It's in the genes...

[cybermule]

The sprog has become really interested in electronics and how circuits work. Obviously this is something I want to foster - I had an electronics kit when I was young and it set me up for a lifetime of happy soldering and fixing. Plus, post apocalyptic skills FTW. He is, however, only 4. Albeit a smart 4. I had my on on this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logiblocs-Electric-City/dp/B001IY7THO/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1321524246&sr=8-6

Anyone have any better ideas?

Comments

[jarkman.livejournal.com]

Do you think he'd get anywhere with any of the electric Lego ? A few motors and switches and connectors might go a long way.

[cybermule.livejournal.com]

That's a definite thought - I was attracted by the chunky symbolics of the kit, but I'll bear it in mind.

[quercus.livejournal.com]

That might work as a start, but those block kits are very limited and they aren't cheap either.

Really I'd just start him out on the real stuff. A Real Toolbox with the beginnings of some Real Tools in it (and an opportunity for endless future birthday prezzies).

Then find some battery holders (rechargeable AAs), a handful of pre-cut wire with solid tinned ends (or crimped bootlace ferrules), some bulb holders, some motors, switches and plenty of big choc block or Wago connectors. So long as he can safely handle a small screwdriver without stabbing the cat, then he's good to go.

You can make a lot of this stuff yourself - small plastic boxes, LED & series resistor inside it, choc block connector fixed on the outside. Seal in the hazards with copious gluegun. Likewise switches, motors, small solar panel etc. You could even stretch this to a noise maker chip in one box, loudspeaker in another and start making audio circuits.

If you fancy a building party over here some time before Yule, I could fancy making a set of this up myself, for Dylan in a year or two.


Electric Lego is good. but pricey (except for Rachel, who mines it for bargain prices from charity shops!)

http://mutr.co.uk

CPC are also cheap for bulk electronics, and of course eBay.

[quercus.livejournal.com]

If you get the colour-coding right, you can also teach him how LEDs can only produce light under a regime of benign Anarcho-Edisonism, where the red & black wires are appropriately connected to their little CNT-FAI flag modules.

[cybermule.livejournal.com]

I'm going to take every opportunity to initiate him in the cult of Tesla.

[cybermule.livejournal.com]

Building party sounds awesome!!! When's a good time for you? Would much rather build it for him, but my brain is easily boggled at the moment.

[quercus.livejournal.com]

Good time for me is December, i.e. once I'm out of this place.

Then it needs time to plan it on paper, time to let the bits arrive from eBay / China et al., some time to tidy the shed.

Then hassle me, or just turn up and bang on the shed door.


I'll take a look (ASAP % copious_free_time) and find a list of likely looking parts with web links. I saw some connectors on CPC that looked tempting - we could make boxes that had two different sorts of connector on - early days pluggable & polarised, but with choc block in parallel as he gets better with the screwdriver.

He also needs an insulated screwdriver, so that when he jabs it into the sockets, the handle doesn't go live. Allegedly a neon light screwdriver is a bad idea here: it's insulated, but it also has light-up reward value! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:BEANS

[cybermule.livejournal.com]

Cool. Weekends are sketchy at the moment. Mondays and Wednesdays are good. Need a plan Damn quick, though...

[zleetle.livejournal.com]

can i be your kid?

[cleverkat.livejournal.com]

I got this for my 5 year old nephew who likes electronics and wants to know how things work: http://learn.sparklelabs.com/blog/2011/10/18/discover-kit-2-flickr-set/. It can be modified and taken apart to build more complex projects as he learns more.

[cybermule.livejournal.com]

Ooo - looks cool! Thanks.

[apel.livejournal.com]

Oh, shiny! That looks like a lot of fun.