As a young child, I had a wooden board with a bunch of different light switches mounted to it. Nothing to tinker with, but I had a lot of fun with the physical sensation of switching them on and off. I think that’s all you can really ask for at that age.
Later on, I enjoyed taking the switches apart, figuring out how they work and using them in my electronics projects.
My point is, whatever you choose should be physically fun, even without understanding it. A few switches and maybe a blinking light can entertain a toddler for a long time. The tinkering can come later.
Play memory or with a wooden kitchen. I’d say 3 is too young. you can get some basic electronics kits for children. just visit one of the toy stores. But playing with electronics and doing experiments starts being fun at around 5 to 8 years. Maybe playing with an extension cord at 4. but you wouldn’t want to encourage a little kid to play with extension cords, plugs and mains power…
Don’t worry, we’re already doing all the typical toddler games and I’m not keen on raising a STEM child prodigy. That’s why I asked for hands-on experiences with prodcuts specifically for toddlers.
Alright. I think i misread things and thought you were after an (strictly) educational kit. Just wanted to say that. We gifted an (quite comprehensive) electronics kit to a seven year old and that seems to be a good age to start. but under 5 i can’t see a kid having the attention span, dexterity or mental abilities to grasp concepts aside from on/off, this is a light and this is a switch. but i may be wrong. there is certainly no harm in starting too early. i just think it wont be fun or of value for a 3 or 4 year old. in my experience they get bored quickly if you try and convey theoretical concepts. at that age i see kids playing with wooden tools, train their dexterity with a small hammer and nails game. or mimick their parents and play something like cooking or doing the dishes, that has something to do with their every day life. nonetheless. try it. i’ll bookmark this and read all the ideas and experiences of other people. maybe i’m completely wrong. one thing i observed kids are interested in all kinds of silly stuff. and they start asking questions as soon as they can. and i believe it is a good thing to encourage them in asking questions and figuring out concepts and how things (including physics) work.
edit: some dads build a big wooden box with (old) sturdy buttons, switches, indicator lamps, a vandalism-proof keypad, etc for their toddlers. i saw a few blog posts years ago. But that was completely DIY. I don’t think it teaches anything but dexterity, but toddlers like pressing buttons. And it’s a cool project. And a few years later you can use it as the main console for your imaginary space ship. ( youtube.com/watch?v=j6zseFi070E )
Get them working on their mathematic skills, instead. You can give them a really good head start - mine could solve simple differential equations at age 11.
maybe something like littlebits kit? I haven't tried them myself, but they look fun, educational and kids friendly (not sure about 3yo thou) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7B0mWvnE1Q
Growing up I usually had a little 50 in one or 100 in one electronics project kit.
Keeps all the stuff on one kit, and you connect wires under little springs. Still adult supervision required for sure, but on the upper range of what’s possible.
Breadboard is a cool idea, but your first experiments will likely be super simple right?
Here’s a few thoughts.
How about some double conducting copper tape and sheets of craft paper or cardboard. (Double conducting conducts on the top as well as the sticky side so overlapping joins completes the circuit).
You can draw/plan and then route the copper sticky tape like a circuit board. Fashion basic switches from the copper tape around a cardboard flap, tape down any “flat” components like resistors.
Add some tinned leads to anything that would stick up from the board.
I often find the more tactile “MacGyver” approach is a better teaching aid as there’s no mystery behind the scenes (no hidden board wires, no pre-mounted components or connectors). Everything is built up from existing skills and experiences.
When you start to get more advanced, 80s Aussie kids grew up with:
That has a complete list of components needed for the projects in the book. Same idea as the copper tape, just with bits of wire and screws. The project in the book were all built onto a pre-drilled block of plastic with the schematic laid on top. They were fun little projects and easy enough to do - the flashers and sirens were a hit for me.
I really like the cardboard approach. Maybe I can come up with something on a plywood basis. Copper tape is a great idea. Also thanks for the link, I imagined something like this just a little bigger and sturdier and with more basic components (resistors included with the LED for example). Will save the book for later.
My local children museum has something like this. Let me see if I can find a picture to give you an idea of the set up. It does look like it would be $$$ for set up. What’s your price point?
Cool! I’m still looking for a picture. I’ll post when I find it but thinking about this more I know there are a ton of toys like this made. Most are for older kids and are priced at about $20-80.
Look up circuit station kids science and you should get an idea of the kits.
My kids had Snap Circuits but it’s a bit complex for a toddler. It’s probably the most basic circuit designer I can think of though. They did a great job. If an adult is helping it would be fun for both.
Yeah around three they should be able to do it with adult supervision but it’s still a bit of a toss up on if they are going to put the small parts in their mouth. I can’t find the a good photo of the big one at my local children museum. It’s going to drive me crazy. I’ll probably just have to take a picture next time I go in.
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