Circuits

Makey Makey review

Setup takes seconds for this interesting circuit invention kit.

Best for: Upper elementary students and older; small groups or less

Teacher prep: I did each of the projects in the directions and watched some YouTube videos prior to releasing this to students. The Makey Makey book available on Amazon is a little sketchy, though I hear it's okay!

Pre-teaching: I have only deployed this to students after having them work through a circuit hyperdoc. We worked through several projects before I let them go alone, though I worked with younger students with no previous experience.

Pros: Never-ending amount of projects to do if you have an imagination! Sturdy clips.

Cons: Directions don't include a lot of ideas. Makey Makey doesn't produce any YouTube videos. The Makey Makey book available on Amazon is a little basic looking, though I hear it's okay! Console could use some kind of external shell for protection.

Conclusion: I don't know that I would buy this again until Makey Makey improves the website, YouTube connection and book. Available here or on Amazon!

Elenco Snap circuit discovery review

This hands-on kit gives students an opportunity to create models of electrical circuits.

Best for: Elementary students (based on experience) and older; tough for K-1 students conceptually; small groups or less

Teacher prep: I read the directions and watched some YouTube videos prior to releasing this to students. Very little prep required if you know how circuits work.

Pros: Never-ending amount of projects to do if you have an imagination and a few extra supplies. Instructions available in print and online.

Cons: It isn't the coolest looking set. Until students see what it can do, they aren't super enticed by it!

Conclusion: I bought the 100 piece set initially. If I bought again, I would order the 300 piece set for more options! Available on Amazon!

Snap Circuits Review

There are SO many snap circuit kits out there. They even sell them at Target now! In general, one of the best things to look for in a snap circuit kit is the instruction manual. I rented a snap circuit kid from our local science museum which had awesome instructions for kids. The first project had them build a simple circuit with a fan. The directions then progressed to more difficult projects like lighting a light bulb, using an on/off switch, creating music, slowing the music down, etc. I think there were 180 projects in total and in an hour we only got through the first four!

I used this particular snap circuit kit with kids grades K-4. The younger kids did a lot of watching at first, but even the older kids who thought they "already knew" how to do it really needed those directions to help them progress through more complicated circuit building strategies.

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