Arduino for almost 12 year old?

[tammyw]

Wondering about an Arduino starter kit for my son. Can he do it without someone else who understand electronics well? Is there a particular kit that is better than another?

[4KookieKids]

Depends on how motivated he is, honestly. We have friends with this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Starter-Kit-English-Official/dp/B009UKZV0A/ref=cm_sw_em_r_dp_dc_94EwybHA2XEAY_tt

It's "pretty technical" they said, so the dad was helping the kid. But the kid was only 9.

[tammyw]

That’s the kit I was looking at. His dad would help him just doesn’t have particular experience in this area.

[Miss Tick]

Do you particularly want arduino? We just got an electronics kit from eeme.co and the online video assembly steps were great. My 8yo did it herself. It is a subscription set-up, which helps keep it new! and fresh!

[4KookieKids]

I feel like there's enough stuff out there for learning arduino that a motivated 11 yo could certainly do it themselves, so long as he has some basic experience with simpler things. Has he done any lego technic/power function stuff? Any snap circuits? Any diy robotics projects or design squad stuff? Any computer programming? If yes, then I'd say go for the arduino set. If not, I'd suggest perhaps start with an electronics kit that might lay a bit more out for him in conjunction with a coding class (code.org has simple, free ones that are popular in my home). The 750 experiment kit from snap circuits (https://www.amazon.com/Circuits-Extreme-SC-750-Electronics-Discovery/dp/B0002AHQWS) starts deceptively simple, but provides a lot of information IF you actually read the guide on what the experiment is doing.

[tammyw]

Do you particularly want arduino? We just got an electronics kit from eeme.co and the online video assembly steps were great. My 8yo did it herself. It is a subscription set-up, which helps keep it new! and fresh!

 

Not required for Aduino, just like the idea of some cool electronics engineering for him. I'll look into that site - thank you!

 

I feel like there's enough stuff out there for learning arduino that a motivated 11 yo could certainly do it themselves, so long as he has some basic experience with simpler things. Has he done any lego technic/power function stuff? Any snap circuits? Any diy robotics projects or design squad stuff? Any computer programming? If yes, then I'd say go for the arduino set. If not, I'd suggest perhaps start with an electronics kit that might lay a bit more out for him in conjunction with a coding class (code.org has simple, free ones that are popular in my home). The 750 experiment kit from snap circuits (https://www.amazon.com/Circuits-Extreme-SC-750-Electronics-Discovery/dp/B0002AHQWS) starts deceptively simple, but provides a lot of information IF you actually read the guide on what the experiment is doing.

 

He was doing those snap circuits kits when he was 8 and loved them! He really enjoyed that process. He's also done some programming classes - Scratch was one. There was another I can't recall now. He did do a Lego technic kit (one of those big robot ones) a couple years ago. Right now he is ALL into taking apart Nerf blasters (that he buys at the thrift store) and modding them to make them better. We JUST got him a soldering kit (he's been begging for a while) and now we have to get the solder, etc.

 

Would you say it's a good fit for him then?

[4KookieKids]

Not required for Aduino, just like the idea of some cool electronics engineering for him. I'll look into that site - thank you!

 

 

He was doing those snap circuits kits when he was 8 and loved them! He really enjoyed that process. He's also done some programming classes - Scratch was one. There was another I can't recall now. He did do a Lego technic kit (one of those big robot ones) a couple years ago. Right now he is ALL into taking apart Nerf blasters (that he buys at the thrift store) and modding them to make them better. We JUST got him a soldering kit (he's been begging for a while) and now we have to get the solder, etc.

 

Would you say it's a good fit for him then?

Yes, I'd think it would be fine in that case.