I have always been intimidated by electronics. When littleBits contacted me about sponsoring our blog and having us review a kit I was a bit apprehensive mostly due to my silly fears. My husband was exactly opposite and was SO excited about the opportunity! I am so glad we listened to him and weren’t guided by my fear of electronics because this kit is just incredible and my kids absolutely love it.
We were sent the Deluxe Kit for review, which has everything you see below. This is the kit you can enter to WIN at the end of this post!
What exactly is littleBits?
littleBits is a simple way to learn and invent with electronics. There is a vast module library and the modules snap together with magnets so it’s impossible to make a mistake. The library has over 60 modules and growing. Every module works with every other in millions of combinations, you’ll never run out of things to make.
I must be really honesty with you. Since this kit has a higher price tag, we “hid” it from the boys, only allowing them to get it down when they asked. This was a BIG mistake. After about a month I was a bit hesitant to write our review and asked my husband for his thoughts. I was concerned that the boys didn’t seem drawn to it and we concluded that possibly that was our fault for hiding it. We didn’t intentionally keep it out of their sight, but had it in my husband’s office. Out of sight, out of mind. The boys had just forgotten we had it.
After that realization, we put the kit out on the table, gave some guidelines for free exploration and then just left it. Someone has had their hands in this kit almost every moment since then.
Our kids are 6, 9 and 13. Our younger daughter loved watching and interacting with things the older kids built, but she doesn’t build with it yet. The age recommendation is 8 and up and I agree with that.
Our 9 Year Old’s Creations…
Krash just turned 9 and could follow the guide by himself and learned the basics quickly. He is our guide book follower. He has always been this way and proved it again. After some teaching from Daddy, we let him loose and soon he was coming in to show us what he had created all following the guide book.
He made the spin and shake sign project…
My favorite was definitely the handshake buzzer!
See him get his little sister here in this video!
The last creation I caught on camera before writing this was the tickler.
He used it to dust the table.
A 13 Year Old’s Creations…
My 13 year old is the more free spirited creator. He ignores most guide books and just wants to figure it out on his own. He created his own things, only referring to the guide book if necessary {very little}.
This is his drawing machine. He added Legos in to create a vehicle that would draw lines.
See the drawing machine in action here!
The pom pom tosser…
Here’s the pom pom tosser in action
Final thoughts…
I am SO thankful we were offered this kit to review. My boys are now both begging for additional kits so they can build more. As a parent, the price is hard to swallow if I’m being honest. I have never looked into small electronics like this for my kids, so although the price tag seems a bit high to me, it may be totally normal for something like this. However, the creativity I have seen and the idea that my kids very well may not fear electronics like I have is worth it. I love that both of my boys can use this now and my daughter will be able to use it soon. It’s a long term investment.
The Giveaway!
littleBits is giving one of our readers a Deluxe Kit, just like we were given for our review!
This is the biggest kit littleBits makes with 18 powerful modules. Whether you’re a professional designer or just getting started with electronics, Deluxe Kit gives you the flexibility you need to make big, powerful projects. No soldering, wiring, or programming required!
Enter to win using Rafflecopter below, US address only. Giveaway ends June 6, 2015.