Buttons, By CircuitMess - REVIEW

Nature / Type:             STEM Kit 

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️    

Recommended age:    7 year-old ++ 

Who would love this:  Kids that enjoy DIY projects/ electronics/ STEM kits/ video games

Buttons, the DIY Wacky Robot from CircuitMess , is a beginner-friendly kit that consists of 10 pieces. This project is a fun way to explore hands-on learning while creating a unique robot!

Why I love ❤️ it: 

(1) Everything You Need To Build A Fun Wacky Robot 

Buttons is perfect for kids aged 7 and up, offering everything you need to build a fun wacky robot. The kit includes a PCB, screwdriver, coin battery, acrylic cases, LEDs, plastic bolts, standoffs, and button caps. The Creator’s Booklet, featuring step-by-step photographs, makes the process easy to follow. My 8-year-old spent around 20 minutes building Buttons. From removing protective foil, inserting the coin battery, putting on push buttons, securing the casings, and adding the LEDs - no prior skills are required! Simply dive in and enjoy the build-it-yourself experience and get your hands “dirty”! 

(2) Eight Buttons With Unique Sound

Once you finish building Buttons, you can enjoy playing fun sounds with your new mini robot. This DIY project is not just entertaining; it serves as an educational tool that introduces you to the basics of electronic components, integrated circuits, sound synthesis, and sound waves. The included booklet covers interesting topics like history of the 555 timer IC, evolution of synthesizers, and uses of oscillators. Each of the eight buttons produces a unique sound, and you can connect headphones to the jack for a more personal listening experience. Remember the Bit game console that I recently reviewed? You can also connect Buttons to it and unlock a brand new exciting game!

(3) Personalize Your Robot

Buttons set includes accessories that let you personalize your Wacky Robot with quirky touches - including a heart-shaped sunglasses and pink hat with a rose. I love the tactile feel of the buttons and the satisfying ‘click’ sound they make, adding to the overall play experience!

(4) Subscription Boxes And Bundle Options

CircuitMess offers a thrilling journey through their subscription boxes and bundle options. Wacky Robots subscriptions are perfect for beginners, introducing foundational concepts like LEDs and Ohm’s law. For those aged 11 and up, the STEM Box subscriptions present challenging projects that would intrigue any electronics tinkerer! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

Where to buy this: 

Wacky Robots Subscription Boxes (CircuitMess website) 

STEM Learning Bundles For Everyone (CircuitMess website) 

Enjoy the video! 

Bit, By CircuitMess - REVIEW

Nature / Type:             STEM Kit 

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️    

Recommended age:    7 year-old ++ 

Who would love this:  Kids that enjoy DIY projects/ electronics/ STEM kits/ video games 

CircuitMess offers one of the coolest DIY kits I’ve ever seen, ideal for electronic tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts alike. We recently tested the BIT set - a DIY game console that transported us back to the nostalgic realm of classic video games, and we’re loving it! 

Why I love ❤️ it: 

(1) DIY Kit - Build The Coolest Game Console! 

BIT is designed for kids aged 7 and up. It comes with everything needed to build a game console - acrylic casings, PCB, battery holder, plastic bolts, standoffs, metal screws, push-button caps, 3 AA batteries, and a USB-C cable. I love the detailed BIT Build Guide which features photographs for each step. Building it with my 8-year-old was a BLAST.  The 20-minutes building project is rewarding and engaging for young kids just starting their journey into electronics, striking the perfect balance between fun and challenge without being frustrating. 

(2) Classic Video Games That Transport Us Back To The Good Old Times

Once you complete the build, the console boots up and loads a menu of games. By default, it includes 3 classic 80s titles: Snake, Pong, Tetris. The kids LOVE them! Additionally, several more games can be unlocked with add-on wacky robots—another exciting building project I can’t wait to share with you soon! For older kids who enjoy coding challenges, there’s a QR code that links to a series of videos guiding them on how to create games through CircuitBlocks. I appreciate how the set offers both hardware and software educational experiences!

(3) Excellent Quality & Sturdy Finished Product

The quality of the components is excellent, and the finished product feels sturdy. I enjoy the tactile feel of the buttons and their satisfying ‘click’ sound. The kit also includes a lanyard for attaching to the console, a screwdriver, and even a comic book! Plus, there are additional pieces to build a three-tier plastic shelf to hold the console and its add-ons.

(4) Subscription Boxes Or Bundle Options 

CircuitMess offers a unique journey through subscription boxes and bundle options. Their Wacky Robots subscriptions cater to beginners, introducing basics like LEDs and Ohm’s law. For ages 11 and up, the STEM Box subscriptions present bigger challenges, including soldering and complex concepts like artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Simply amazing! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

Wacky Robots Subscription Boxes (CircuitMess website) 

STEM Learning Bundles For Everyone (CircuitMess website) 

Enjoy the video! 

Lemon Clock -DIY Powered Kit, by Heebie Jeebies

Nature/ Type:          STEM toy that teaches about electronic circuit, with a twist of "craft" 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  

Recommended age:  8 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Science + Craft Lovers!   

Heebie Jeebies aka the creator of COOL things provided us this Lemon Clock -DIY Powered Kit in exchange for review. I wasn’t the best science student and am definitely not a STEM Mum with clever ideas. A readily-packed science kit such as this really helps clueless parents like myself getting experiments done effortlessly at home. Thank you Heebie Jeebies / Professor Plums , this is awesome! 

Why I love ❤️ this kit: 

(1) Science + Craft - This cardboard package contains timber clock pieces, LCD clock, copper and zinc sheets, sand paper, copper wire, and illustrated instructions. I love that this science experiment is preceded with a crafting session. We enjoyed building the wooden structure for the clock and lemon using the light-weight and thinly-cut timber pieces. It felt like constructing a 3D puzzle, without need of tools or glue. I love the step-by-step illustrative instructions- they are comprehensive, nicely labeled, and can be understood even by a five-year-old. 

(2) Electrolysis Process Using Lemon- The only household ingredient needed for the experiment is a lemon (cut into halves). Place the lemon pieces at their respectively seats, connect the zinc and copper to the wire, pluck them into the lemon flesh, and watch the miracle happens! The boy was impressed seeing the clock immediately lighted-up and started working, and wanted to know what sort of magic was that. We got to “Google it” and read about the process of electrolysis, how lemon juice served as acidic electrolyte and connected to a circuit using the zinc and copper sheet. We compared this to to our previous experiment using batteries to build a circuit (see my previous review on ClipCircuit Electro Lab on 28 November), and discovered the similarities and differences. The boy wanted to know whether we can replace the lemon with an orange, and whether that circuit will still emit equivalent power to run the clock. We can’t wait to try it out! 

(3) Functional Clock - I love that the clock is functional although the set time was no longer accurate after around a day (probably due to drying out of the fruit). Despite that, I think the clock structure makes a stylish “homeware” display. Absolutely loving it! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.heebiejeebies.com.au/

https://professorplums.com.au/products/wood-kit-lemon

Enjoy the video! 

ClipCircuit Electro Lab, by Heebie Jeebies

Nature/ Type:          STEM toy that teaches us about electronic circuit! 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  7 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Science lovers! 

I always wanted to be that COOL mum that kicks a soccer ball, swings on monkey bar, and builds an electronic circuit with the kids. 🤣 I am so grateful to Heebie Jeebies / Professor Plums for making one of the little dreams of mine comes true; thank you for sending me this ClipCircuit Electro Lab for review! This set is mind-blowing! 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) 80 Experiments- The set comes with 28 electronic components including a transparent circuit board, battery packs, speaker, alarm IC, switches (dry reed switch activated by magnet, press switch, slide switch), red LED light, 2.5V lamp with mini bulb, motor, light-weigh fan, and connectors of different lengths. The 23-page instructions booklet contains 80 marvellous electronic experiments showcasing the wonder of electrical power, in a safe and kids-friendly way. I love the simple steps and easily-comprehensive explanations. We discovered differences between series and parallel circuit, explored how current flow can light a bulb and rotate a fan. Our ultimate favourite is the “Flying Fan” experiment; it’s exhilarating to watch how electrical power triggers spinning motion that lifts a fan off its motor. We love substituting and testing out the different switches, and changing configurations of the alarm IC to generate sounds of police car, machine gun, ambulance siren. I love the unique educational experience! 

(2) Snap-On Connectors- I love the quick snap-on connectors with press studs. No tools or soldering (meting of solder) are required for the electronics experiments. The components can be easily clipped-on using the circuit board as base. 

(3) Individually-Marked- Each components are colour-coded and individually marked with numbers (e.g. the green slide-switch is marked with “15”, and the yellow motor is labeled with “24”). The diagrams are clearly illustrated, with interesting explanations of outcomes and observations on how current travels. 

(4) Storage Box- The storage box has plastic insert that can fit all the components perfectly within. It’s organised and neat, exactly how I love it. 

Thanks Heebie Jeebies / Professor Plums , this is super cool! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.heebiejeebies.com.au/

https://professorplums.com.au/collections/circuits/products/clip-circuit-electrolab-80-electronic-experiments-kit

Enjoy the video!