Snap Circuits Jr., while not as pumped up as the larger Snap Circuits Kits, is a perfectly fine introduction to circuitry as well as the Snap Circuits system. It features 30 unique parts and a project guide that includes 133 of simple yet engaging child projects that encompass everything from alarm circuits to lights that illuminate at the sound of their voice. Since many kids (like me) may know about Snap Circuits, but still be unfamiliar with the components in the kit and how to make them work together, this intro-level toolbox, especially with the added instructions, is very valuable in hands-on education.
Through guided play, children will learn the basic electronics they need to know quickly, enjoyably and collaboratively. The color pictures in the manual illustrate exactly where each piece needs to go on the grid—even giving specific placement instructions, such as snapping the 3-snap wire to A1-A3, so kids always know exactly where everything goes. The diagrams also show tiny numbers next to the pieces each circuit contains, which indicate to them the level each piece goes on when stacking multiple components on top of each other.
To be honest, it was kind of difficult deciding which of the 133 projects to try for my experiment since they all seemed pretty exciting and important to learn. I decided on the Space War Siren (No. 69) because it just sounds really cool, right? In the guidebook, I could clearly see where each piece was supposed to go and had no hesitation about the set-up. The book even has directions to tell kids what to do once they’ve built their circuit. In this case, they would have to turn on the slide switch and then press and hold it to make the lamp get brighter.
The objective of the project is to combine the effects from the space war and alarm integrated circuits to illustrate how they can work together, as indicated in the guide book. What made it a lot more appealing to me, particularly, was that there was no need for any complex set-up, like soldering or programming. The most advanced pieces of technology I needed to track down were two AA batteries. For students 8 and up, Snap Circuits Jr. is highly effective in illustrating how models of electrical circuits work in the real world and providing hands-on experience in the design and construction of innovative contraptions.
Snap Circuits Jr. is available in the Eduporium store (below) with an Educator Discount for teachers.
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