A good basic kit with everything you need to build a very simple crystal radio. This is not hi-tech hi-fi. Geared for ages eight and up, it is a complete kit with wonderfully straight forward instructions which walk the experimenter through hooking up wire coil, diode, variable capacitor and earphone, and experimenting to find useful antennas. Excellent education, recreation and discovery device all at the same time. A simple kit with hours of fun in it.

with our best selling electronics kit. Build 100 or more electronic projects from a Reflection Detector to a Simple Salt Water Alarm with Snap Circuits Jr. The Elenco kit, a Dr. Toy Winner, has a grid base and a selection of conductors, resistors, switches, integrated circuits and more, for a total of (30) color-coded snap-in parts. For ages 8 to 108, the easy-to-use components and well-designed instruction manual make this a perfect way to spend some quality time with a bright young child! AWARDS: The National Parenting Center-Seal of Approval, Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products, Dr Toy Best Educational Products. Ages 8+.

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An advanced kit compared to the others, a little more deluxe and a little more complicated. It is an AM/FM radio kit from Elenco with over 80 pieces divided into lesson groups. PC board shows component placement to help learning and to minimize errors. It has (14) transistors and (4) diodes and the case measures 11"x 5"x2-1/4". Ages 12+, as considerable soldering is required.

The vegetable- or fruit-powered clock never gets old. You get (2) copper and (2) zinc electrodes, 4" x 1/8", a couple of pieces of wire and a little 1-1/8" dia LCD clock. You don't add any batteries, just bring a lemon, lime, grapefruit, potato, kiwi, strawberries (or some cola if you're not a healthy eater) and time is on your side. Ages 5+.

Cool kit to introduce the beginner (age 10+) to the fabulous world of electronics. You will learn the basics of putting together circuits through over 50 projects building actual devices like an alarm, a radio, a metal detector and much more. The simple but complete instructions explain voltage, current resistance etc. This kit from Elenco is a giant "breadboard" with wires that can be connected to form the circuits as explained in the instructions…and all without soldering! A fabulous educational item at a fabulous surplus price!! For ages 10+.

For tyro electronics wizards: build your own dual white-LED strobe light. You'll need a 9V battery, solder and a soldering iron. Features a speed switch and rate control knob, and will oscillate between once and a seizure-inducing 60X per second. Draws 40mA. Ages 10+, as some soldering is required.

Our electronic MadLab bagpipe kit will slip into your shirt pocket or sporran. No plaid lower garments required, and, as usual, undergarments are up to you. This nice starter electronics kit has a transistor-based oscillator and 8-position stylus-activated “keyboard.” Output is via a piezo disc. Minimal soldering skills needed, and assembly should take under an hour. Add a 9V battery for power and you’ll be thrown out of class, or recruited into battle, within the first six notes. Ages 10+.

Nice little 8-LED running light kit from Velleman® has program and speed controls. You control which lights go on and off, and how fast they "run" in sequence. It's the basic concept used in those vintage blinking signs that entice you into car dealerships, amusement parks and cocktail lounges. You get the PC board and all the parts except the 9V battery you need to let the little lights shine. Ages 10+, as some soldering is required.

Electronic fun with just a hint of soldering from Madlab. You pick: the lie detector kit, with a PC board and components, or the LED logic game with diodes and transistors that pit your skill against moving a peg along (36) pads. You should be able to assemble either kit in under an hour with a little light soldering. You add a 9V battery to both. For ages 10 and up. Soldering iron not included. But we have one, and it’s item #88242 for $6.95.

Snap Circuits® kits are perennial faves here at the home office, and this 47-piece kit is an electronic honey. The most fun you can have without a soldering gun, and it’ll teach you about electricity and magnetism. You’ll learn how the electricity in your house works, and specifically how light switches control electricity, among many other things. Leads to more than (90) projects, and includes a 68-page profusely illustrated manual and a large base grid. The manufacturer, Elenco®, says it’s made for ages 8 to 108, but we’ve never tested it on anyone over 94, so we can’t verify that. You add a trio of “AA” batteries, which, conveniently, we can include in your order.

For pre-soldering-age kids with electronic interests (and maybe an artistic bent), this swell kit has hunks of conductive clay in orange, black, green and blue plus some ordinary white clay for insulation. Includes (20) assorted blue, yellow, green and white LEDs, a battery holder and a 52-page book for making (15) projects, although they’ll just be a start. You add a quartet of “AA” batteries and an inventive kid at age 8 up.

Yet another great Snap Circuits® kit, this one based on lighting and optics, with a bonus 3-dimensional circuit board. Includes (50) parts and over (150) projects. Special components include an infinity mirror; red, green, blue and white LEDs; 6-way gel wheel; photoresistor; and a diffusion lens. Parts compatible with all other Snap Circuits® kits, too.

Looking for an easy-to-understand introduction to the world of open-source Arduino coding? Snapino™ from Elenco’s Snap Circuits® line is for you or your favorite gift receiver. Fully-compatible with Arduino UNO boards, standard shields, common components and other Snap Circuits® sets, your projects can grow as your knowledge and skills do, too. Includes (20) projects advancing in complexity to gradually familiarize you with coding and building projects. For use with Windows, Mac or Linux systems, you'll need to download the latest Arduino application and Snapino programs. Includes various modules, LEDs, resistors, jumpers, USB cord and a battery holder for the 9V battery that you’ll add.

Electronic fun is easy with this Arcade kit from the award-winning Snap Circuits® line. Makes (203) sound-, light- and motion-related projects, and includes, along with a lot of other sub-circuits, a programmable fan, alarm, 2-digit numerical display, disco motor and micro-controller that can be programmed for (21) games. You add (3) "AA" batteries and a player 8 or older.

Just what can solar power…power? Find out with Teach Tech's Solar Fun 6 kit that comes with one solar module and one gearbox, and an assortment of snap-together plastic parts. Sunshine and a diagonal cutter required, safety glasses, of course, highly recommended. Build and easily reassemble (6) different STEM education solar-powered models (windmill, revolving plane, airboat, plane, car, solar puppy) or one of your own. Assembled units are roughly 4" across, in varying heights. For young engineers age 8 and up.

if you want to sound like a steam engine, and who among us doesn't? This Velleman® steam-engine sound generator kit comes with circuit board, components, battery connectors, speaker and instruction sheet. You add solder, a soldering iron and a 9V battery. Volume and (implied) speed are adjustable and there's a horn button, so it'll go both choo-choo and whoo-whoo. Great for train hobbyists or people bored with their doorbell. Ages 10+.

When is a toy not a toy? When you can have fun with a kid, and build a digital voice recorder at the same time. If the young Tom Edison had had one of these kits, your grandparents' lives would have been a lot easier. Elenco's Pro Model SC-500 is a Dr. Toy winner, from their Snap-Circuits" series. Has over (75) parts to snap (no soldering) into a grid and learn electronics while building an AM or FM radio, digital voice recorder, burglar alarm, doorbell, and electronic games, among over 500 experiments. For ages 8 up to adult, it includes a well-written, graphically illustrated instruction manual.

AWARDS: The National Parenting Center-Seal of Approval, Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products, Dr Toy Best Educational Products.

It’s like Poirot on account of it’s also from Belgium, but Hercule doesn’t light up and flash in red, blue and green. This easy-to-solder kit has a 2” dia clear plastic ball with a red/green/blue LED and phototransistor inside. Has flash and fade modes, a little hanging tab for a hook on top, and runs on a CR2032 button-cell battery, which, conveniently, we carry (item # 93242). Add some small items or decorations inside the ball to create personalized ornaments for any holiday or occasion.