Snap Circuits PRO SC-500
by Elenco Electronics Inc
List Price:
Our Price: $44.99
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Category: Toy
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Elenco Electronics IncBrand: Elenco
Release Date: 2006-06-12
Model: SC-500
Product features:
- AWARDS: The National Parenting Center-Seal of Approval, Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products, Dr Toy Best Educational Products
- Contains over 75 Snap-Together parts. Build over 500 exciting projects.
- Clear and concise Illustrated Manual Included and Available Online.
- Build 500 experiments.
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Toys and Games Reviews of Snap Circuits PRO SC-500
Customer Review: Fun, but not particularly educational
Summary: 3 Stars
This is definitely a fun and creative toy, and by this virtue alone, it might be worth buying. That said, for a kit aimed at older children (8-10 years), it really disappoints when it comes to the educational value.
The included project booklets do virtually nothing to explain, in even the most rudimentary terms, the basics of electronics, and provide no narrative to explore with an adult. You are simply told to stack color-coded blocks in a particular order - the blocks are often not even called by their proper names, and their function in a circuit is not explained in most cases. Schematics are not included, so when you genuinely want to understand how things work with the help of external resources, you actually need to go through some extra hops.
Then, there is another problem: the choice of electronic components in the kit is odd, and clearly aimed at cheap thrills. For example, you get just one NPN transistor, one PNP, and maybe five resistors - which really is not much to experiment with; but no fewer than three different "mystery" IC modules that make funny sounds (!); one completely self-contained voice recorder module; and one self-contained FM radio, with integral "scan" and "reset" buttons. The internals of these units are not discussed, and they have *absolutely* no educational value. Connect batteries and watch the magic happen? Something perhaps acceptable in a toy for 2 years old kids, but that's about it: putting batteries in an MP3 player is about as much of a learning experience.
Because the number of general-purpose electronic components in the kit is fairly low - merely around 30 - you shouldn't expect to be able to build that much. Although the included booklet lists about 500 projects, most of them are just variations of a simple noise-making circuit ("space war sounds", "police car", "fire fan", "whiner", "lower pitch whiner", "hummer", "hissing foghorn", "siren", "steamship", "doorbell", etc). There is also an 8-segment LCD display in the kit, but all you can do with it is display a single pattern - there are no ICs to implement a counter or anything else of that sort.
Bottom line is: if you want your kid to just have some harmless fun with electronics for a week or so, this kit may be OK for you. If your kid is genuinely curious about electronics - well, a good book, a breadboard, and a handful of assorted components may be a better (and cheaper) option in this age range.
Description of Snap Circuits PRO SC-500
With Snap Circuit PRO, kids learn about 7-segment displays, meters, relays, transformers and how diodes work. It even includes a recording IC. Build over 500 projects, including: FM radio, adjustable light control, digital voice recorder and AC Generator. Contains over 75 parts. Requires 4 "AA" batteries. Measures 20" x 15.5" x 2.25".Give your child an exciting, hands-on introduction to electronics with Elenco Electronics Snap Circuits PRO SC-500. This innovative kit contains over 70 color-coded, real circuit components that snap together to create working electronic circuits and devices. Recommended for children 8 and older, this set offers 511 do-it-yourself projects that will give your child an entertaining, concrete education on how electronics work.
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 Build 511 different electronic projects. View larger. |
 Playback & Record View larger. |
Snap Circuits comes with over 70 pieces to create 511 different electronic projects. The pieces, which include snap wires, slide switches, resistors, an FM radio module, and a 7-segment LED display, snap together easily on the included plastic grid--no soldering required. Each piece is numbered and color-coded to make identifying them easy. These components combine to create working circuit boards just like the ones found inside televisions, radios, and other electronic devices.
Simple, Fun Projects Let Kids Learn While They Play
With its easy-to-follow instructions, Snap Circuits gives your child a hands-on education in how electrical circuits run the everyday devices that they're familiar with. They'll also gain valuable lessons in building and in following instructions. The project manuals include large color illustrations and simple directions for each project.
The project list includes all of the projects from the 100-in-1 and 300-in-1 kits and 206 additional projects, including a music meter, an FM radio, and a digital voice recorder. With these projects, children will learn about electric switches, integrated circuits, digital circuits, fuses, and more.
Grow as You Go
Because the projects are arranged in order of complexity, kids can build on their skills as they progress through the manual. The lessons start out with a simple electric light and switch project that demonstrates how electricity is turned on and off with a switch. Further along, kids can put together a music alarm, different visual displays, an adjustable light control, and more.
Design Your Own Circuits and Upgrade Your Kit
Once children have mastered several of the techniques introduced in this kit, they can use the components to experiment and create their own customized circuits and electronic devices. The Snap Circuits PRO SC-500 can also be upgraded to the Snap Circuits Extreme (SC-750) or the Snap-Micro I Standard (SCM-400) with the purchase of a UC-80 or UC-100 upgrade kit, respectively. Kids will enjoy additional parts, manuals, and projects that'll take their kit--and their fun--to the next level.
Snap Circuits PRO SC-500 requires four AA batteries, which are not included.
What's in the Box
Plastic snap-grid, 76 electrical components, and 3 project manuals.
| Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 | Snap Circuits SC-300 | Snap Circuits Pro SC-500 | Snap Circuits Extreme SC-750 |
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