Head to head
littleBits vs Snap Circuits
One is built for inventing a gadget, the other for working through a very long manual. The published contents make the difference plain.
By Sawyer V. · Published
The short answer
Choose on how the child likes to work. Elenco publishes Snap Circuits Classic at 305 numbered projects from 60+ parts, rated 8+ — the longer guided ladder. Sphero publishes the littleBits Invention Kit with 29 Bits, including real sensors, a servo and two DC motors, for grades 2-7 — built for inventing rather than following.
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 | Better for a long guided ladder Snap Circuits Classic 305 numbered projects from 60+ parts — the highest projects-per-part ratio in the Snap line. | Eight and up, for a child who likes a numbered manual | |
| 2 | Better for inventing littleBits Invention Kit 29 Bits, with proximity, temperature, light and sound sensors driving a servo, two DC motors and a number display. | Grades 2-7, for a child who wants to build a gadget | |
| 3 | The drawing alternative Circuit Scribe Basic Kit A conductive ink pen and six magnetic modules — the circuit is a line the child draws. | Eight and up, for a child who draws | |
| — | Not the upgrade it looks like Snap Circuits Extreme 750+ projects from 80+ parts — most of what the extra buys is more manual, not more components. | A child who has already finished the Classic |
4 picks, including 1 we tell you to skip. Ages shown are the manufacturer’s own rating, not ours.
Side by side
The arithmetic
Published specifications
| Stated age | Snap Classic 8+ | littleBits grades 2-7 |
|---|---|
| Parts | Snap: 60+ snap-together parts | littleBits: 29 Bits |
| Guided content | Snap: 305 numbered projects | littleBits: 10 challenge cards, more lessons online |
| Sensors named | littleBits: proximity, temperature, light, sound |
| Motion named | littleBits: a servo and 2 DC motors |
| Power | Snap: 4 x AA, not included | littleBits: 1 x 9V, plus a USB power Bit |
| Screen | littleBits: published as screen-free | Snap: no device in its requirements |
What Snap Circuits does better
Depth. Three hundred and five numbered projects is years of content at one a week. Elenco publishes the full range, 1 to 305, so a buyer knows exactly how long the ladder is before opening the box.
Structure. Every project is a complete instruction. A child who likes to finish things always has a next thing to finish, and a parent never has to invent the next challenge.
A clean upgrade path. Elenco publishes that the Classic manual contains every Snap Circuits Jr. project plus 200 more, and the Pro adds 73 computer-interfaced experiments on top. The parts are cross-compatible across the line, so moving up adds to what the child owns rather than replacing it.
What littleBits does better
Sensors. Proximity, temperature, light and sound are four ways for a circuit to notice the world. That is what turns a lamp into a night-light and a buzzer into an alarm.
Motion. A servo and two DC motors mean things move. For many children, the moment a circuit spins a wheel is the moment electronics stops being abstract.
Ownership of the idea. Because any input drives any output, the interesting builds are the child’s own. The ten challenge cards are a starting point, not a syllabus.
The ladder problem, stated plainly
littleBits publishes 10 challenge cards in the box, with more lessons through Sphero Central online. After that, the ideas come from the child. That suits a self-starting inventor perfectly and suits a child who needs a next step handed to them poorly.
Snap Circuits is the mirror image: 305 next steps, and fewer chances to invent until the manual runs out. Neither shape is better in general. The question is which shape matches the child in front of you.
Worth knowing before you buy
Elenco prints “Not for Children under 3 yrs.” on the Classic, and both systems are small parts in a house with toddlers. littleBits runs on a 9V battery: store spares in their packaging, because a 9V’s terminals sit side by side and can short against keys or coins.
So which one
A child who finishes manuals: Snap Circuits Classic. The published 305 projects are the whole argument.
A child who wants to build a gadget: the littleBits Invention Kit. Sensors and motors are the whole argument.
A child who draws: Circuit Scribe, which makes the circuit a drawing.
Genuinely unsure: Snap Circuits Classic. A long published ladder is the safer first purchase, and nothing about it rules out inventing later.
Say the unwelcome thing
Do not buy the biggest Snap set as a first kit
The Extreme publishes 750+ projects from 80+ parts, and most of that extra is manual. A first kit should answer whether the child likes circuits at all — the Classic does that with the best ratio in the line.
Where to go next
Circuit kits for kids compares every first-circuit format. Invention kits covers the gadget-building end, and Snap Circuits, every set compared covers the whole line.
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. Better for a long guided ladder
Snap Circuits Classic
Elenco · SC-300 · maker rates it 8+
305 numbered projects from 60+ parts — the highest projects-per-part ratio in the Snap line.
- 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 “Build over 300 exciting projects” with a manual covering projects 1-305, “over 60 Snap-Together parts”, a rating of 8+ with a not-for-under-threes warning, and four AA batteries, not included. It also publishes that the Classic manual contains every project from the smaller Snap Circuits Jr. plus 200 new ones.
Three hundred and five projects from sixty-odd parts is about five projects per part, the best ratio anywhere in the line. That is the arithmetic reason it is the Snap set to buy, and it is the specification littleBits does not try to match.
A numbered manual is also a particular kind of motivation. Some children love ticking off project 47 and turning to 48; for them, a box with 305 next steps is worth more than any sensor.
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
Four AA batteries, not included, and most projects follow the manual rather than the child's own idea.
| 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.
2. Better for inventing
littleBits Invention Kit
Sphero · Invention Kit · maker rates it Grades 2-7
29 Bits, with proximity, temperature, light and sound sensors driving a servo, two DC motors and a number display.
- 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 in total — 2 power, 7 wire, 12 input and 8 output. The inputs include a toggle switch, two buttons, two slide dimmers, a remote trigger, pulse and threshold Bits, and proximity, temperature, light and sound sensors. The outputs are an LED, a buzzer, a bargraph, a servo, an RGB LED, a number display and two DC motors. Power is one 9V battery, with a USB power Bit also included. It is published as screen-free, with 10 challenge cards and further lessons through Sphero Central, for grades 2-7.
Real sensors driving real motors is what separates an invention kit from a circuit tutorial. Any input can drive any output, so a light sensor that spins a motor, or a sound sensor that lights a number display, is a gadget the child designed rather than project 112.
Twelve inputs against eight outputs is a generous mix for the size of the box. It is enough to build something that responds to the room, which is what most children mean when they say they want to invent.
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 10 challenge cards is a short ladder in the box itself.
| 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. The drawing alternative
Circuit Scribe Basic Kit
Circuit Scribe · Basic Kit · maker rates it 8+
A conductive ink pen and six magnetic modules — the circuit is a line the child draws.
- 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 six modules — a 9V battery adapter with a 9V battery, two LEDs, a switch, a blinker and a dimmer — plus a conductive ink pen, a circuit stencil, a jumper sticker sheet, a steel canvas and an 8-page Inventor’s Notebook, rated 8 and up.
It sits between the two. Like Snap Circuits it is about how a circuit is built; like littleBits it is open once the notebook is done, because any drawing can become a circuit.
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
The ink runs out, and the Inventor's Notebook is eight pages long.
| 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 Extreme
Elenco · SC-750 · maker rates it 8+
750+ projects from 80+ parts — most of what the extra buys is more manual, not more components.
- Projects
- Over 750
- Parts
- Over 80
- Projects per part
- 9.4
- Adds over the SC-500
- Solar, electromagnetism, vibration switches, and 70 computer-interfaced projects
Elenco publishes Snap Circuits Extreme at over 750 projects from over 80 parts, adding solar, electromagnetism, vibration switches and 70 computer-interfaced projects over the Pro, rated 8+.
Anyone weighing littleBits against Snap Circuits is choosing a first system. Extreme is the far end of the Snap line, and the published numbers show its extra size is mostly additional projects for parts the child already has. Buy the Classic first; the parts carry forward.
Replay signal
- Open-ended or one-shot
- As open as the line gets
- Does anything run out
- Nothing runs out
- Room to grow
- Nowhere further to go inside Snap Circuits, which is either the point or the problem
Why we say so: Elenco publishes 750+ projects from 80+ parts and names solar, electromagnetism and vibration switches as the additions over the SC-500. Watch the shape of those numbers: parts rise from 75 to 80 while projects rise from 500 to 750, so most of what you are paying for is more manual, not more components.
What’s wrong with it
Parts rise from 75 to 80 over the Pro while projects rise from 500 to 750.
| Projects | Over 750 |
|---|---|
| Parts | Over 80 |
| Projects per part | 9.4 |
| Adds over the SC-500 | Solar, electromagnetism, vibration switches, and 70 computer-interfaced projects |
| Stated age | Ages 8+ |
| Consumables | None |
Every figure above is from Elenco, Snap Circuits Extreme. 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
Is littleBits or Snap Circuits better?
They publish different strengths. Elenco publishes 305 numbered projects from 60+ parts for Snap Circuits Classic, rated 8+. Sphero publishes 29 Bits for the littleBits Invention Kit, including four sensors, a servo and two DC motors, for grades 2-7. Snap Circuits for a long guided ladder; littleBits for inventing gadgets.
Are littleBits and Snap Circuits compatible?
Treat them as separate systems. Neither maker publishes compatibility with the other on the product pages we cite, and each is sold as a complete system of its own.
What age is littleBits for?
Sphero publishes the Invention Kit for grades 2-7, which in US terms is roughly seven- to thirteen-year-olds. Snap Circuits Classic is published at 8+.
Do littleBits and Snap Circuits need batteries?
Yes. Elenco publishes that Snap Circuits Classic requires 4 AA batteries, not included. Sphero publishes one 9V battery for the littleBits Invention Kit, plus a USB power Bit. The battery guide.
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.