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As I mentioned in my Guide to Finding a STEM Based Science Camp, my daughter Leila has gotten really into science lately. Of course, my husband and I are thrilled by that, especially him since he’s the science guy in the family. I’ve just been trying to make sure I continue to nurture her love for science and introduce some quality STEM learning tools and toys. I’m so happy there’s been such a focus on this as well, which makes finding these toys much easier.
With that said, I was really fortunate back at the Type-A Conference earlier this year to have won my very own LittleBits Premium Kit in a raffle! If you’re unfamiliar with LittleBits electronic kits for kids, they have a variety of invention kits that allow kids (or adults) to create inventions with easy to use, electronic building blocks. In the Little Bits Premium Kit, each of the building blocks snap together with magnets and together, they create instant circuits. The pieces are color coded and grouped into 4 different categories:
- Power (needed to start any invention)
- Input – the pieces that send signals to the modules based on your input
- Output – the modules that actually do something (light up, move, buzz, etc.)
- Wires – these help expand the reach of the project (helps change direction, make it extend further, etc.)
The LittleBits Premium kit is designed for ages 8+, but I had Leila in mind to try it out although she’s only 7. I promised I would return home, give Leila some time to play with it and figure it out and then share my LittleBits Review with you guys, so here we go.
The Ideal:
Watching my daughter literally expand her brain to create new inventions was the best thing ever! After a brief introduction to the products and what each piece is responsible for/capable of, it was as though I could see her wheels turning. And mine as well! Confession – I’ve always sort of sucked at science -except for maybe chemistry- but I seriously wonder if I would have had more of an interest had I had learning tools like this. It’s a gender neutral toy – deliberately – and truly made for everyone, regardless of language, technical ability, experience, etc..
The kit comes with quite a few starter invention experiments and simple instructions to get you warmed up. With most of these inventions, you’ll only need to add a few small items found around the house to complete them, but then you end up with a really cool invention. Some of the inventions include an Intruder Alert Security System, Back Massager, Hypnotizing wheel, and quite a few more that vary in difficulty levels.
One of our favorite inventions we created was the automatic bubble flute that allowed you to blow bubbles with the sound of your voice. Outside of the LittleBits kit which included a little fan, we only needed simple supplies like a plastic cup, bubble solution, duct tape, rubber bands and ruler. There was a little cutting I had to help her with, but other than that, she was able to put it together all by herself. You can see it below.
The coolest part of it is that after we created this one, Leila figured out that she could switch out the modules a little and altered it so that instead of blowing to make the bubbles blow, she could use the module where you can instead press a pressure sensor to yield the same result. She was really thinking! She has since come up with a few different inventions and has taken a few to school to show them off to her friends.
The Ordeal:
No lie, there are A LOT of parts. Like, a lot of little obscure parts.…and it’s not the sort of toy where losing one or 2 won’t matter, as each of the parts can play a vital role in any invention. I was really nervous when I first opened the box, thinking of all of the possible places I would eventually end up stepping on the pieces. (remember, I also have a 4 year old). Surprisingly, though, Leila has been great with keeping all of the pieces in tact, even if it sometimes calls for her bossing her sister around to put them back in the box. That says a lot that she’s taking this so seriously.
It may seem quite a bit overwhelming at first. Some of the language is a bit technical and let’s face it, building a circuit is no small task. Lei
la is 7 years old and had never really been introduced to these types of building toys before, so I feared that it would be a little too difficult for her. However, she pretty quickly proved me wrong. I would not recommend it for children much younger than that, however.
Lastly, as I said earlier, while most of these inventions are simple enough for kids to put together, some might require the use of a box cutter or knife or something that will require a little bit of parental assistance.
The Real Deal:
I really love the LittleBits Invention Kit and I’m happy to have it as one of the tools we use to foster STEM learning in my household. While, Leila is the primary user of the kit, my 4 year old Samara has also really gotten into it and enjoys seeing the inventions come to fruition. She’s even been able to put some simple inventions together herself, although I don’t know if she really understands the mechanics yet.
LittleBits actually has several Invention Kits to choose from that are for a range of different ages, including:
- Gizmos and Gadgets Kit – for younger inventors
- Smart Home Kit – connects to the internet and is for DIYers and older kids
- Synth Kit – invent music and musical instruments
- Arduino Coding Kit – perfect for novices that aren’t familiar with programming
- And several more…
Their newest kit is a STEAM Student Learning Kit, which is actually for teachers in individual classrooms and can also be used by homeschooling parents.
Have any of you guys tried any LittleBits Invention Kits before? Please share your experiences and reviews in the comments section!
This looks like a fun kit, I am amazed how smart some kids are!
Oh my! My son would’ve jumped for joy with something like this when he was younger. I bet my youngest grandson would love this.
I love toys that encourage thinking and learning. If by chance a part is lost, is there a way to easily and quickly replace it?
Yes, you can order more parts and additional parts easily. Information to order those is in the booklet that comes with it.
I’ve never tried this kit before. But, we’ve done similar kits with my son. He would totally love this. He dreams of being an inventor.
That’s an awesome kit for kids who are very curious about how things work. I’m glad you’re very supportive of your daughter’s love for science! That’s really the best thing any parents can do.
this is so cool! my daughter would love this too! she loves mostly crafts actually she can make so many things using anything that you can find in the trash haha bet she needs this one
Very Smart idea! Never thought this before. I found it interesting so glad you shared it.
This looks great, i will show this to my friend and cousin. They both would definitely love it!
That is nice that it is adaptable for either the classroom or homeroom. I think it sounds great too.
Such an amazing kids. I bet this is Fun project for my son.
That is crazy cool! Both of my boys would have a field day with this kit!
While I’m familiar with LittleBits, I haven’t tried them out. I think this would make a great gift for little inventors. Science kits were so big back in the day and it is nice to see them have a modern resurgence.
Putting together some devices with the kids would be fun. The technical language would take some getting used to but it could be helpful if the kids go into a tech field.
I LOVE this! I can totally see my son loving this – he’s just a toddler now, but he loves trying to figure out how everything works – everyone calls him the little engineer!
Science was always one of our favorite subjects when I homeschooled my children. I was always excited to find new products that I could use with my younger children.
I am a big fan scientific kits and this will surely make a great gift. I have a godson who loves science and I am sure he will enjoy crafting his own inventions. WIll share for sure.
So cool and great! Glad you shared it. Thanks!
My 11 year old is the science nut in our family and he would really enjoy something like this. I might look into it for him.
This looks so cool! My son would love this! Thank you for sharing 🙂
We once bought my son a book on 50 home science projects – it was so much fun.
This is so cool! My son would totally love this <3
This is a very cool kit. I bet this could turn a lot of little ones into budding inventors.
What a great way to learn science. My boys would love this.
I love that your girls are into science, this is a far cry the EZ Bake Ovens, etc. that were on offer when I was your daughter’s age.
What a great kit. Would love to have something delivered at my doorsteps too. Love it!
I love the idea of giving invention kits to girls. We need more girls in the STEM programs, this is a good way to get them familiar and liking science!
This is really fun. We have a similar kit my son got as a gift and it’s really cool!
My kids would have loved this. Actually, I would have probably spent a good deal of time with it myself.
My son loves science and has a kit similar to this he loves to play with, I must admit I enjoy it to! It’s pretty awesome 🙂
Awesome review you have here.. Thanks for sharing.
OMG how cute my nephew would love this!!
This is so awesome! I would love to get one of these kits for my boys!
That sounds so great! Awesome review. I’m glad you shared it!
I LOVE that we are encouraging more girls to be interested in STEM! This looks great!
Sounds like an amazing kit to get kids into science! Your daughter does a really great job! Thanks for the review!
That sounds like such a fun way to encourage a love of science in a child. I wonder how the Back Massager would turn out.
So, we made the back massager and I explained to my daughter that once she has the mechanics down, she just needs to figure out how to “package” it.
That’s an awesome kit! I’m always so happy to see these STEM toys – and the fact they’re not gender-specific makes it even better! It’s great your little girl got interested in science – keep it going! 🙂
OMG this is an amazing toy! People always say technology can not be good to kids but they definitely didnt thought about this one! It is amazing!
Wow i love how this is inspiring science and technology for our kids!
wow, this looks interesting! My daughter would love to try this. She love’s this kind of activity. Thanks for sharing.
Like father like daughter, perhaps she is going to be a scientist when she grows up? Love the kit .
I’ve purchased invention kits before but this is my first time hearing about Perfect LittleBits. I’ll have to check them out, my grand kids love experiments and inventions.
This would be perfect for my nephews birthday coming up! Thanks for sharing.
That sounds great! I need to tell this to my wife for my son’s incoming birthday. Thanks!
oh my goodness! I home school my daughter and I can think of so many great lessons I could do with this! Thank you!
Wow! This sounds like such a neat kit for any child to try out. I’d even like to play with one as an adult.
I love science based toys and kits for kits, and this one looks really awesome!
This is definitely something that I would want for my child then. I want him to learn to explore and invent things. He likes tinkering as well as building legos so he might like this.
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