Academic

MORE HANDS-ON TOY REPORTING: Reader Brenda Largent writes: ?We got the Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100! ?

By Glenn Reynolds

MORE HANDS-ON TOY REPORTING: Reader Brenda Largent writes: “We got the Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100! For my Favorite Small Relative, age 6. He’s just having a blast with it, and is able to figure out most of the instructions for himself (he’s on his 6th project right this minute). Thanks so much for the suggestion!” Glad it’s working out. Wish they’d had those when I was a kid.

UPDATE: Reader Jeff Nolan offers a complaint:

Uh you never said the Snap Circuits Jr. would also be completely enthralling for a 43 year old man… I surprised my almost 6 year old son with it and wished I had bought an extra one for me.

It’s not too late, Jeff!

ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Ron Mahn writes:

If you search your archives you will find I replied to your first mention of snap circuits back in 2007. My daughter, Lauren was 5 at the time. She is now 7 and is working toward her Technician Ham Radio license which she hopes to get before she turns 8 in May (and the question pool changes in July). She got her start talking on the radio and using the snap circuit sets (100 and 300). She still plays with them from time to time. It does make teaching the small number of electronics questions a little easier.

That story makes me very happy. Here’s the post. Plus, reader Jeff Weimer writes:

I?m glad that so many have taken your (our?) advice about the snap circuits!

Maybe we?ll have smart kids bursting out everywhere!

And those kids will have so much fun when they get to the electric motor/helicopter attachment. And so will the kids-at-heart (use BOTH battery packs in series!).

You can never have too many smart kids. And reader R. Elder writes:

I don’t know how old you are (I’m 38) but I had one of these “150 in one electronic project kits” as a kid (once available at Radio Shack):

It’s unclear if that led to my computer engineering degree or not, but it surely didn’t hurt. Spent many hours building radios, etc. with it.

I had that exact kit when I was a kid.

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on December 27, 2009 (boomark / email).