Want to gift your kid everything they need to learn the basics of programming, coding, and electronics. Arduino kits are the best.
The kit contains all components required to do dozens of projects. It comes with a project book which includes details of all projects.
But the question remains open, are these kits worth spending? Before answering this question, let us know what is Arduino?
What Is Arduino?
It is a platform made of two parts, i.e., hardware & software. Kids can build circuits on it, which allows you to create complex & straightforward projects.
You can make anything like posting a message on your FB account when a person opens a secret box or turns on the lights with a switch.
Arduino is a computer system that senses, hears, and sees things. The best thing is, it is affordable and can be programmed easily to do the things you want.
What Comes With The Starter Kit?
You might be wondering what you will get if you buy a starter kit. Below is the list of items that you are going to get with starter kits
- 1 40 x 1 male pins strip
- 3 Transparent gels in red, green, or blue
- 5 Diodes [1N4007]
- 5 Capacitors 100u
- 2 Mosfet IRF520 transistors
- 1 4N35 Optocoupler
- 1 L293D H-bridge motor driver
- 1 Piezo PKM17EPP-4001-B0 capsule
- 1 Small servo motor
- 1 Small DC motor
- 1 alphanumeric 16×2 character LCD screen
- 10 push buttons
- 3 Potentiometer 10kOhms
- 6 Phototransistor
- 1 9v battery snap
- 1 Tilt sensor
- 1 Temperature sensor [TMP36]65 resistors of different resistance, ranging from 220 Ohms to 10 MOhms
- 70 solid core jumper wires
- 2 stranded jumper wires (red and black)
- 1 LED light of different colors bright white, red, green, yellow, blue, and RGB.
- 1 Easy-to-assemble wooden base
- 1 USB cable
- 1 breadboard 400 points
- 1 Arduino / Genuino Uno
- 170-page Projects Book (comes in different languages like English, Korean, Japanese, German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Chinese)
What Are Arduino Projects?
The starter kit comes with a project book which contains all instructions needed to carry out 15 different projects.
The initial project takes you through the basics of every tool and part. It becomes interesting as the projects will involve designing a musical instrument, mood cue, color mixing lamp, love-o-meter, the control panel of a spaceship, etc.
Kids will love it. Another project includes
- Hacking buttons that can control various devices
- Lock which can be unlocked via a secret code
- A zoetrope
- Digital hourglass
- A crystal ball that answers your queries
- Motorized pinwheel etc.
What You Will Like About The Starter Kit?
The kit is purely for beginners. They can understand the basics of robotics. Instruction given in project books is easy to follow. Projects are exciting and encourage kids to learn.
The exciting thing is that the kit is modular, and every part can be used and combined with different other details to do your project.
The started kit can be extended by merging it with other components.
Projects given in the starter book are arranged in a particular order where you will find easy projects initially, and then after, you can enjoy bit complex projects.
All projects are exciting, and no matter what project you are doing, you don’t have to do soldering. This makes it perfect for kids.
With the help of Arduino IDE, you can check the code for the very project included in the starter kit.
You can also tweak the code of the projects if you want.
YouTube videos are also available for the projects given in the starter kit. So, kids will not find it more challenging to do the tasks.
For further help, you can reach out to Arduino’s online community or forums.
Before You Buy Arduino
Before you purchase an official kit, check other kits in the market. Other kits similar to Arduino Kits have more projects than the official kit and will also come with more components.
To get an original kit, you need to spend around $70. However, if you do not want to spend this much, go with the alternatives as they will cost you as low as $30 and will surely come with more features.
The duplicate kits are not official and will not guarantee the quality of the product. It is recommended to buy the official equipment only, but the choice is all yours. If you want to go for a cheaper one, you can get the same kit for beginners.
Final Words
Arduino Kits is the best method to boost your kids’ interest in coding and electronics. With easy-to-grab instructions, your kid will have lots to explore. And 15 projects will build a strong base for electronics and coding.
Once your child is an expert in 15 projects, you can buy additional components to experiment with more complex tasks.
The official kits are worth spending money on, and you should buy them for your kid’s better future.
