<p>Does anybody know anything about electronic kits for kids? I have 5 (!) nephews I’m trying to Christmas shop for, ages 7-11. I want to buy kits that actually work and that have directions that aren’t too poorly translated from Chinese. LOL
Thanks for ideas.</p>
<p>Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 </p>
<p>This is a snap together circuit board. My son has used it for years. May be pricier than you want.</p>
<p>Mathson had something similar to the 75-in-one electronic science lab at this site:
[Electronics</a> and Electricity Kits](<a href=“Web Page Under Construction”>Web Page Under Construction) His first kit only had 20 experiments though I think. He worked his way through them all in first or second grade as I recall. (Mind you he was pretty precocious and an excellent reader, so he was able to follow circuit diagrams.)</p>
<p>Radiosahk has something similar looking called Electronics Learning Lab. [RadioShack.com</a> - Toys & Games: Hobby projects & kits: Electronics Learning Lab](<a href=“http://www.radioshack.com/sm-electronics-learning-lab--pi-2102913.html]RadioShack.com”>http://www.radioshack.com/sm-electronics-learning-lab--pi-2102913.html)</p>
<p>Oh that’s great. Thanks riverrunner and mathmom! :)</p>
<p>Well, there are kits… and there is real stuff. My son hated the kits but liked building real things, with real batteries, legos, etc. He used this book in fourth grade: [Amazon.com:</a> Mobile Robots: Inspiration to Implementation: Books: Joseph L. Jones,Anita M. Flynn,Bruce A. Seiger](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Robots-Implementation-Joseph-Jones/dp/1568810970/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-9437659-3502064?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194659814&sr=8-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Robots-Implementation-Joseph-Jones/dp/1568810970/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-9437659-3502064?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194659814&sr=8-1)</p>
<p>You need to give us more information.</p>
<p>The electronics kits are very different from the regular science kits. The ones my son had were very open ended. They had wires that you put between springs - so you really could experiment with what different combinations of resisters and capacitors would do to a circuit. He did try robots both with Lego Mindstorms (too dopey) and later in Science Olympiad (too much trouble). But he’s more of a theory than hardware guy in general.</p>
<p>dmd - LOL. That’s sort of the problem I have! My kid (and his friend) built stuff in a 200-year old barn where I worried about fire constantly. At about 9 years old he mentioned that he knew how to solder! 
When we toured electronic engineering labs he looked at the circuitry stuff and proclaimed that he already knew all about them. The dad in that household is an elec eng, although I don’t think he was around that often, I think my son learned stuff from his kid.</p>
<p>I do recall he had a real cheap electronic thingee that I bought at BJ’s. He puttered with that for a LONG time. He also had the Mindstorms, but I think he “finished” them in rather short order (considering how expensive they were).</p>
<p>Anyway, I do feel compelled to give my nephews some safe stuff that they can figure out without my sister and sister-in-law hovering over them.</p>
<p>Thanks again everybody.</p>
<p>I just placed a big order for 5 Snap Circuit sets. They look cool. Thanks everybody!</p>