Snap Circuits SC-300 Review
5.0 from 5
I bought this on a whim at Christmas, thanks to the positive reviews on Amazon. I wasn't disappointed! My son has played with this almost every day since. It is a bit daunting at first glance. However, the instruction book provides diagrams and pictures that are easy enough for a young child to follow. It would be ideal to sit down with your child and explain how circuits work while building a project together. But its nice to know that he or she can build one with minimal assistance, too. My son was sooo excited when he built the light bulb circuit and saw it light up for the first time! The circuits are fairly sturdy and easy to snap in. Adult assist necessary for supervision but so worth the investment. Best toy ever! Only wish replacements for each circuit were included. There's still plenty to do with lots of other circuits, fan, light, batteries, siren(nice and quiet), etc. My son has learned so much already and thinks he is simply having fun playing! One side note..my nephew apparently has this toy and was not intrigued: he is eight. I am fairly certain that if he were to sit down with parents and start building, forgetting the direction book for a second, he would see the light(literally) and really get into the fun. I'm going to work on it. This is one toy you don't want to miss out on. Don't be intimidated. Look at the pictures and ENJOY!
Snap Circuits SC-300 Overviews
This educational kit is loaded with more than 300 projects to build. For example, kids can learn how transistors and capacitors function, and how to make time-delay circuits. In addition, this version includes circuits showing how oscillators and photo sensors work. Projects involve an AM Radio, Burglar Alarm, Radio Announcer and more. Contains over 60 parts. Requires 4 "AA" batteries, not included.
Snap Circuits SC-300 Specifications
Electronic Snap Circuits by Elenco is an award-winning toy for budding engineers eight years old and above. The SC-300 model includes over 60 parts for creating more than 300 exciting projects. With lights, sounds, motors, and more, you'll not only enjoy creating beeping games, but also learn about basic electronics as well!
Making a simple flying UFO took only a few minutes. View larger. |
Create your own complex inventions using parts such as the fan motor, alarm speaker, and over 60 other pieces. View larger. |
 | What We Think
Fun Factor:
Durability:
(what this means)
The Good: Makes learning about electronics fun.
The Bad: Physics principles can be difficult to understand.
In a Nutshell: Interactive, hands-on way of playing with electronics that is fun and educational. | At a Glance
Ages: 8 and older
Requires: 4 AA batteries
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Real Electronic Parts Electronic Snap Circuits includes real circuit components just like the circuit boards inside radios, televisions, computers, and other electronic devices. This set makes it easy for anyone to create simple electronic circuits and devices. To operate, you simply snap the electronic elements onto a plastic grid, and then connect them together with wire pieces that snap easily into place.
The SC-300 lets you build electronic devices such as a whistle chip, speaker, alarm circuit, LED, lamp socket, fan motor, and a speaker. Additional pieces can be purchased separately, or in different models, and they can all be used together to create larger and more elaborate projects.
Making Electronics Fun and Easy
The included instruction manual offers 305 projects ranging from a simple light switch to a noise-activated burglar alarm. We found the color-coded instruction manual clear and easy to understand, and we had no problems creating any of the projects we tried. The projects are organized by levels of difficulty, and each project teaches an objective such as "To show how electricity can only pass in one direction through an LED."
We definitely experienced a sense of satisfaction as we completed each project, and we definitely learned about electronics concepts. The manufacturer recommends the set for ages 8-108; younger engineers should be able to easily follow the diagrams for each project, but will probably require their parents to help explain how everything works. So a word of warning to parents: Brush up on your high school physics! Although the instruction offers some good information, we found that we still needed to brush up on the physics we learned years ago so we could understand concepts such as the difference between a circuit in parallel and in series.
Unique Learning Experience
Creating a flying UFO from "scratch" with rudimentary electronic pieces was highly satisfying to us, and we think Electronic Snap Circuits may well help young students gain and foster an appreciation for, and interest in, how electronics work and are built.
For students who are already learning about electronics in school, this set creates a hands-on experience that makes for more fun than reading about how these things work in a textbook. So don't be surprised if report cards come back with higher grades after playing with this toy.
Parent-Child Bonding Experience
The Elenco Electronic Snap Circuits would make a great parent-child bonding experience that is both educational and fun. As you work through each project with your child, don't be surprised when you, too, are learning something new and interesting. And after you've completed all the projects, you can create your own! The combinations are limitless!
What's in the Box
Plastic "circuit board," over 60 pieces including wire, resistors, speaker, battery holder, motor fan, red led, and lamp module.
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*Product Information Stored: Jan 21, 2010 06:00:21
