The picks
Invention Kits for Kids
A circuit kit teaches how electricity flows. An invention kit asks the child to make something that reacts. Different goal, different kit.
By Sawyer V. · Published
The short answer
Choose on whether a computer is available. Makey Makey publishes a board that turns any conductive object into a key, needs a computer but no software, and is rated 8+. littleBits publishes 29 screen-free Bits with real sensors and motors for grades 2-7. The mBot Neo is the programmable end.
Block & Beaker earns a commission when you buy through our links, at no cost to you. It never changes a ranking, and we say so plainly when the right answer is the cheaper set, or nothing at all. Full disclosure · How we pick.
At a glance
The picks, ranked
Tap any row to jump to the full reasoning. Prices come live from Amazon where we have them and read “check price” where we don’t — never a number we cannot stand behind today.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best invention kit overall Makey Makey Classic Turns any conductive object into a keyboard key, with nothing to install. | Eight and up, with a computer to plug into | |
| 2 | Best screen-free invention kit littleBits Invention Kit 29 Bits including proximity, light, sound and temperature sensors, a servo and two motors. | Grades 2-7, with no computer involved | |
| 3 | Best programmable invention platform Makeblock mBot Neo (mBot2) Blocks, Python and Arduino C on a 240 MHz controller with 60+ modules. | Eight and up, when the invention should be coded | |
| 4 | Best for inventing on paper Circuit Scribe Basic Kit A conductive ink pen and 6 modules including a blinker and a dimmer. | Eight and up, for drawn inventions | |
| — | A circuit kit, not an invention kit Snap Circuits Classic Cross-shopped here, and its strength is 305 numbered projects to follow. | Eight and up, for learning circuits |
5 picks, including 1 we tell you to skip. Ages shown are the manufacturer’s own rating, not ours.
Invention kit or circuit kit
The two categories overlap and serve different goals. A circuit kit teaches how electricity flows, usually by following numbered projects. An invention kit asks the child to build something that reacts — to a touch, a sound, light, or motion.
The arithmetic
Invention kits, as published
| Makey Makey Classic | Board + clips; computer required; no software; 8+ |
|---|---|
| littleBits Invention Kit | 29 Bits, 12 inputs, 8 outputs; 9V; screen-free; grades 2-7 |
| mBot Neo | Blocks, Python, Arduino C; 2500 mAh; 8+ |
| Circuit Scribe Basic | Ink pen + 6 modules; 9V; 8+ |
The computer question
Makey Makey is genuinely brilliant and genuinely dependent. JoyLabz publishes that it works on Mac, Windows, Chromebook and Linux with nothing to install — but it works by pretending to be a keyboard, so there has to be a computer for it to type into.
littleBits is the opposite: published as screen-free, so an invention runs on its own. A light-activated alarm or a sound-triggered fan works on a shelf with nothing else attached.
What a child actually invents
With Makey Makey: controls for games and music programs, made from whatever conductive objects are on hand. Anything conductive becomes an input to a computer.
With littleBits: alarms, night-lights, motorized contraptions that respond to the room.
With Circuit Scribe: light-up cards and drawings, made with the Basic Kit’s conductive pen.
Worth knowing before you buy
littleBits and Circuit Scribe run on 9V batteries; Makey Makey draws power over USB. None is mains-powered, and inventions involving water with Makey Makey should stay well away from the computer itself.
Say the unwelcome thing
Do not buy Makey Makey for a household without a free computer
JoyLabz publishes it as working through a computer. Without one available to the child, the board and clips do nothing, however clever the idea.
In that case littleBits is the invention kit that stands alone.
Where to go next
Makey Makey vs littleBits compares the two leaders directly. Circuit kits for kids covers the learning-circuits side, and from coding toy to real code covers the programmable path.
In full
Every pick, and what is wrong with it
Published specifications only, each linked back to the page it came from. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says so — we do not fill blanks in.
1. Best invention kit overall
Makey Makey Classic
JoyLabz · Classic · maker rates it 8+
Turns any conductive object into a keyboard key, with nothing to install.
- Contents
- Makey Makey board, USB cable, 7 alligator clips, 6 connector wires, visual project start guide, sticker
- Computer
- Required — Mac, Windows, Chromebook or Linux; any device that supports a USB keyboard or mouse
- Software
- “No programing knowledge needed. No software to install.”
- Stated age
- “Ages 8 to infinity”
JoyLabz publishes the Makey Makey board, a USB cable, 7 alligator clips, 6 connector wires, a visual project start guide and a sticker, rated “ages 8 to infinity,” working with Mac, Windows, Chromebook and Linux, with no programming and no software install.
The mechanism is its compatibility statement: it works anywhere a USB keyboard works, so whatever conductive object the child clips to it becomes a key for a game or a music program.
That immediacy is the appeal. There is no build and no wiring diagram — the invention starts the moment it is plugged in.
Replay signal
- Open-ended or one-shot
- Genuinely open-ended — any conductive object can be wired in as a control
- Does anything run out
- Nothing runs out
- Adult required
- Not after the first connection; nothing needs installing
Why we say so: JoyLabz publishes that no software install and no programming are needed, and that the board works on any device supporting a USB keyboard or mouse. That compatibility statement is the mechanism: the board registers as a keyboard, so whatever the child clips to it becomes a key.
What’s wrong with it
A computer is required, and the board does nothing on its own.
| Contents | Makey Makey board, USB cable, 7 alligator clips, 6 connector wires, visual project start guide, sticker |
|---|---|
| Computer | Required — Mac, Windows, Chromebook or Linux; any device that supports a USB keyboard or mouse |
| Software | “No programing knowledge needed. No software to install.” |
| Stated age | “Ages 8 to infinity” |
| Consumables | None |
Every figure above is from JoyLabz, Makey Makey Classic. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
2. Best screen-free invention kit
littleBits Invention Kit
Sphero · Invention Kit · maker rates it Grades 2-7
29 Bits including proximity, light, sound and temperature sensors, a servo and two motors.
- Bits
- 29 in total — 2 power, 7 wire, 12 input and 8 output Bits
- Inputs
- Toggle switch, 2 buttons, 2 slide dimmers, remote trigger, pulse, threshold, and proximity, temperature, light and sound sensors
- Outputs
- LED, buzzer, bargraph, servo, RGB LED, number display, 2 DC motors
- Power
- 1 x 9V battery; a USB power Bit is also included
Sphero publishes 29 Bits — 2 power, 7 wire, 12 input and 8 output — including a toggle switch, buttons, slide dimmers, a remote trigger, and proximity, temperature, light and sound sensors, with outputs including an LED, a buzzer, a servo, an RGB LED and two DC motors, powered by a 9V battery, screen-free, with 10 challenge cards, for grades 2-7.
Screen-free is the difference from Makey Makey. The invention runs on its own, reacting to light, sound or motion, with no computer in the loop.
Replay signal
- Open-ended or one-shot
- Open-ended — any input can drive any output, so the gadget is the child's design
- Does anything run out
- Nothing runs out apart from the 9V battery
- Room to grow
- Twelve inputs and eight outputs is enough to build working gadgets rather than demonstrations
Why we say so: Sphero publishes 29 Bits including proximity, temperature, light and sound sensors, a servo and two DC motors, run from a 9V battery and published as screen-free. Real sensors driving real motors is what separates an invention kit from a circuit tutorial.
What’s wrong with it
Runs on a 9V battery, and 29 Bits is a lot of small parts to keep together.
| Bits | 29 in total — 2 power, 7 wire, 12 input and 8 output Bits |
|---|---|
| Inputs | Toggle switch, 2 buttons, 2 slide dimmers, remote trigger, pulse, threshold, and proximity, temperature, light and sound sensors |
| Outputs | LED, buzzer, bargraph, servo, RGB LED, number display, 2 DC motors |
| Power | 1 x 9V battery; a USB power Bit is also included |
| Screen | Published as screen-free |
| Challenges | 10 challenge cards, with further lessons via Sphero Central |
| Stated grade | Grades 2-7 |
Every figure above is from Sphero, littleBits Invention Kit. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
3. Best programmable invention platform
Makeblock mBot Neo (mBot2)
Makeblock · mBot2 · maker rates it 8+
Blocks, Python and Arduino C on a 240 MHz controller with 60+ modules.
- Controller
- CyberPi — Xtensa 32-bit LX6 dual-core at 240 MHz, 8 MB flash, 8 MB PSRAM
- Programming
- Scratch-style blocks, Python in mBlock, and Arduino C/C++ via the Arduino IDE
- Sensors
- On-board light, microphone, gyroscope and accelerometer, plus ultrasonic, quad RGB, temperature and IR modules
- Battery
- Built-in 2500 mAh LiPo, about 1 hour to charge, about 5 hours of play
Makeblock publishes the CyberPi controller at 240 MHz, three programming environments — blocks, Python and Arduino C/C++ — on-board sensors, a 2500 mAh battery giving about five hours, and 60+ compatible modules, rated 8+.
For a child whose inventions need logic rather than just wiring, a published programming language is where the category goes next.
Replay signal
- Open-ended or one-shot
- Open-ended at the top of the range — this is the one a child does not outgrow at eleven
- Does anything run out
- Nothing runs out; rechargeable
- Room to grow
- Blocks, then Python, then Arduino C on the same robot, with 60+ add-on modules
- Adult required
- Not for driving it. Probably for the first Python session
Why we say so: Makeblock publishes the processor, the three programming environments on one robot, the 2500 mAh battery figures and the 60+ compatible modules. Blocks-to-Python-to-C on one chassis is the published upgrade path, and it is why this survives the year a child gets bored of pressing buttons.
What’s wrong with it
A robot rather than a free-form kit, and considerably more expensive.
| Controller | CyberPi — Xtensa 32-bit LX6 dual-core at 240 MHz, 8 MB flash, 8 MB PSRAM |
|---|---|
| Programming | Scratch-style blocks, Python in mBlock, and Arduino C/C++ via the Arduino IDE |
| Sensors | On-board light, microphone, gyroscope and accelerometer, plus ultrasonic, quad RGB, temperature and IR modules |
| Battery | Built-in 2500 mAh LiPo, about 1 hour to charge, about 5 hours of play |
| Expansion | 60+ compatible modules, up to 10 connected at once, 8 motor and servo ports |
| Stated age | Ages 8+ |
Every figure above is from Makeblock, mBot2 coding robot kit. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
4. Best for inventing on paper
Circuit Scribe Basic Kit
Circuit Scribe · Basic Kit · maker rates it 8+
A conductive ink pen and 6 modules including a blinker and a dimmer.
- Modules
- 6 — a 9V battery adapter with 9V battery, 2 LEDs, a switch, a blinker and a dimmer
- Pen
- Conductive ink pen — draws working circuits on paper
- Also included
- Circuit stencil, jumper sticker sheet, steel canvas
- Projects
- Inventor's Notebook with 8 pages of circuit drawing projects
Circuit Scribe publishes a conductive ink pen, six modules — a 9V battery adapter, two LEDs, a switch, a blinker and a dimmer — a steel canvas and an 8-page project notebook, rated 8 and up.
A drawn circuit is a surprisingly good invention medium: greeting cards, light-up drawings and paper gadgets that a snap kit cannot make.
Replay signal
- Open-ended or one-shot
- Open-ended once the notebook is done — any drawing can become a circuit
- Does anything run out
- The ink runs out; the six modules and the steel canvas do not
- Room to grow
- A Basic Kit Plus publishes a 27-page workbook covering series, parallel and short circuits
Why we say so: Circuit Scribe publishes six magnetic modules including a blinker and a dimmer, a conductive ink pen and a steel canvas, rated 8 and up. Drawing the wire is the specification that matters — the child sees the circuit as a line they made, which is closer to a real schematic than any snap-together format.
What’s wrong with it
Six modules is a small component set, and the ink is consumed.
| Modules | 6 — a 9V battery adapter with 9V battery, 2 LEDs, a switch, a blinker and a dimmer |
|---|---|
| Pen | Conductive ink pen — draws working circuits on paper |
| Also included | Circuit stencil, jumper sticker sheet, steel canvas |
| Projects | Inventor's Notebook with 8 pages of circuit drawing projects |
| Stated age | 8 and up |
| Consumables | The pen's ink is used up; modules and canvas are reusable |
Every figure above is from Circuit Scribe, Basic Kit. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
Skip this one
Snap Circuits Classic
Elenco · SC-300 · maker rates it 8+
Cross-shopped here, and its strength is 305 numbered projects to follow.
- Projects
- “Build over 300 exciting projects” — manual covers projects 1-305
- Parts
- “Contains over 60 Snap-Together parts”
- Projects per part
- 5.1 — the highest ratio in the line
- Stated age
- “Ages 8+” and “Not for Children under 3 yrs.”
Elenco publishes 305 projects from 60+ parts, rated 8+.
It is the best first circuit kit and it is on this page to mark the boundary. A child who wants to invent something that reacts to the world wants the kits above; a child who wants to understand circuits wants this.
Replay signal
- Open-ended or one-shot
- The sweet spot of the line — enough parts to invent with, cheap enough not to be an event
- Does anything run out
- Nothing runs out
- Room to grow
- 305 published projects is years of Sunday afternoons at one a week
Why we say so: Elenco publishes 305 numbered projects against 60+ parts. Five projects per part is the highest ratio anywhere in the Snap Circuits line, which is the arithmetic reason this is the set to buy rather than the cheap one or the big one.
What’s wrong with it
A manual-led format rather than a make-your-own-gadget one.
| Projects | “Build over 300 exciting projects” — manual covers projects 1-305 |
|---|---|
| Parts | “Contains over 60 Snap-Together parts” |
| Projects per part | 5.1 — the highest ratio in the line |
| Stated age | “Ages 8+” and “Not for Children under 3 yrs.” |
| Batteries | “Requires 4 ‘AA’ batteries (not included)” |
| Relationship to SC-100 | Manual includes all SC-100 projects plus 200 new ones |
Every figure above is from Elenco, Snap Circuits Classic. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
We are not putting a buy button on this one. It is easy enough to find if you want it anyway — but we would rather send you to something that gets played with twice.
Questions people actually ask
Frequently asked
What is the best invention kit for kids?
Makey Makey Classic, if a computer is available — JoyLabz publishes a board that turns any conductive object into a key, with no software to install, for ages 8 and up. Without a computer, littleBits: Sphero publishes 29 screen-free Bits with real sensors and motors for grades 2-7.
Does Makey Makey need a computer?
Yes. JoyLabz publishes that it works with Mac, Windows, Chromebook and Linux, on any device that supports a USB keyboard or mouse, with no software to install. It works by acting as a keyboard, so it needs a computer to type into.
What is the difference between an invention kit and a circuit kit?
The goal. A circuit kit teaches how electricity flows, usually through numbered projects. An invention kit asks the child to build something that reacts to a touch, sound, light or motion. Snap Circuits is a circuit kit; Makey Makey and littleBits are invention kits. Circuit kits for kids.
Is littleBits screen-free?
Yes. Sphero publishes the littleBits Invention Kit as screen-free, running on a 9V battery, with 10 challenge cards and further lessons via Sphero Central.
Sources
Where these figures came from
Every specification on this page traces to one of these. If a manufacturer publishes nothing on a point, the page says so rather than filling the gap.
Read next
Where to go from here
Back to Electronics, or read how we pick.