Snap Circuits® STEM Fully Reviewed

Editor's rating:
8.5
Reviewed by Nela Cvetanovska
User's rating:
3.9
1
14%
2
0%
3
14%
4
28%
5
42%
Add your Rating

We like

An award-winning educational toy that boosts logic, creativity, and problem-solving skills

Entertaining learning activities that might inspire children to be scientists and engineers

It comes with 85 STEM-related projects that explore magnetism, electronics, and electricity

More than 45 modules and versatile components that include switches, electrodes, lamps, motor, electromagnet, meter, fan, compass

Components are easily assembled, no tools or soldering is required, only a snap

We don’t like

3 AA batteries are necessary but not come included

Small pieces might be a choking hazard for younger siblings

How it works

If you are looking for an interesting and unusual way you introduce your children to the STEM field, you might consider getting them a STEM-related kit. However, since the popularity of these fields grew tremendously in these past decades, so did the choices for toys of this kind. It can be hard to purchase the right product, especially if you are not an expert in the field.

The competition between toy companies is quite brutal and often leaves parents confused by seeing so much products look-alike yet are not quite sure which one is safe and will truly benefit their children. Therefore, we wanted to present you with a beginner level toy that is quite educational and will help your child discover the STEM universe in a fun and amusing manner.

Snap Circuits is no ordinary toy, in fact, it is dynamic and intelligent all in one. Your kids can enjoy playing with electronic gadgets without actually experiencing any unnecessary ‘short circuits’. They can now build and maneuver through different electronic circuits atop a base grid with the same elements that are usually found in an electronic product. This is electronic free which makes it that much better!

Design

Design

Your kids will like its animated mechanisms and colorful gears. Technically called SNAP CIRCUITS@ STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). It is an interactive toy-gadget that aims to enhance the 4 educational ideas presented. It is always done in an ultimately creative way by the kids leaving a lasting impression on their minds.

Even the packaging of this product comes as a colorful box in order to appeal to children who might consider engineering a boring, dull field. Nobody wants to feel as if they are forced to do an after-school project or an overly complicated chore. The tiny components come in many different colors and even look like tiny skateboards that kids have to put together in order to build their own creation.

On top, you will notice a large transparent motherboard that has many honeycomb-like shapes and many smaller pieces that need to be properly arranged on the board. Beneath all that, you will find an instruction manual included, so children can follow the steps of the many projects. The STEM activities are carefully explained in a simple manner that can be easily understood by the targeted age range.

Even adults will be thrilled to observe each individual piece since there are so many versatile pieces. In fact, the box includes more than 45 parts such as electrodes, lamps, switches, a fan, a compass, a meter, and an electromagnet. It is hard to stay indifferent to all the possibilities that are offered through this interactive adventure. All the components are made from quality materials that are durable enough to withhold many projects laying ahead of you.
Education

Education

There are many STEM toys on the market that come with guidance instructions however not enough educational content. Some building toys are just meant to be connected in a simple manner which might leave children uninterested to further develop their knowledge in this vast and incredibly amusing field. In fact, they might even get bored quickly after finishing the project and move on to the next toy.

The Snap Circuits Light Playset offers more than 85 exciting projects so children can continually improve their skills and truly understand the essence of each component. Through the colorful manual, children are educated by an adorable character that gives them additional information about the included pieces. It gives little builders a simple explanation of their unique purpose in order to learn more about engineering.

Building kits of this kind are incredibly educational for children as they offer little ones’ lessons and actual practicing experience instead of a large reading material that would only intimidate them with unknown words. By seeing the components presented in real life, they will be more interested in finding out about their usage. Every individual is more eager to learn when there is a goal set out in from of him/her, which in this case, would be a whole system coming to life right in front of his/her eyes.

In the manual, they will find out more about motor resistance, electromagnet resistance, series circuit, parallel circuit, voltage and many other STEM-related terms which let’s face it, sound quite scary even for adults that do not have a STEM background. However, they are properly explained and quite simple to understand once you start with each individual project. In fact, the more projects you try, the greater will be the knowledge you’ll get and soon before you know it, you might develop a significant bond with this set.
Logic Skills

Logic Skills

From an early age, we are teaching our children to use their logic. Whether it’s by giving them intriguing puzzles, teaching them to connect the same colors, shapes, letters and many other fun activities that will help them figure out this unknown world around them faster. As they grow, they need more complex problems to solve so they can feel the excitement of feeling challenged and curious about certain obstacles, as well as to use more percentages of their brain.

Solving a problem, drastically improves your child’s logic abilities. The projects involve following certain steps and using critical and analytical thinking but in an entertaining and exciting manner. Logical reasoning is quite beneficial for children during the early years when they are growing, and expanding their mind is equally important as physical activity.

This toy requires abstract reasoning and problem-solving skills which are fundamental for any child to develop a healthier brain and frequent learning habits. The best thing about it, however, is that your child doesn’t need to be a math or science genius. Nor to have some exceptional thinking capacities. It is created with the intent of any child to be able to cultivate these traits.
Creativity

Creativity

This unique connector game is a great start for developing creativity and the little inventor in your kid. Imagination is strengthened through the system the game is built upon. Always reminding families the very way Einstein put it; “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Many people unfairly judge the STEM fields as being boring, when almost all inventions were created by visionaries who found a truly creative path of solving a certain problem. Connecting each component is almost like an artistic expression, where you have to have a bigger picture in your mind in order to develop a new creation.

Children can also be inspired to get into a pretend-play scenario in which they are important scientists and engineers on a mission to help the world with their invention. They might even invite their friends and have a role-play activity by imagining that they are a part of a super-secret laboratory involved with the government to help save the world.

By practicing their skills with this colorful set, your child can awaken the inner genius and dream of a career in the STEM field. System architects, mechanical engineers, data scientists, programmers and anyone in the field of robotics all have one thing in common. They were once children who developed a curiosity for these exceptional fields and didn’t give up on their dream.
Age Range

Age Range

This activity set is not meant for children under 8 years old. If your child is beneath this age range, he/she might still find it complicated but will be able to explore the possibilities if they are introduced to the building set properly by adults. Kids that can read, have an interest in building and want to explore their STEM skills can practice accompanied by their parents which can be a lovely bonding experience.

Overall It is not recommended for pre-school children, and especially not for a toddler since It has many small parts that might represent a choking hazard and let’s face it, they’ll probably won’t understand the purpose of this project. In fact, because this high-quality toy contains a cord and a magnet; parents are advised to play along to supervise the game.

If your child has younger siblings, you might want to keep an eye on them when this set is being practiced around the house. Toddlers have a tendency to try and eat everything they find on the floor and swallowing or even inhaling a magnet can cause serious infections even death. It is strongly advised to seek medical help in case of unfortunate accidents of this kind.

Overall, this would be a great kit even for adults and parents that want to explore their STEM abilities but haven’t been properly educated in these fields. They are even a wonderful learning tool for elderly people who want to practice their memory and motor skills. They have been proven to be beneficial to anyone who faces autism or ADHD since they are truly an exceptional way to practice focus, logic and abstract reasoning.
Price Range

Price Range

Educational toys, in general, hold a great value for their owners since they provide much more than an entertaining experience. A lesson is learned or skill is developed which can be quite greatly beneficial to your future. Therefore, STEM toys tend to stand at a higher price point than regular toys that only offer temporary amusement. In fact, toys that come with electronics are generally more expensive.

Snap Circuits Stem Electronics Discovery Kit is priced quite reasonably for a quality STEM toy. In fact, if you take into consideration that It is made of durable components and offers more than 85 projects, it is a long-lasting toy that’s worth investing it. Your child won’t easily get bored with it and will treasure their creations even more since they were the ones that build them. They might even develop a sense of responsibility for their items which let’s face it, it’s priceless.

This toy is very amusing and challenging for parents as well, so you can finally invest yourself fully into the casual gaming process with your children and learn some interesting information while you’re bonding with your little innovators. Therefore, it’s really a purchase for the whole family and an item that can be passed on from one sibling to another if you take care of the pieces.

As the name says it, this set doesn’t require the usage of any tools or soldering in order to finish the tasks, only a SNAP. In order for the project to come to life, however, you will need 3 AA batteries, which are not included with the set. That certainly won’t damage your bank account and the demo batteries that usually come with any toy don’t last long.

Conclusion

If your kids are into gadgets, tools, or devices and they tend to be an avid assembler and disassembler alike with all of their favorite toys then Snap Circuits will suit their every need as an intelligent young person. You truly get to experience what a well-designed STEM toy and the fully equipped kit looks like with this genuine set.

The thought provoking activities will educate your little one about electronics, magnetism and electricity while still providing that element of fun which every child needs in order to finish any type of project. Mommies and daddies can either join the learning journey or get some well-deserved rest knowing that their children are spending quality time by themselves.

Kids these days spend hours in front of their computers, watching cartoons, playing video-games, even on social networks, so introducing them to a beneficial activity that still involves electronics is a wonderful way to help your child grow into a wholesome human being. Who knows, maybe this will inspire them to dream big and even build their own computer!
See Deals