When I wasn’t watching Duck Tales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or Inspector Gadget, my childhood was spent putting things together and taking things apart. LEGOs, Tinker Toys, and Lincoln Logs were great for building anything my mind could think of, but when I wanted to actually make something that would perform a function, I turned to one of my…

Electronic Project Labs for Kids

I probably received my first electronic project lab when I was around 7 or 8 years old and was immediately excited by all the possibilities of working (safely) with electricity. Finally, my creations could come to life!

While the one pictured above isn’t exactly the same as the electronic lab I had years ago, it is very similar. It’s one of the simpler kits that gives (as the boxes states) “a fun introduction to the world of electronics” to kids that may be interested. No prior knowledge of circuits, soldering, or much of anything is required. Kids can simply use the spring terminals to attach wires between each of the colored areas to create buzzers, lights that active from a switch, and more. I remember following the directions to create a “burgler alarm” of sorts. I’d tape a wire to my bedroom door so that when the door was opened, the wire would be pulled out of the circuit, sounding a buzzer! Great fun for only around $20.

I later had a more advanced electronic kit, like this one, featuring more knobs, resistors, capacitors, and other electronic elements that could facilitate building more complicated devices.

Now, 20 or so years later, I’m amazed by what electronic labs are available for kids to play with today:

This one has the form factor of any standard rack-mounted electronic device, which enables it to look like a real piece of electronics and not just some kid’s toy.

More kit options today include remote control, a variety of energy sources, and even water.

Consider this my call to all you parents out there: If your child even remotely seems interested in technology or simply putting things together, buy him/her an electronic project lab! These kits have the potential of sparking (pun intended) an interest in electronics that could last your child’s lifetime.