STEAM Toys & Projects for everyone!

In today’s ever-evolving world, where technology permeates every aspect of our lives, it has become increasingly vital for students to develop skills that go beyond mere consumption. Steam toys’ significance, encompassing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, lies in their ability to empower students with the knowledge and hands-on experience necessary to create and understand technical things. In an era where innovation and problem-solving are highly prized, steam toys are invaluable tools for fostering a deep understanding of the underlying principles of technology. By engaging in designing, building, and tinkering activities, students of all ages cultivate their creativity and critical thinking skills and develop a sense of agency and confidence in their ability to shape the world around them. As we embrace a future that relies on technological advancements, learning how to make and repair technical things now gives you a huge head start to understanding the changing landscape of innovation and progress going forward.

Snap Circuits

Snap circuits are hands down one of the easier ways I’ve ever seen to get started learning electronics. There are no tools needed, and the kits they offer cover everything from basic circuits to advanced projects with microcontrollers, robotics, and coding. With no prior knowledge, you can start with this beginner’s kit, and expand your snap circuits collection with more advanced kits as you learn and grow. The various kits are all compatible, so you’ll never outgrow the parts this beginner kit includes. I’d highly recommend this to kids or adults interested in understanding more about how the world around them works.

DIY Solder Project Game Kit with 5 Retro Classic Games

This is a fun project to practice soldering with small but manageable components. You won’t need a microscope, but a fine tip on a decent iron and a steady hand will be essential. They’ve pre-soldered the main processor on this one, leaving you with the buttons, displays, a capacitor, power supplies, and a few other items to connect. These acrylic cases work well but can be a bit fiddly to get the protective paper off & then get assembled. Overall this is an engaging, quick project that leaves you with a fun set of games to play when you’re done.

Tingbowie RGB Practice Soldering Kit

Featuring twenty-five contacts you’ll need to solder, this Thingbowie kit is simple but fun. My only real criticism is that they’ve painted the PCB white, making it hard to see the traces. It would be easier to learn how the circuit works by being able to see it on an educational project like this. Otherwise, it’s a good kit to practice properly getting components (like the faders) soldered. Once it’s all together, you get to learn firsthand how RGB color mixing works, in real-time.

Cyoest Bluetooth Speaker Kit

More of an assembly project than an electronics kit, this set would be fine for beginners or as a platform to mod for more advanced folks. There is no soldering involved. Instead, everything is done with simple pins and sockets. You do need to bring your own Philips head screwdriver to the party, but otherwise, tools are not really needed. I like the laser-cut wood box on this more than the acrylic cases on other kits, but that’s my preference. For more advanced users, modding this speaker to add an external power supply and an aux input jack would be a fun project to test your skills too.

More coming soon…