Wooden building blocks have inspired the architects of tomorrow for years now, but littleBits wants to instead inspire future engineers. And with its new Gizmos & Gadgets kit, kids can easily build more than just simple circuits and electronics.
The kit comes with 15 electronic building blocks (as littleBits calls them) including a light sensor, slide dimmers, wireless components for connecting a creation to a smartphone app, electric motors, wheels, and all the cables a kid needs to start building one of 12 gadgets outlined in a step-by-step instruction manual. Everything from a remote controlled car, to a pinball machine, to a bubble blowing machine.
But the real beauty of a building toy like littleBits is that kids can toss aside the instruction manual and instead rely on their imaginations to invent whatever kind of contraption they can think of.
That’s what’s helped Lego become a billion dollar toy brand, and so far has helped littleBits grow and expand its offerings over the past few years. And with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, your kids probably won’t realise they’re learning something while they play. Suckers!
The littleBits Gizmos & Gadgets kit is officially available for pre-order starting today for $275 (plus international shipping) and will ship in the coming weeks. But don’t for a second think it’s only for kids. If you’ve always wanted to dabble in electronics but find tackling an Arduino kit too daunting, the littleBits kits are a great way to educate yourself on the fundamental electronics concepts you’ll need to master before you grab a soldering iron one day. [littleBits]
