Testing out Smartivity STEM kits to learn more about science and engineering.
We were kindly gifted this Super Duper Propulsion Car and Fantastic Optics Kaleidoscope by Smartivity for purpose of review. All opinions and images are our own and completely genuine. This post contains affiliate links.
We are big fans of STEM learning in our household, and even more so when the learning happens in a hands-on kind of way. Smartivity makes these fun DIY wooden toy kits, with the emphasis being on the child building the toy themselves. We got to test out two kits and here's how we got on.
My son was desperate to get the propulsion car kit open so we started with that one. The first thing that struck me was the high quality of the materials included in the kit. The wooden pieces are sturdy and easily pop out of their frames.
We opened up the instructions and got to work. The kit is recommended for 6+ years old, my son is 5.5 years so I thought he would be able to manage most of the project but might need some assistance. I think this is a drawback of the product for my son's age group as making the kit was fairly complex and fiddly. My son was definitely able to contribute with tasks like selecting the pieces and adding the small bands, but there is no way he would have been able to build the kit himself.
I don't personally see this as a huge negative because we enjoy STEM projects as a family and I think a set like this gives us a great excuse to get away from the screens and all work towards an end goal together. To build the track and car it required both Mom and Dad (ok, let's be honest, mainly Dad) to do most of the engineering.
Once the kit components were built, of course my son was more than happy to take the glory and put the final pieces together to make the track.
We left him to explore the set up at first. He loved driving the car over the ramp and experimenting with the different ramp gradients. I was impressed with how sturdy the track and car were, they stood up to some pretty passionate play!
Then we moved onto exploring getting the car moving using the pump and balloon. My son struggled to generate enough force with the pump so he had to team up with Dad to get the car moving.
What is it with boys and their toys?!
The second kit we tested out was the kaleidoscope kit. Again this was far too complex for my son to make by himself. There were parts that were very fiddly and the instructions needed to be followed carefully. This isn't to say that an older kid would struggle though. The finished project was pretty cool. My son had never actually used a kaleidoscope before so when it was done it got lots of 'oooos' and 'aaaas'.
As I mentioned earlier in the blog, there is no question about the quality of materials used in the Smartivity STEM kits. They are good value for money at approx. $25 per kit. The end products are engaging and fun, leading to a range of scientific teaching opportunities. I would say, however, that the kits do require adult help if you are working with younger kids. If you are looking for a kit to be completed independently by your child I would say they need to really be at least 9 or 10 years old. A great gift for an older child, or even for a young-at-heart adult!
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