Thames & Kosmos and/or K'Nex Education kits

[LifeLovePassion]

Have you used one of these kits? Would you recommend it? 

 

I am looking at the T&K Physics Workshop and any other recommended kits. Also considering the Knex Simple machines, and similar kits. 

[Guest]

I love te k'nex kits. So do my kids, one who looks at them and sees EXCITING SCIENCE! and one who looks at them and sees FUN TOY. They both learn, they both enjoy it. The replay value is excellent!

[pitterpatter]

We're using Engino Simple Machines right now. DD and I construct the models together to take up less time (she constructs one step, while I do another). So far, I've been happy with the quality and learning value of the product. We've been using it alongside some of the "experiment" worksheets. It really is easier to understand concepts with a working model in front of you. I wish there was an answer key, though. There is a book that kind of goes along with the lessons, but we don't use it much, as we have other texts we've been reading.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Engino-Simple-Machines-Construction-Set/dp/B005FYOAS4/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444306421&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=egino+simple+machines

[....]

My oldest son is interested in possibly becoming an engineer, so we've worked on a number of those building kits.

 

We have both Physics Workshop and Physics Pro.  Physics Workshop is much better than Physics Pro (IMO).  The projects in PW actually worked better.  Physics Pro uses hydraulic cylinders and they were very frustrating.  The plastic tubing pops off unexpectedly and water just flies everywhere - then you have to take it apart and redo the cylinders.  The wind tunnel experiment in Physics Pro was a disaster for us.  We ended up tweaking the wind tunnel and using a hair dryer to create wind.  Anyway, we definitely preferred Physics Workshop.  Most of the PW projects worked.  There were a couple that were so difficult to put together, that we had to wait until my husband got home from work to see if he could do it.

 

My son really enjoyed the KNex bridge-building kit.  It came with a manual that explained the uses of the different bridges and how their structure helped with their function.  All the bridges worked.  I think that might have been his favorite kit.

 

We did the Thames & Kosmos Simple Machines kit and that's what got him started on the building stuff.  He really enjoyed building the pulley system, etc.

 

Another building kit my kids love is Zometool - and it's really expensive for what it is (plastic).  Also, the rods break easily, which is really frustrating (so the kids have to be careful with them).  Despite that, my kids pretty much fight over it when we get it out.   :tongue_smilie:  The Zometool website has free projects on their website - we downloaded a geometry book for free and worked through part of it.  They also sell kits to make specific objects.   http://www.zometool.com

 

Good luck with your search!

[PeterPan]

You could start with a small kit for the K'nex and see how you like them.  I have a growing stash of the kits, because my ds is NUTS for them.  The K'nex site has a chart that shows you the progression of the kits.  Make sure you check camelcamelcamel and watch the amazon daily deals, because they go half price.  Anything in that 40-50% off is a buy price.  The science kits come with cds with complete lesson plans explaining the science, suggested presentations, challenge questions, etc.  You can download the actual building instruction pdfs for free on the K'nex website, but that won't include the science lesson pages, as those are only on the cd.

 

If you haven't been doing any K'nex and want to get into it, you might like to get something like the 52 model building kit to get you started.  Then, when that is comfortable, start doing the science building.  Or at least we like to do both.  :)

 

You can pair the bridges kit with books about bridges, youtube videos, etc.  

[redsquirrel]

I bought the T&K physics workshop  and we found it very frustrating.  The instructions were poor and not logical.  The materials weren't particularly well made either. DH and ds2 built something and then the instructions told them to take the next step and it involved pulling the whole thing apart to put in a part.  And what we did get done didn't work very well.

 

The K'nex gear kit was great though. Ds2 could put it together himself following the directions and it always did what it said it would do.  It was an educational kit so it came with a DVD with a PDF with teaching instructions that I found useful.

 

I would go for another K'nex kit over a T&K kit any day. This is the second T&K kit I have bought that had poorly made parts and poorly written instructions. I guess we've gotten spoiled by Lego and K'nex when it comes to well thought out and well presented kits.

 

I did make a point of keeping the k'nex educational kit separate from our other k'nex. I  didn't allow free access to it and kept it for specific school lessons. It would be too much of a temptation for my kids to 'borrow' a bit for whatever they were making for fun and I would never see it again.

[redsquirrel]

You could start with a small kit for the K'nex and see how you like them.  I have a growing stash of the kits, because my ds is NUTS for them.  The K'nex site has a chart that shows you the progression of the kits.  Make sure you check camelcamelcamel and watch the amazon daily deals, because they go half price.  Anything in that 40-50% off is a buy price.  The science kits come with cds with complete lesson plans explaining the science, suggested presentations, challenge questions, etc.  You can download the actual building instruction pdfs for free on the K'nex website, but that won't include the science lesson pages, as those are only on the cd.

 

If you haven't been doing any K'nex and want to get into it, you might like to get something like the 52 model building kit to get you started.  Then, when that is comfortable, start doing the science building.  Or at least we like to do both.   :)

 

You can pair the bridges kit with books about bridges, youtube videos, etc.  

 

That is how we got ours.  Someone here was kind enough to post that a K'nex educational kit was the daily deal on Amazon. I had been keeping it in my shopping cart because I knew we wanted it, but I didn't want to spend the $.  At 50% it was a great price for something that actually did what it said it would do.  And it didn't break etc, or cause tears.  It is soooo worth it to have something that just bloody works, kwim?

 

I have never bought but have admired those zometools.  I just wasn't convinced my kids would really love them and get what I wanted them to get from it. They are perfectly proficient in STEM and will work hard, but it isn't what makes them the happiest. If it was, I would have spent the $.

[TrixieB]

When my kids were in elementary, I bought two of the K'nex education kits -- bridges and gears -- and they got a LOT of use.  We still have the kits.

 

I also bought a couple of Thames & Kosmos kits which were not a hit.  The instructions were written in a tiny font, the parts felt cheap, and my kids just didn't like them.  I don't remember how well the experiments actually worked, to be honest.

 

Zometool -- the rods broke too easily.