Category
Steam and electronics kits
Electronics kits, mechanical puzzles, acoustics sets and the Kongming lock series. Znatok snap together circuit kits sit here alongside Mideer DIY sets and the wooden interlocking puzzles.
None of this is homework. Each kit is built around a mechanism that either works or does not, which gives a child immediate feedback without an adult standing over them saying whether they got it right.
Brands in this category: Mideer, Znatok and Mont Marte.
22 products, $6 to $199, 20 in stock
Out of stock
Out of stock
How to choose
Circuit kits are the deepest thing in this section. The modules snap together with no soldering, the manual works through numbered projects, and a child who takes to it will work through dozens of them. They suit a reader, since the projects come out of a book.
The Kongming locks are the opposite: wooden interlocking puzzles with no instructions at all, solved by handling them until they come apart. Both need patience rather than supervision. If you are buying for a child who gives up quickly, start with the smaller set and add to it later.