TV.
I need to find out where it is, ... for some sweet karma.

time to end boredom
most fun thing my friends suggested would have to be lowering my car on adjustable coilover suspension, seriously, its sooo amazing to drive now :D
I want THIS

I had a bread board to play with growing up. It was a really fun activity and came with a project book.

It was similar to this, though not this exact model
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0035XSZDI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7W5IDb1NSJ95C

Elenco makes parts kits that you can buy on amazon. I'm aware of the diode, capacitor, and transistor kits.

https://www.amazon.com/Elenco-100-Capacitor-Component-Kit/dp/B004YHZDW0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465659726&sr=8-1&keywords=elenco+capacitor+kit

That said, you can always make your own and it will be a better value for money.

Get on Digikey and look for standard capacitor values in various orders of magnitude and buy 10-20 of them. To start out, get 100, 330, 470 pF as ceramic and 1, 10, 100, 330, 470 nF in film caps. They're cheap, even in low quantities.

For transistors, get 50 2n3904 transistors and 50 2n3906. Works out to about $8 each. 50 of each should be way more than enough for a long time. For diodes, you can get 50 1n4148s for less than $3. For rectifier diodes, 1N4007s are less than $5 for 50.

Especially for passives, when you buy in bulk, the price per unit falls sharply.

This is the kit that I've used when starting to learn
https://www.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC-300-Electronics-Discovery/dp/B0000683A4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1522937812&sr=8-3&keywords=snap+electronics

I think it was awesome and the fact I didn't need breadboard really helped making quick projects easily without wires floating everywhere

After almost 4 long months, I have just completed my (almost) fully labeled Deep Space Ergodox

Parts Listing:

• Aluminum top plate Case from mechanicalkeyboards.com
  
  
• replacement purple plate from Falbatech
  
  
• P3xon ergodox cable set
  
  
• Deep Space Core, Polaris 100% Kit, Ergodox Kit, and numerous keys from Grab Bag
  
  
• Two Black Metal Ravens from HKP
  
  I have always been a buckling springs fan.
  
  And then one day I saw the "Deep Space" keyset and fell in love.
  
  Since Deep Space obviously doesn't work on a buckling spring board, I decided to get a Cherry MX board.I was back home in the States for a month with a lot of free time, and I didn't just want to buy one so I started looking at kits. Once I saw the Ergodox I knew I had to build one.
  
  Unfortunately this was in Auugust of this year, so the Deep Space group buy was long over, and there was no groupbuy up for the ergodox (or infinity ergodox) either.
  
  Using the ergodox site I sourced and ordered the parts. I had never assembled anything using a soldering iron but decided to give it a shot. I used a cheap Amazon radio kit just to get a feel for it (I never got that damned kit working btw).
  
  The ergodox assembly went great. Had it finished in a day. It all worked first try. I had forgotten to order a TRRS cable though, so I had to wait an excruciating 3 days to find out though. After three months of use I discovered that I missed two solder points on diodes so the keys acted erratically, but that was a quick fix.
  
  I originally ordered it with blanks instead of Deep Space keys, because I wanted to test out DSA profile and they were considerably cheaper than the full Deep Space set. Once I decided I liked it I went ahead and ordered the Deep Space keyset.
  
  I ordered it a week before I planned on leaving the U.S. and it, of course, arrived an hour after my plane took off.
  
  I finally got the set a month or so later which was when I realized I made a mistake. Unfortunately I wasn't looking at the sets when I ordered. The ergodox Deep Space set is DRASTICLY different from my layout, and combined with the core does not cover the board.
  
  By this time 90% of the PMK Deep Space set was sold out, so I had to hunt for people selling it. I came across a great deal on mech market for the function keys and ordered those. I also managed to catch a grab bag which covered the rest of the board. A few PMK blanks and it was at least covered in the proper colors.
  
  As of this time I am still missing a 1.5 Return key in deepspace colors (do they even make this?) and a 1.5 Shift key in deep space colors (which only seems to be in the ergodox set which is a $44...and sold out). I'd also like to order a Planetary Set if it comes in stock to replace my Ravens with the Yellow Galaxy swirl.

Might want to just look around for radio building kits for sale; probably cheaper than buying the individual components by themselves. Here's a couple of examples:
https://www.amazon.ca/CF210SP-Double-Frequency-Electronic-Assemble/dp/B07GYNHHHP/ref=sr_1_10_sspa?crid=3EAT06389T0I7&keywords=radio+build+kit&qid=1566855907&s=gateway&sprefix=radio+build%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-10-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExTVNCTzlWWUFYUFZFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzEzOTE4Mk5TMkpDTVFOOEMwQyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODE4NjczM0tEUUhRQlZBVlNIViZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

https://www.amazon.ca/Elenco-FM-88K-FM-Radio-Kit/dp/B004YHZE0G/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EAT06389T0I7&keywords=radio+build+kit&qid=1566855907&s=gateway&sprefix=radio+build%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-1

Just remembered about building a crystal radio kit as a kid (way back in the day and was great because it used no batteries) so went back to Amazon and searched with the phrase "crystal radio kit" which returned quite a number of hits for not only crystal radio kits but also other kit options like the ones mentioned above.

You won't really find any in kuwait from what I know of. However seeing as this is a child, I'd recommend buying a microscope kit that they normally sell at fantasy world and just having him look at stuff around the house ig

Some of them include insect samples that they can peer at 2.

If that's too specific there's this thing called an eyeclops that would plug into the TV and magnify whatever you had on it by like 500x

200x* https://www.amazon.com/EyeClops-Bionic-Eye-Multizoom-Green/dp/B000PGRBGA

but yea I remember putting it onto my carpet and seeing the fibers, it was crazy as a kid.

They probably have a better one now also at fantasy world.

Either way gl

edit: cheaper https://www.amazon.com/Eyeclops-09388-EYECLOPS-Video-Microscope/dp/B01CY8B4UU/ref=pd_sbs_21_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01CY8B4UU&pd_rd_r=Z07A3ZWRF59M63PBHFDX&pd_rd_w=1AuDd&pd_rd_wg=2m4oN&psc=1&refRID=Z07A3ZWRF59M63PBHFDX

Aw, I hope you feel better

Have your very own pet tornado or tin can robot

Turn that frown Upsidedown

Easy fix my friend.

This. You can find decent starting irons on Amazon with solder. You might consider buying a few ”learn to solder" soldering kits from Amazon. They come with all the parts needed, and the instructions teach you how to assemble the components (you then have to solder them in the board it came with)

Iron set example: (good for basic /beginner projects) https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01H1IFT54/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1523313329&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=soldering+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51rAt23O28L&ref=plSrch

Electronics kit beginner example (these are fun to do imo)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002LUAL6/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1523313465&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=elenco+soldering+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=519bj4ev-jL&ref=plSrch

Want to learn about circuits? Get a Snap Circuit board for $20. My 6 and 8 year old (and I) have learned a great deal about circuits and basic electronics and if the want to dive deeper with a bread board they would already be a step ahead on basic principles.

As for the educational/school angle - $20 gets you a kit that teaches multiple projects, doesn't require additional components and doesn't run out of ink. Just AA batteries..

http://www.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-Jr-SC-100-Kit/dp/B00CIXVITO/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1413517936&sr=1-1&keywords=snap+circuits

Try snap circuits:
http://www.amazon.ca/Elenco-Snap-Circuits-Jr-SC-100/dp/B00008BFZH/ref=sr_1_3?s=toys&ie=UTF8&qid=1417963646&sr=1-3&keywords=snap+circuits

The links for the JR. Snap Circuits which is what I used in summer camp for kids 4-12. Kids love them because they can try to make their own circuits and there's some really cool ones in the attached book. There're the really basic ones that just light a bulb but they get more and more complicated. Only warning is that it comes with a fan that can fly off and potentially cut someone, so I'd supervise him very carefully.

EDIT: The kit does say 8+ but you can use it with younger kids without too much trouble. I used to keep the batteries and just make sure it was all connected properly with the younger kids.

Perhaps you might enjoy something more like this. https://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Electronic-Playground-Learning-Center/dp/B0035XSZDI/ref=asc_df_B0035XSZDI/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312003162663&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12376681281660115618&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052566&hvtargid=pla-434851101009&psc=1

The Arduino kits focus more on the microprocessor and getting things to work with that.

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-365-Piece-Resistor-Kit/dp/B0002HBQHW/ref=pd_sim_t_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=14BEKDGCZYR4BRZH99QE http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-100-Capacitor-Component-Kit/dp/B004YHZDW0/ref=pd_sim_t_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1ZY4TZ8KX03R67FCGF50 do these look like a good deal?

My son recently had his birthday and I got him Snap Circuits Jr.. It's a really fun kit that he can do by himself or with me building a number of interesting electronic projects. It's very well conceived - like Legos but with electronic components.

Get something like this to learn the basics:
http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Sports-Cards-MX-906-Electronic/dp/B00005K2SY/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1313696934&sr=1-1

The various parts in there will be useful when you start breadboarding stuff.

and this to learn soldering:
http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Practical-Soldering-Project-Kit/dp/B0002LUAL6/ref=sr_1_4?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1313696934&sr=1-4

You might have a local hackspace where people would be willing to help you out if you are having trouble with the soldering.

https://www.amazon.com/Originial-TEDCO-Gyroscope-Twin-Pak/dp/B000FGKHZ2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505692078&sr=8-2&keywords=gyroscope

Two for $10! These are cheap, but still fun.

I would start by doing one of these practice kits to brush up on soldering. They come with instructional booklets. As for mods just figure out one you'd like to do and go for it. AV mods tend to be pretty simple. Further reading:

MMMONKEY

Console 5

They might be interested in something like this.

I'd actually got that for my 10 year old nephew before and he had a blast with it until he ran out of projects to make. Teaches them how to make all kinds of neat little inventions while they learn how circuitry and electricity works.

If you're interested in learning to solder, you can get a cheapo beginner's kit for less than $20. These take about an hour or two for a novice to get through. It's a nice card to add to your man deck without investing too much time or money.

My favorite toy was either my roll-out walk-on piano, or [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Electronic-Playground-Learning-Center/dp/B0035XSZDI/ref=pd_sim_t_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1522BANMZ9R4XS3WJ55K). I would spend hours on this thing. I can also still jump out Chopsticks like nobody's business.

I really wanted some Kinex or other Lego-like toys with motors to make robots.

http://www.amazon.com/Toysmith-3653-Tin-Can-Robot/dp/B0014WO96Y/ref=pd_sim_t_2

This caught my attention. Hope you like it.

Steam

Snapcircuits!

You can make all sorts of electrical projects with them, or invent your own stuff. Great for STEM-oriented education.

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

these guys

---

^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Electronic-Playground-Learning-Center/dp/B0035XSZDI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412479994&sr=8-1&keywords=Electronic+kit

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Electronics-Snap-Circuits-Snaptricity/dp/B0013BL3LK/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&qid=1412480035&sr=8-38&keywords=Electronic+kit

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-EP-50-Electronic-Playground-50-in-one/dp/B00000IUD2/ref=pd_sim_t_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0KPKE2ZHBDF256TN2M8K

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-EP-50-Electronic-Playground-50-in-one/dp/B00000IUD2/ref=pd_sim_t_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0KPKE2ZHBDF256TN2M8K

I had the Electronic Playground thing back when I was a kid. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot from it.

Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Exploration Kit | Over 100 STEM Projects | 4-Color Project Manual | 30 Snap Modules | Unlimited Fun https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008BFZH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_YBD9BbYEFZTDE

Wholey smoke, those links. Lol.
For cleaner Amazon links you can scrap all the tracker junk after the product ID:

https://www.amazon.ca/CF210SP-Double-Frequency-Electronic-Assemble/dp/B07GYNHHHP/

And

https://www.amazon.ca/Elenco-FM-88K-FM-Radio-Kit/dp/B004YHZE0G/

This! I got it for my daughter at the same age and she loved it. The caterpillars come separately.

Legend! I was able to find the same products in the Aussie Amazon, thanks very much!

Edit in case anyone is looking https://www.amazon.com.au/Elenco-130-1-Electronic-Playground/dp/B0035XSZDI/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1523316972&sr=8-12&keywords=elenco+electronic

Electronics kits is the way to go. Buy something recenable cheap and try to make it work. Try not to shake on your hands...

https://www.amazon.com/Elenco-FM-88K-FM-Radio-Kit/dp/B004YHZE0G/ref=sr_1_3?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1469015634&sr=1-3&keywords=build+electronics

Also buy these, that will rescue you when you use too much solder...

http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-5-Feet-2_0mm-1_5m-Desoldering-Braid-Solder-Remover-Wick-Cable-Wire-CP-2015-p-49770.html

Wash your hands, and dont worry too much about the fumes. It is a problem if you solder every single day, but you will be soldering for a short time, every month only.

Also one of these will help you, not burning your fingers.

https://www.circuitspecialists.com/content/98947/zd-10f-0.jpg

I bought this game for the daughter of a friend of mine in China. So I guess she should be prepared when this happens.

http://www.amazon.com/Insect-Lore-Live-Butterfly-Garden/dp/B00000ISC5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396929401&sr=8-1&keywords=butterfly+kit

This is awesome for kids of just about any age.

https://www.amazon.com/Originial-TEDCO-Gyroscope-Twin-Pak/dp/B000FGKHZ2 pretty good, and at a low price.

how would this pen work? https://www.amazon.com/Circuit-Scribe-Non-Toxic-Conductive-Silver/dp/B00OZATJ3A

I have soldering stuff before, Mostly gameboy advances and what not but this pen seems neat.

If you are ever looking for fun projects to do, I have a sack full! Have you seen this one yet?

Anyone who might find this in the future I decided on this snap circuit
I figure we can do it together and I think it'll be fun too!


http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Snap-Circuits-SC-300-Physics/dp/B00CIXVIRQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406588697&sr=8-2&keywords=snap+circuit Give me a price /u/PriceZombie

http://www.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC-100-Electronics-Discovery/dp/B00008BFZH

My daughter loves hers. It's enough of a "toy" to not have a serious mentality.

> Is there such thing as a cheap/inexpensive kit?

Yes, here's a link to one in Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Elenco-AmeriKit-Learn-Solder-Kit/dp/B0009Z3JJA/ref=pd_ybh_a_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MNYGJG5K180P793GN41W

Make: Electronics is a very good book. You can buy a series of kits to complete the projects in the book. There is also a sequel (Make: More Electronics) and a series of encycliopedias from Make about electronic components.

Snap circuits would be perfect.

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SC-300-Snap-Circuits/dp/B0000683A4

I got this for my gfs niece last year. Her mother said she loves it. https://www.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC-100-Electronics-Discovery/dp/B00008BFZH/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1467901834&sr=8-8&keywords=science+toys

I have that iron. It's good for being somewhat inexpensive. I think i usually had it set to 3 - 3.5. Since you've never soldered I'd suggest getting a little electronics kit like this that serve just to teach you how to solder, and how to fix mistakes. I have that one and even though I never finished building it, I was too impatient, it does have you intentionally foul up joins so it can teach you how to fix them.

Otherwise I think you're good.

I remember spending countless hours with Snap Circuits.

The buzzer was the most fun.

Not sure but it might be easier to just buy the pen

https://www.amazon.com/Circuit-Scribe-Non-Toxic-Conductive-Silver/dp/B00OZATJ3A

Abstract toys are a good idea, we've got a few sets of those for kids to play with. I remember the tub of Legos I had growing up and how much fun that was building things with it.

In addition to abstract toys, I'm looking for things that parents wouldn't normally have access to. Many kids already have Lego sets but they probably don't have something like this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008BFZH

Elenco has stuff like this that you could even get the kids involved. Also, these go on sale sometimes for about 20 bucks. Do a search for "Elenco Kit" will show up other related stuff too. I'm not with this company, I have this kit on my desk and made me think of it.

You could also get into making speakers and amps. Or Raspberry Pi stuff for robotics or automation (or endless other things :)

I'm also not really sure what you're looking for heh

Edited1:

these kits are cheap and come with irons. http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-AmeriKit-Learn-Solder-Kit/dp/B0009Z3JJA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1332450731&sr=8-3 have fun messing up your first 30 - 50 soldering jobs; we all did.

There is a company called Kiwi Crate that will deliver monthly projects to your house. I am considering ones for my 6 & 8 year olds for Christmas. Last year we got them snap circuits and they enjoyed those too.

Here is one I found on Amazon, but I'm sure there are several different variants you can find

https://www.amazon.com/Circuit-Scribe-Non-Toxic-Conductive-Silver/dp/B00OZATJ3A

Get one of these to practice, it's easy!

I had something similar to this when I was a kid. It made electronics very easy to understand.

Got access to the network equipment? It'd be a pity if her access and only her access were affected periodically.

I bought a few different kinds of birthday and christmas presents for my older boy when he started spending too much time on a computer or tablet. I got him things like a microscope, snap circuits, rock tumblers, things that drive their mind. Being a sibling, that may not be so applicable to you, however.

In your situation, if you want change, you have to effect that change. You're going to have to be the one to provide alternative entertainment. Hanging out with her. Take her to do things outside. I don't think you'll get anywhere trying to just rule alongside of your parents.

Hahaha oh man..memories of cutting hay riding on weekdays and during Halloween in Auckland, there were other crashes at the end of the year, they sent the cocoons: http://www.amazon.com/Insect-Lore-Live-Butterfly-Garden/dp/B00000ISC5.

You can buy kits my daughters nursery had them and the children were fascinated.

You-Should-Solder spiel:

if you have normal fine motor ability, soldering is easier than you think. unless you have an adustable iron turned up to max, or you're holding the iron on the pad for more than 5 seconds, you'll have a tough time ruining the PCB. Check out this comic, watch some youtube videos. If you want some practice before you embark on an expensive project, there are cheap kits you can get online.

I started with this kit. The iron it comes with is about as crappy as you can find, but it's served me very well through many projects, including building 3 keyboards, and unless it breaks or I need to do something very complex with surface-mounted parts, I don't think I'll need to replace it.

Take the motherboard out and look for blown capacitors or damaged board.

Some places can just replace the capacitors (Very small soldering iron tip and flux)

I had a similar problem not too long ago. Turns out the bottom of the board had a short. Looked like water damage had erroded the board away and broke part of the copper connection inside the board itself. That's harder to fix but you can use something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Circuit-Scribe-Conductive-Ink-Pen/dp/B00OZATJ3A to repair the connection.

I advise against this but as a last ditch effort you could try.

Other than that it's a new mobo i'm afraid. Good news tho. Motherboards are fairly cheap (Depending on what type you want/need)

The soldering required to build a quad is not very difficult. If you are rusty you can always go to a local hobby shop and buy one of those kits that requires soldering and use it as practice.

You could also just get something like this. - http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-AmeriKit-Learn-Solder-Kit/dp/B0009Z3JJA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1418060308&sr=8-3&keywords=Radio+kit

I know it's been a few days, but thought I'd still say something. I have a few of these guys and they've always worked well for me!

There are usually a lot of “fidget” blanket kind of things on Etsy. Some might be more applicable than others.

If it’s specifically mechanical / electrical then maybe one of these circuit kits with big easy pieces: https://www.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC-300-Electronics-Exploration/dp/B0000683A4

What about something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SC-300-Snap-Circuits/dp/B0000683A4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289873765&sr=8-1

Here's the style I had as a child.
http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Electronic-Playground-Learning-Center/dp/B0035XSZDI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417537035&sr=8-1&keywords=electronics+kit

If you're looking for actual breadboard stuff - something like this might be what you are looking for.
http://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Ultimate-Starter-Includes-Instruction/dp/B00BT0NDB8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417537035&sr=8-2&keywords=electronics+kit

To make your life easier, here is the kit.

For a soldering kit, I used this one on amazon, it was great practice.

As for a soldering iron, look on ebay/amazon for a "936" soldering iron. Any of them are about the same, most are clones of the famous hakko 936.

The original 936 is too expensive in my opinion, I'm using a sparkfun clone 936 that unfortunately is no longer sold. Most of the other clones should be ok though.

The only think I would really recommend getting legit is a hakko chisel tip, like this one. Don't get those 10pc tip sets, they are cheap and it is much better to use just one good tip than a bunch of bad tips.

Lastly, if you want your tip to last a longer time, don't use a wet sponge, that can damage your tip. Use one of those copper hard brush things, I forget what they are called, but you can buy them at amazon/ebay.

Yep. Now, be careful as you gently abrade away the coating, as the ink won't be that thick. I'd suggest using a voltmeter to tell when you are through.

You can use very fine sandpaper, pumice, or something similar (even a razor blade, but that is riskier) to get the coating off.

Read up on whatever conductive material you use. Conducto compound, which I have always used (but wouldn't recommend for you; I have a lifetime's supply of it, and it was CRAZY-expensive), needs to be cured at 100°C, or with UV light.

Here are some things to take a look at:
https://www.adafruit.com/categories/221

Also:
http://www.amazon.com/Circuit-Scribe-Conductive-Ink-Pen/dp/B00OZATJ3A

more like Rush hour

I really like the spring-connect kits for your purpose. He'll be able to learn some from the manual, and hook it up without requiring other components. $65 is a bit steep tho. Try amazon.

Yep, that's the one (it's partially put together on my kitchen table right now). I'll tell what I bought and let you decide what to get (I overbought since I have nothing to start with). Keep in mind that I am completely new to the RC hobby and this is my first quadcopter build.

laptop screws for the motors

nylon spacer kit

Nylock nuts for the props

Velcro straps

XT60 connectors to make power lead

Wire to make power lead

zip ties

heat shrink

Like I said I overbought but I think this will work for me (for example my batteries have an XT60 connection).

Some other stuff I got because I'm a newb and want my quadcopter to light up the sky:

Helping Hands Magnifier -> this works very well

Learn to solder kit -> it helped me

Pretty lights

I did not design the transmitter, I found it on the internet, I was being lazy. This guy was great starting out: http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-200-in-One-Electronic-Project-Lab/dp/B0002AHR04/ref=sr_1_2 for non-microcontroller projects.

One of the projects is a transmitter (I think using 1 or 2 transistors)

I have been at this a long time but don't let that discourage you. With the internet there has never been more resources to learn electronics than now.

I would find an old electronic item, disassemble and practice desoldering things on there. You'll find very quickly there are different types of tools/iron tips you're going to want. I say old electronic item because motherboards from like a computer or stereo component are difficult to work on. The solder doesn't flow as easy and you'll want to develop a technique/acquire all the tools before you attempt something like that.

They have a plethora of soldering kits where you can solder a digital clock, radio etc

something like this

Something like this

How about an FM radio circuit kit, like this?

I think you might need to get a soldering iron though.

Not the exact same brand, but some of these classic kits from the 80s are still available new in box. You can find, e.g., the elenco 130 in one and 200 in one kits on Amazon for very reasonable prices.

I used to play Rush Hour when I was a kid. It's a puzzle game where you move cars/trucks around in an attempt to get your red car out of the traffic jam. They get progressively harder as you go along.

https://www.amazon.com/ThinkFun-5000-Rush-Hour/dp/B00000DMER

Now try and recreate that chip using only discrete components so you can understand how it actually amplifies signals. You should be able to make a little push-pull amp with only two transistors, some supporting components, and maybe an impedance matching transformer for audio output.

Edit: http://www.circuitstoday.com/push-pull-amplifier

Edit: also, not even joking, maybe you can pick up one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Maxitronix-200-in-One-Electronic-Project-Lab/dp/B0002AHR04

I had that as a kid in the 90's and it really jumpstarted my understanding of discrete components. I learned the hard stuff first because of that kit, and only later in the 2000's picked up microcontrollers. At sixteen years old in '98, I built my own working guitar pedal, was so proud of myself because I learned the basics from that kit. It did distortion by overdriving with a preamp stage and also had a 8-ohm speaker output for portability. It sounded like utter trash, but it did what I wanted.

I've got this guy, who walks quite well.

One of these is more reliable than the original wiring

two words...

Breadboard



Ok maybe that was just one word...

Check out Snap Circuits and Snap Circuits Jr. as well.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008BFZH/

This was the one I asked my parents to buy me for my birthday: http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-200-in-One-Electronic-Project-Lab/dp/B0002AHR04. I also bought a couple of Forrest Mims books as well to go with it.

Here's one off Amazon if anymore can't be bothered to build one [Gyroscope] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FGKHZ2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000FGKHZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=rafnieto10-20&linkId=844488613f55cab2eeb9a5dd5326e31a)

Main thing I would ask in response is why do you want to avoid Arduino for now? I think the base level of knowledge required to do anything interesting with Arduino projects is a little lower and more condusive to beginners.

There is a cost side of things too. You can get a pretty full Arduino kit for $30. To make much progress on the analog side of things you are going to quickly run into a need for a power supply, function generator, ect.

If you are just wanting to meander through electronics and see what there is to do, I would get that kit or something similar and add in a few op amps and 555 timers.

If you are dead set on avoiding Arduino, then I would either recommend you look into the construction type kits that /u/Susan_B_Good suggested. I had one similar to this when I was starting out.

It is called Rush Hour ;)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Think-Fun-5000-Rush-Puzzle/dp/B00000DMER

Don't suppose you could give me some details on how the wiring works (pics would be helpful if you can take him apart)? The most electrical engineering I've done was following the instructions of one of these :/

I'm in the same boat so I got a practice soldering kit from Amazon for $11. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002LUAL6/ref=sr_ph_2?qid=1463770366&sr=sr-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=soldering+kit

The snap circuits version is 20$ right now on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CIXVITO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yeah, I remember the kickstarter for this. You can buy one here, but they're $30 a pop. It's silver that makes that ink conduct.

Want to learn to solder without screwing up your bass? Buy one of these kits for like $12 instead. It comes with a cheap soldering iron, good instructions, and a little siren kit you can put together and screw up with no worries. http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-AmeriKit-Learn-Solder-Kit/dp/B0009Z3JJA

this is a higly recommended kit. It doesn't include practice with de-soldering but has some practice boards and solder with it. https://www.amazon.com/Elenco-AmeriKit-Learn-Solder-Kit/dp/B0009Z3JJA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465915944&sr=8-1&keywords=amerikit+soldering

Start them off with something like Electronics Projects Kit. I'd be worried about what kind of person would watch a 7yo's online activities.

The same guys who made this. How do we make parking...fun?

this guy:
http://www.amazon.com/toys-games/dp/B00000DMER

Reminds me of this "Rush Hour" game from my childhood.

The same people who designed this

ThinkFun Rush Hour anyone?

https://www.amazon.com/Think-Fun-5000-ThinkFun-Rush/dp/B00000DMER

• Rush Hour 1P
  
• Rush Hour Shift 2P
  
• KingDomino

I think this is the bun version for the Rush Hour Traffic Jam game...

https://www.amazon.com/ThinkFun-Rush-Traffic-Logic-Girls/dp/B00000DMER

Where is the red car?