Snap Circuits XP

It's a fine kit with lots of great projects for your kid, but the documentation on programming the microcontroller is pathetic. No CD or USB is included. You have to get it on line. They give you a link to a broken html link so you have to search for it via your favorite search engine and then give up and contact the company. Sadly, only one staff member knows how to do it, so you have to call tech support to ask for him. Once you get him and download the software using the proper link, don't forget the Serial port to USB driver to make it work (the documentation in the book doesn't cover it of course stating it just works automatically).Frustrations aside,(for the serial to usb link)[...]This is where you grab the software.[...]Select winAXEpad.zip from the list.

We added this to our sons other snap circuits collection as he loves to sit for hours and fiddle around with all the projects as well see what else he can come up with on his own. I really like that this one is more then just following some instructions from the book as it is about understanding micro-controllers and how they work as well with the addition of being able to connect this to your computer the child can learn basic programming and/or flowcharts. My wife and I truly enjoy these kits for what they bring to our son, watching him sit for hours reading and/or building the many projects. Seeing his curious mind at work trying to learn and understand the many different circuits and so forth. A great way for children, and adults, to better understand how many of the electronics around us every day work. While they have come a long way from the 300 in 1 kits of the late 70's and early 80's, I think they are easier for the kids to use and understand rather then having to string dozens if not hundreds of wires across the board from one spring to another.

I have given several different Elenco sets to my grandsons in the last few years, and they have been excited with each new addition. Many hours have been spent constructing from the instructions in the included booklet and from their own imaginations. Terrific learning tool.

My 13 y.o son will be receiving these as a gift but he has several other snap circuit kits and we have always been very happy with the quality. He's had them for years but still works with them and creates new things.They provide hours of entertainment for the scientific or engineering -minded student who loves to build, design and create.

Sometimes the instructions for operating the processor with the programming language that Snap Circuits uses aren't entirely clear. But the idea that we can write a program at all to manipulate it is a good one, and my son loves it! (I do too)

Best toy ever for my grandson, age 7 and loved the challenge and he and his sister loved the music they made.

TLDR; Buy the Getting Started in Electronics book along with this kit for a complete gift.This should have been a 5* product. But. I bought this with the idea that it would be educational. Well, the design is awesome. It's easy to use. All the pieces worked. It explained each piece. How to test each piece. It shows diagrams for every build, and there are a lot of builds. It explain highlights of what the build does. What it never does is tell you WHY the circuit was built the way it was built. There is nearly zero electronics knowledge taught. The have you place resistors but never explain why the value was chosen, etc. Really neat kit, but I'm disappointed at the half complete execution. Buy the Getting Started in Electronics book along with this for a complete gift.

They love it, and I've been having fun too. Teaching my kids about circuits this young is going to open so many doors for them. I wish I had this when I was a kid, it might have changed the course of my life. The kit is easy to use, my 4 year old and I do these.