I was SOOO excited when I saw that I could review a new Snap Circuit set because we have been big fans of their company for years and we have multiple sets that they have put out. We homeschool and we've got 5 boys and 2 STEM savvy girls and a Dad who is a Software Engineer, so this kind of educational toy is our jam. The kids love them and we have had a very positive experience watching our kids play with the sets.
This one came in the mail quickly and in good shape. I initially shelved it because I wanted to go over it with my husband. My plan was to review it with him and save it for Christmas since the kids love these sets. Well he had time today and his attitude initially was that of a supportive husband doing it because I asked him. But as we started doing a couple of sample projects, he got pretty animated and said things like "Wow, that's actually pretty cool" and "Now THAT is neat, look at this."
In the end he convinced me that this shouldn't be a Christmas present. Not because it isn't cool, but because things presented at Christmas tend to be magical, yes, but they can get lost in the crowd of toys, and two weeks, a month later, they might still be unopened. Not only that, this set is very educational and it is jam packed with awesome lessons. No, this wouldn't be a Christmas present, this would be part of their school. If the kids love school, all the better. He wants the kids to do every exercise in the book, and write two-four sentences about it. That's one a day, very doable. And he wants me to get the other Snap Circuit sets out and some of our other educational toys so the kids can have little activity centers, and they don't have to share while they're doing it. These are amazing solo activities, but it can be frustrating to do them in a team, especially if there are more than 2.
So today we called all the kids in and told them we have a surprise for them, and pulled this out. My husband pulled out the different components and told them what they could do with them. The high schoolers readily agreed that they would do it too. They all seemed pleased, and certainly no one complained. My 8-year-old then spent a good two hours pouring through the book and fiddling with it.
Snap Circuits is a great company! They've been around for a long time and their materials are amazing. There are other electric kits out there, sure, but these kits are so well designed, and the "wiring" is within pieces that snap together and are really easy to modify. The principle is genius. And then every set brings something new to the table. There's a brick set that takes things into a more 3D space. There are sets that work with lights, with sounds. This one features electromagnetism, building generators, and relays. It's pretty incredible, really, that they can take these complex ideas and simplify them in such an engaging hands-on way.
This 2nd-generation homeschooling mama has never hesitated to endorse Snap Circuits when people ask about teaching their kids STEM. This set did not disappoint. If you have other sets of theirs, yes, this one does bring something new to the table. I'm thrilled with it!
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