Top Electronics Kits for Beginners
Whether you're a parent looking for a child-friendly kit or a budding hobbyist over 50, there's really no bad time to start your journey with electronics. We hope you can find a kit to help you start something fun!
Best in Show
Why we love it:
The SIK v4.1 is the culmination of years of revisions based on user feedback on how to get started with programming and hardware interaction with the Arduino or MicroPython language. Besides the careful consideration of included hardware, our Inventor's Kits also include a full guide with circuit diagrams and hookup tables for building each project and circuit. Plus, the final project is an autonomous robot!
For ages 10 and up.
Intro to Robotics
Why we love it:
Working alongside some incredible partners such as WPI, FIRST Robotics, and Raspberry Pi we put together the XRP Kit. This hands-on, comprehensive robotics platform includes everything needed to build and program a robot to perform beginning through advanced tasks. It also works with coding environments including Blockly, Python, and the FIRST® Robotics coding development tool, WPILib.
For middle school and up.
Learning Soldering
Why we love it:
This a versatile soldering kit for beginners to learn to solder LEDs, battery clips, a 28-pin microprocessor and more. The kit also comes with batteries and, of course, you'll have your very own Simon game when you're finished!
Added bonus: After it's all put together, you can reprogram the kit with Arduino.
For ages 11 and up.
Crafting with E-textiles/E-sewing
Why we love it:
This kit lets you explore the wonderful world of electronic sewing (e-sewing) and e-textiles through a series of introductory projects using the LilyPad system. You’ll learn how to sew basic circuits to light up LEDs, control them with buttons and switches and even experiment with a pre-programmed LilyMini circuit that reacts to ambient light levels.
For ages 10 and up.
Learning Simple Circuits
Why we love it:
With the Makey Makey, you can make anything conductive into a key, just by connecting a few alligator clips. The Makey Makey Classic by JoyLabz is an invention kit that tricks your computer into thinking almost anything is a keyboard. This allows you to hook up all kinds of fun things as an input; for example, play Mario with a Play-Doh keyboard, or make a piano with fruit!
For ages 8 and up.
Citizen Science
Why we love it:
The SparkFun micro:climate kit is a great way to get your feet wet in high-grade sensors like our tried-and-true Weather Meters and Soil Moisture Sensor. Whether you’re an agriculturalist, a professional meteorologist or a hobbyist, you will be able to build a high-grade weather station powered by the micro:bit. You can even talk via wireless communication between two micro:bits with this kit to monitor the weather without being exposed to it!