We’re surrounded by electronics, but the average person has no idea about how they work beyond plugging it in or replacing the batteries. The purpose of giving your children a kit to make electronics may seem like you’re just giving them a toy to assemble. However, there are many reasons to do precisely that. Let’s look at the benefits of giving kids electronics kits.
It Teaches Essential Skills
There has been a recent push to get kids interested in STEM or science, technology, engineering and math. This has paralleled a wave of courses focused on software use and coding. Yet the skills required to make, maintain and build hardware are equally important. In fact, we’d argue they are more important. You can import code modules and download them into your robot or smart device. You can hire someone on the other side of the world to create an app for you. However, when your smartphone charger port breaks, you take it to a technician who can solder it back in place for you. When a company orders a new robot, someone needs to assemble it and then maintain it. This is why knowing how to work with electronics is an essential, future-proof skillset. And the best way to develop these skills is through trial and error. Give your children a safe way to explore with electronicmaker kits. Unlike a basic circuits kit, your child has a goal – the final working product. It is like a puzzle, and they know they’ve completed it when it is not only done but working.
It Teaches Them to Respect Their Electronics
We all hear the horror stories of a teen jumping into a swimming pool with their expensive smartphone still in the pocket. Others drop it in the toilet or throw it in anger at the ground. The item breaks, and the kids expect it to work almost immediately. They don’t recognize how sophisticated these devices are or how hard they are to repair. If your child builds an electronics kit, they’ll understand the work that goes into soldering a circuit and assembling components. They also learn the limitations of the circuit. For example, they’ll learn that the system doesn’t work if the circuit isn’t wide enough or broken. They’ll understand how a single loose component can cause hardware malfunctions. The greater labour involved in assembling electronic maker kits forces them to appreciate the quality of work instead of rushing through it. This can lead to them appreciating the limitations of the hardware they own and not breaking it as often. It isn’t as easily fixed as a lego toy.
It Can Save You Money
Soldering is a valuable skill in and of itself. You can get a job simply doing that. You can also turn it into a money-saving skill. Your kids may learn how to fix various electronic devices with their own soldering iron and test meters. They might graduate to watching online videos and fixing that broken phone. That opens up entire career paths.
Giving a child an electronics kit saves parents money in another way – you get a two for one deal out of it. Your child doesn’t just get a disco helmet or new lamp out of it. They also spend hours building it and learning about science and technology out of it. That’s far more time than they’d spend just playing with a new toy, even if it is just a disco helmet.