Snap Circuits SC-300
by Elenco Electronics Inc
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List Price: Our Price: $35.00 You Save: $29.99 (46%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $22.99 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Snap Circuits SC-300
Customer Review: Fun and Education in one package
Summary: 5 Stars
I got one of these for my 8 year old partly out of nostalgia. I had one of the kits that used springs and wires when I was a kid. I have great memories of building lie detectors, radio stations, burglar alarms, etc as a child.
I saw the snap version and thought it would suit an 8 year old much better than the kit I had as a child. That is exactly how it worked out. He has so much pride and such a sense of accomplishment every time he completes his "experiments". The illustrations are very well done. The kit is definitely a "beginner" electronics kit. Think legos with circuits inside. Which is perfect for the 8-10 yr range I think it is suited.
Older children/adults might want to consider a more tradition kit. But for basic introduction to electronics and younger (or older) fingers that might have problems with the wires and springs in the more advanced kits this design is perfect.
I have SOME concerns over my son creating short circuits or other conditions that would destroy some of the components. With the traditional kits replacing something would be pretty straightforward. With the enclosed modules in the snap kits the whole module would need replaced. I'm sure sooner or later we will be ordering a replacement. If the company is responsive and the replacement cost is reasonable I will consider it a non-issue.
We thought we had a bad component recently. Consulting the manual it has a variety of troubleshooting circuits it illustrates so you can check individual components yourself. Great! Excellent educational opportunity and wonderful way to provide support for "bad" components. The transistor ended up testing fine and when he rebuilt the failed "experiment" it worked fine. He rightly assumed that he probably had something hooked up wrong the first time.
That's right, this kit is teaching my 8 year old child the proper way to troubleshoot AND good scientific method. I wish some of the high-paid professional electronics technicians I work with would revisit the basics that this kit is teaching my son!
If you have a curious child - they will absolutely LOVE this kit and you will be thrilled with what it teaches them.
Customer Review: "What happens if I try...?"
Summary: 5 Stars
FUN, ENGAGING, EDUCATIONAL
I got this for my 5 year old nephew (I knew he was younger than the recommended age but I figured it would be worth trying with him -- I didn't want to wait till he's so old that he's found other hobbies like TV or sports to fill his time).
My nephew loved it and it held his attention for many hours (he often doesn't sit still with his other toys for more than an hour).
I encouraged him to build the projects himself because I didn't want him to passively sit there watching me build it. He was able to figure out how to build the projects after I put all the blue connectors & the needed special pieces in a pile outside of the box (we started with Project #1 and worked sequentially, so I kept the more advanced pieces in the box) and reminded him to look carefully at the Project Diagrams.
He quickly got the hang of it after he built a couple projects. I was delighted to watch how this 5 year old figured out that the lightbulb or sound machine won't work if he pulls off a connector piece, but as long as the pieces are in a loop and "touching" (i.e. if he unsnapped but rested the pieces on each other) then it would work.
His confidence and reasoning grew, and he started to ask lots of great "What if...?" questions e.g.
What if I put this piece here? there?
What if I put these two things together or swapped them?
I told him, "I don't know, why don't you try it and see" and then he basically started conducting his own "experiments" to see what modified combinations would still cause the light or sound machine to go on.
BTW, this product would also be useful for School Teachers who want to demonstrate Science to students of wide age ranges
Customer Review: Bought Snap Circuits SC-300 and SC-750
Summary: 5 Stars
Last year for Christmas we had decided to get the SC-300 for my little guy who had just turned 6. I was worried that it would be too advanced for his age but he is very "techi", loves science & building things, and this seemed right up his alley. It was an EXCELLENT gift! Given his science oriented mind it wasn't beyond his comprehension. He absolutely loved it. The BEST PART was that the diagrams are so well layed out he didn't need ANY help from us to figure out how to build things or use it. I LOVE having a toy, AN EDUCATIONAL ONE TO BOOT, that consumes his time, and one that I DON'T HAVE TO SET ASIDE MY TIME in order for him to enjoy it!
---- Given last years success we decided to bite the bullet and go for the SC-750 this year (he's now 7). He loves this one just as much (probably more). Though he has a way to go to get through all the experiments he really loves the solar panel, that this one has FM radio, and that this set can interact with the computer. Interestingly enough he was able to set up the computer interface on his own. Since I have not seen this portion working I can only quote that he enjoys "seeing vibrations on the computer and having settings there to adjust things". (whatever that means!)
****** Regarding price, buy these things BEFORE Thanksgiving! Going into the Holidays the price escalates -sometimes on a daily basis. I almost didn't buy it for Christmas this year as the price kept scooting up. However, I was diligent and kept watching the price (crazy but it kept moving all over the board) and luckily in one small window the price came back down and I pounced on it!
Customer Review: Best Toy I Ever Bought!
Summary: 5 Stars
This toy is by far the best purchase I have ever made for my kids. If you have kids, especially boys, then you understand all of the junky toys that can be collected under in the bed in the closests. After a few days, most toys break or loose their appeal. I recently purchased this kit for my two boys age 8 and age 6.
My eight year old immediately tore into the package and began building the projects without assistance. The booklet included is in full color, very easy to follow, and has large print pictures to help the kids match up the parts. My son eagerly worked through 20 or so projects successfully on his own. I did have to remind him to follow the instructions (there are progressive steps that need to be followed for the projects to work), however, he was very successful working indendently.
My 6 year old was also excited about making the projects and could complete them with help. He didn't seem to be able to spatially lay out the parts in the right spot on the board. However, with a little help, he completed several of the beginning projects.
The parts are extremely sturdy and everything in the kit is of high quality. You do need a pack of AA batteries or the power supply adapter (sold separately).
My only regret is not buying a bigger kit! I would also like to have a copy of the educational guide (available for teachers and students). In hind sight, it would have been better to purchase the experiment kit which includes the SC-300, the carrying case, and the guide. By far, this is the best toy I have purchased.
Customer Review: Hours of Fun for Child AND Parent!
Summary: 4 Stars
I wanted to find a toy that would excite our son enough to lure him away from spending so much time on video games, and this does the trick! He's played with this more than any other toy he received this year, and he loves to show his creations to his friends.
He was especially proud of the a.m. radio that we worked on together. The more than 300 projects should keep us busy for some time, though several are very similar and require making few changes.
Some of his favorites have been the lie detector, the a.m. radio, a light detector, and a water detector.
The pieces easily snap together and apart, but because there are some exposed transistor parts and light bulb sockets that could be broken off if careless, it is important to caution the user to be careful.
The nature of this toy and its projects easily lends itself towards parent/child participation (one can read the instructions while the other helps locate the needed part, and both can work together to find where it goes on the circuit board). Still, I'd say it is easy enough for a child from 9 - 12 years old to go it alone with just minimal supervision.
Once the child learns how different circuits work there are many possibilities for creating original projects of their own.
Each part has its place on the storage tray, which helps keep the toy organized and protected from damage.
The manufacturer also offers other kits/manuals that can help expand the 300 project kit to make over 500 or more projects.