Customer Reviews

Snap Circuits SC-300

5 star:		(459)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Anyone with even the slightest electronic background will appreciate the value of this toy. As a kid I remember the long frustrating hours of deciphering components from circuit diagrams and soldering them to create projects that were way too much effort. The limited success with these projects, I believe, is the reason I gave up my hobby.

As a parent of a six-year old, I have been trying to introduce him to all facets of science and this is a wonderful tool. He immediately created a circuit - a combination light/fan circuit - in parallel and in serial - and he understood the difference between them. It was just amazing. He always appreciates what we get him, but he fell in love with this toy instantly. He was engrossed for the next hour experimenting with the various components.

There are about 60 components which create a total of 300 projects. Count on there being about 125-150 basic projects (I have not conducted a detail count!) with the remaining coming from tweaks in these 125-150 basic projects. However, I do not want to discount the value of these tweaks...they are designed to teach the value of electronic components and instigate independent thinking. This is definitely a "Learning" Toy. With the limited emphasis on science in our schools, the approx. [item price] is worth the investment.

For people who cannot envision how these snap into place (I couldn't!), the "snap" is from "snap-button". The component is soldered onto a large piece of plastic which have snap-buttons on it. These snap-buttons snap onto a large plastic grid or onto other components. Simple concept - Snap-On and Snap-Off!!

All the components have their respective symbols stamped on them which aids in early familiarization. The pieces are also individually numbered so that there is no confusion in identifying the right component. The Manual is all-color and very easy to follow, however, some might prefer more detailed explanations.

The model I purchased was "Snap Circuit 300 with Computer Interface" an upgrade to the one available here. The interface package includes software and a cable which connects to the "line-in" jack of your PC. The other end of the cable has two alligator-clips which can connect to any two points in your circuit. The software turns your PC into an "oscilloscope" so that you can "see" the electrical activity between any two points in your circuit. I have yet to fully learn and appreciate the value of the oscilloscope.

For teenagers, there is a Snap Circuit 500. I believe it features more components and more complex circuits for about [item price].

WARNING: PLEASE READ UP ON BASIC ELECTRICITY AND EXPLAIN THE PRINCIPLES TO YOUR CHILD. MY SON CONNECTED THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE POLES OF THE POWER SUPPLY FOR ONLY 5-7 SECONDS - THE BATTERY HEATED UP AND POPPED INTO HIS HAND. DID NOT BURN, BUT TAUGHT A VALUABLE LESSON - TO ME!! I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO EXPLAIN BASIC ELECTRICITY TO HIM. THOSE 2 AA BATTERIES REALLY HEATED UP!!

IF YOU ARE GOING TO BUY ONLY ONE TOY THIS YEAR - YOU JUST FOUND IT!

My 5 year old son has an interest in how things work and likes to "experiment." We go this as a first step toward learning about electricity, and it has not disappointed.

The projects range from fast simple ones (can get a light bulb and a switch going in a minute or so) to more elaborate more interesting ones (we actually built a working AM radio).

There are endless projects in the book with easy to follow directions on how to put them together.

The "snap" mechanism for connecting components is extremely clever -- it eliminates the challenges of bad connections on wiring boards I grew up with. The snaps are a little hard for a 5 year old to push close, so I find myself helping on them -- although the kit is aimed for somewhat older kids anyway.

Only "complaint" I have is that they could have put a couple educational points about how the circuit is working in the book near each circuit -- to spell out the "learnings" of each project.

Overall though, this is definitely one of the best science kits of any type that I've seen, and absolutely worth the investment.

What parent today doesn't lament that they just don't make toys like they used to? Toys break prematurely, they underdeliver on their promise of fun, and they simply don't engage kids like the stuff we grew up with.

Not Snap Circuits!

I ordered this for my six-year-old son and we've loved every second of playing with this educational toy.

What makes it stand out?

1. Exceptionally good building instruction manuals. With clear directions in full-color, the two large manuals included with the SC-300 kit are perhaps the best manuals I've seen for anything I've ever purchased. They lay out all the projects possible with the kit and also the principles that govern how the projects work.

2. Rugged construction pieces. The electronics of the kit come attached to thick slabs of plastic which have spring-loaded button-snap connectors (as found on clothing) on the backside. Each piece is clearly marked, especially so for those electronics that attach in one specific current direction. The kit should last for a long time.

3. Clever construction system. The button-snap connectors are pure genius. Most of us parents know the electronic kits with spring terminals, but the snap system here outshines the kind we grew up with.

4. Three hundred projects in the SC-300 kit. Plenty of projects to keep the kids occupied on rainy summer days. I wish I'd had a kit this nice as a kid!

5. Good mix of electronics. A nice range of resistors, capacitors, ICs, and special function electronics, including photo sensors, speakers, sound sensors, motors, microphones, etc.

6. Superb value. Rarely can you buy a children's toy and get the feeling you truly received what you paid for. This kit's worth every dime--and then some.

About the only negative in this kit comes from knowing larger, even more complex Snap Circuit kits exist! You can never buy one large enough.

In short, if you've got a child interested in electronics, consider this a must-have. And even if your child's not showing that interest yet, this kit might be all they need to discover their inner electrical engineer.

My son and I love Snap Circuits. You will, too.

We received this set as a gift for our son. Although it seems to be well built I haven't found anything that teaches the child what it is they are working with. There are numerous components that you assemble on a plastic peg board according to a picture diagram. There is a brief explanation of what you are making but nothing describes how the components are interacting in the circuit. It's kind of like Legos where you look at the picture and your collection of components to mimic what it is you're supposed to be building. If all the componets are working (we had one that wasn't) and you assembled it correctly... what? You haven't really learned anything except how to follow a picture diagram.

We have issues with the peg board and snap components. As you assemble, the tension can be enough to cause some of the snap-on components to pop off. Every so often you have to stop and check all of the connections, snapping them back to the board or each other.

The set is beautiful and well ordered but my son lost interest very quickly. I worked with it for a while and found it had a bad capacitor component, although it looks perfectly OK. When used in any of the circuits it causes odd results, which was frustrating for my son. The slide resistor works but is not smooth, also affecting experiments.

I think any child over 12 will be bored with this model SC-300.

My 9 year old nephew opened the box and within 5 minutes had completed 2 experiments and learned the meanings of open and closed circuits and the necessity of a complete circuit. The parts snap together. The directions are clear and easily followed. The pieces all fit. So far the favorite is the flying saucer launcher. In the past, the problem with electrical projects was the difficulty of making all the connections good at the same time. This kit eliminates that issue. My nephew was excited. The whole family was impressed. Wow!

I bought this for my grandson's birthday. He is 10 years old and ADHD. When he would visit me, he always wanted to start tinkering with something, either a clock or an old radio. This gift is perfect for him, it is not in the least frustrating and the outcome is very rewarding for him. He will sit and work with the set for an hour at a time.I have recommended this set to many of my friends.

A Happy Granny in Michigan

Think of this as the Legos approach to wiring. We've bought two for two boys here (I'm trying to draw out the girl...) and are considering a trade-up for the boy who methodically did ALL of the experiments. I grew up with the little jumper wire and spring terminal kits which do not provide anywhere near as appealing and understandable a layout and were much harder to work with and troubleshoot. Contrariwise, is hard to improvise with the fixed shape of the components and connectors, but that's not really important for this age group. Pieces do of course get lost, but how much can you ask of the little darlings (don't flush them!!!).

One quibble, more a problem with the larger kit: I think they cheat claiming the kit supports XXX [30-750] different projects. Many projects are subtle enough variations on what came before that they don't count for much.

I'm really very pleased with these kits -- high praise from toy-jaded me -- they are a genuine improvement in learning and, more importantly, *playing* with electronics.

This toy is wonderful. It has alowed my entire family from 10 years to 80 years to have fun together. We have built soo many different projects. The best was building the Radio. It actually worked on the first try.

I love this and now I am trying to build my own projects.

My 5 year old son is always connecting wires from the VCR to the TV to the receiver etc., so I thought I would buy him something to help him develop his interests. This has not disappointed us. The manual has easy to follow diagrams and starts with the simplest circuits and ends with more advanced circuits. The first few we made together, but now my son can't keep his hands off it and is able to build them on his own.

Each project teaches about a certain aspect of electronics. For example there is a project where you turn an LED around and it lights up showing that the current will only flow in one direction. As my son builds each project, I explain how it works by reading the provided text. Not only does he learn how to think and follow instructions, he learns how electronics work, and best of all we get to spend quality time together.

In this day when so many toys are junk, Snap Circuits is a welcome exception. This is easier than the "labs" in which you must connect wires. These circuits have simple instructions and are easy to snap into place. There is much to be learned as well as much fun to have. Kids learn about LED's, resistors, capacitors, integrated circuits, etc...... We liked the first kit we got so much that my son spent his own money on the big 750 project kit. Not a day goes by that he doesn't create a really cool circuit. We strongly recommend this toy.