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Electronics for toddlers? (self.askelectronics)

submitted 1 year ago by wmrch to c/[email protected]

24 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Do any of you have experienced good products for tinkering together with a 3 year old?

I thought about something like a giant breadboard with simple connectors to switch on a light or play a sound or something.

It doesn't have to be too fancy, just sturdy and safe to play together with an adult.

Thanks!

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[–] ObM 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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:

https://archive.org/details/dicksmithsfunwayintoelectronicsvolume2/Dick%20Smith%27s%20Funway%20into%20Electronics%20Volume%201/page/n5/mode/1up?view=theater

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.

[–] wmrch 2 points 1 year ago

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.