Snap Circuits

[jenangelcat]

What do you think of them? I called the local toy store and they don't carry them any more. She said they don't sell and she though they were overpriced for what you got.

 

If you don't like them, can you recommend an alternative?

[besroma]

We purchased one of the deluxe sets. Our kids love them and have learned a lot from them.

 

I do not know what set she is referring to, but our set was a good value. We purchased ours through Timberdoodle.

[MrsH]

My daughter, 9, has the snap circuits green kit, and she enjoys them. It'll sit for weeks, then suddenly she builds a bunch of the models one after another, spending a week of her free time on it. Now that we've started doing BSFU level 1 science, it's been a great complement to the energy lessons. I'm finding that she experientially knows all of it, we're just putting language to it.

 

My hope is that ds, 6, will benefit from them after she does! And then the little one after him :)

[Dolphin]

I also have no clue what she would be referring to. We have a set from Timberdoodle. They weren't cheap, but we have probably logged a good 50 hours on them this year.

 

We went through together to start. The instructions were so clear that after about 2 experiments my ds asked to do them on his own. The one rule was that he had to do them in order and no skipping.

 

He finished the book.

 

School was smoother as "no snap circuits until you have done your work"

 

Now, he uses them in "playing school" and is a science teacher, teaching dd5.

 

We obviously LOVE them here. I hope that helps.

[magnificent_baby]

Ds, 6, really likes his set, as well as Dh. A little pricier than other toys, but worth it for us. We got ours from Amazon.

[jenangelcat]

Thanks for the replies. I've read good reviews on them but she seemed to think that the cheapest set was okay and the expensive ones weren't worth it. She compared them to legos so I don't know if she knows what they are for.

 

I'll probably buy them from Amazon.com. Even with international shipping, they are cheaper than buying from an online Canadian store.

[Scarlett]

Thanks for the replies. I've read good reviews on them but she seemed to think that the cheapest set was okay and the expensive ones weren't worth it. She compared them to legos so I don't know if she knows what they are for.

 

I'll probably buy them from Amazon.com. Even with international shipping, they are cheaper than buying from an online Canadian store.

 

My son has Snap Circuits Pro I believe I paid over $60 for it. He has rarely touched it. Maybe 3 times since I bought it over 3 years ago. I don't know why he never got into it.....he got stuck on Legos and that is all he wants to do.

 

I have heard from MANY people though that their kids LOVE them.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I wouldn't let her one opinion sway you much. They were a huge hit here (both with my son and my DH :D), not to mention cousins and buddies that came over to play. The reviews on Amazon are glowing. The past reviews here are glowing. IMO they are definitely worth the price.

 

And thanks for the reminder. . . ours are in a closet and that will be a good summer project for my son because, despite his plans, he will NOT be spending the summer in front of the Wii from waking to sleeping!:D

[crazyforlatin]

One of my biggest regret this year was not buying Snap Circuits last year. DD loves it and she's not even really into electronics and such. I love watching her following the diagrams and putting the pieces together. I read the guide (not the manual that comes with the kit) to her so that she'll start understanding what it all means.

Edited May 29, 2012 by crazyforlatin

[jennsmile]

I have avid lego builders. For Christmas we got a set for the oldest. They all play with it. I did make a big deal about taking care of it and putting all the pieces back. So far so good.

 

Last Friday we had friends over and the boy interest in just about everything was waning. I suggested Snap circuits and they happily played for quite some time. My boys have favorite things they build over and over. And they were having fun with salt water and making a circuit work. I am not quite sure it is their play but no it isn't legos. We do enjoy them and it is more of an occasional pull out and play with toy than every surface of the room is covered in legos and creations made from legos and things in the process of being made form legos and if somebody has a spare minute the legos end up in their hands. It does require more cooperative play vs parallel play if it is being play with in a group and I think that is a good thing.

 

My boys keep asking for the Rover Snap Circuit kit. So they like them.

[Jen in PA]

My kids both enjoy them, and DS plays with them a couple times a week. I got them when they were on sale on Amazon, and would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Momof3littles]

My DS1 loves them and has played with them for about 3 years now. He's 8, so initially it was with help, and then independently as he figured it out. We bought a 750 set through a co-op opportunity we had years ago, so I went with a big set knowing we'd eventually have multiple kids using it. My DD is 5 and can build some simple circuits now as well.

 

We also have a rover but that didn't get much play...once he built it, he didn't really want to take it apart and rebuild. Maybe once or twice. I'd say that was more of a dud than the open ended sets.

[learningmama]

We have snap circuits coming in our Rainbow Resource shipment this afternoon. I was going to use them in the fall, but afraid the kids will have them all figured out quickly this summer. I can't wait!

[NCBlueberry]

My son has enjoyed them. It goes in phases. When they're out he'll play with them in every spare moment. Then after 2 or 3 weeks we'll put them away and he'll forget they exist for several months. I agree they are pricey, but I'm sooo glad we have a set, we got ours from amazon and they were MUCH cheaper there than at the local toy stores. I think they are an excellent learning toy and ds is always trying to invent something new with them.

[kalanamak]

I called the local toy store

 

I don't consider them a toy. I consider them a teaching kit on electricity that is kid-friendly. If I were to do all that wiring with wires and panels and screws, etc, I would still be spending a lot and kiddo would take forever. The SNAP part means he can assemble without my help and demonstrate the concept to me, so I can "learn" it. It is a good way to teach the subject.

[MomatHWTK]

If you have a Hobby Lobby in your area, wait until they offer a 40% coupon- ours carries the kits. My DS hasn't gotten as much out of it as I would like, but I think that's because when he tried the little kids kept getting into the pieces. I bet if I got him a new set now, he could make all kinds of stuff.

 

Found this:

 

http://www.hobbylobby.com/weekly/coupon.cfm

 

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/search/default.aspx?CFID=15385283&CFTOKEN=6d0d6b95f9b84edb-9B395850-A315-B8F0-7C0B304C66E17D72&searchTerm=snap+circuit

Edited May 30, 2012 by MomatHWTK