We plan to homeschool our son, and although he’s just a toddler, I think it’s never too soon to research curriculum and other school materials. Recently I had the chance to review Tinkering Labs Electric Motor Catalyst STEM Kit. My stepson had the chance to do robotics in school, and my husband is also very mechanically inclined, so this is definitely the kind of thing I’m interested in doing for our science labs. Today I’m going to show you a quick unboxing and review of the kit.
The kit is designed to introduce your kids to engineering and robotics. With the kid, you kids will about building doodling Robots, power electric model cars, add motors to Legos, and more! And it is designed for elementary and junior high aged kids.
Overview
First off, it comes in a very nice little box that can fit right on your shelf. This is great for my storage purposes, and it’s also very neatly labeled. As you can see from the labels on the box, the kit is recommended for kids aged 8 and up. (Obviously, younger kids or older kids who are new to robotics will require adult help.)
The kit also has materials to help you do 10 different challenges, and each challenge takes 30-60 minutes to complete. This is awesome! Thirty minutes to an hour is a good amount of time to spend on a project like this; I could see this being great for a weekly lab assignment that you would do. With that kind of planning in mind, this kit has enough challenges to keep you busy for almost a semester!
The kit actually sells for $59, and given the number of activities you can do over time with it, I think that makes it great value for you money! (Not to mention, you could actually complete the challenges with your kids more than once, to add even more value to the kit.)
Inside the flap of the box, it tells everything that is included in this kit. (This is perfect for someone like me, who is completely new at this!)
Activities Included
Everything is neatly organized inside the box, as you can see in my picture above. And just to give you can idea of what you can do with the kit, here are a few of the “challenges” included:
- Build a machine that draws curvy lines.
- Build something that can launch a wheel across the room.
- Create a vehicle with a suspension system.
- Create something that can make a loud noise.
How To
They’ve also included a very nice instruction book with PICTURES!
SIDE NOTE: While I will be doing the majority of our homeschooling, my husband will be doing some of this kind of stuff. I always made good grades in science, but I was never too great at the “hands on” stuff, and I’m completely new to mechanical and electrical projects….
HOWEVER, the instructions included give me confidence that I COULD do this stuff with my son if my husband wasn’t here! To make things even greater, they actually have a website with videos where they walk you through the processes, which is a BIG PLUS for me!
Above is a picture of everything unboxed and out of the kit. I love that they’ve included EVERYTHING, even the screwdriver and markers. (I hate opening up kits and finding that I have to go buy something before a project can be done.)
So overall, I think the Tinkering Labs Electric Motor Catalyst STEM Kit is a fabulous item for anyone who wants to introduce their child to engineering, robotics, and mechanical processes. The kit seems very well thought out and organized, and I think most kids will enjoy the projects included. When looking at school items, especially for science labs and other hands on projects, I’m often concerned about price. For a lot of people, $59 is a lot to spend on a science kit, especially when you aren’t completely sure what is included, but in this case, I think it would be a good investment for most people. Because the kit includes items to help you do 10 different projects, I think that automatically makes it a good deal, and it is an item that could be used with all of your school aged kids!
You should definitely check out the Tinkering Labs Electric Motor Catalyst STEM Kit.
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