Single review
Makey Makey Review
Reviewed from JoyLabz's published specifications and the logic of how the board works. We have not used it, and we say so.
By Sawyer V. · Published
The short answer
Makey Makey is worth it for a child of eight or older with regular use of a computer. JoyLabz publishes a board, a USB cable, 7 alligator clips and 6 connector wires, with no software to install and no programming needed, working with any device that supports a USB keyboard or mouse. Without a computer, it does nothing.
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 | The product Makey Makey Classic A board that registers as a keyboard, so anything conductive the child clips to it becomes a key. | Eight and up, with a computer they can use | |
| 2 | The screen-free rival littleBits Invention Kit 29 Bits with sensors and motors that work without any screen at all. | Grades 2-7, with no computer involved | |
| 3 | The drawing alternative Circuit Scribe Basic Kit A conductive ink pen and six magnetic modules, with no computer needed. | Eight and up, for a child who draws | |
| — | Not the same idea Osmo Coding Starter Kit for iPad Also needs a device, and uses it for three fixed games rather than for the child's own inventions. | Five to ten, with an iPad free |
4 picks, including 1 we tell you to skip. Ages shown are the manufacturer’s own rating, not ours.
What we can tell you, and what we cannot
We have not used it. No lab, no samples, no test children, and no star rating on this page or in its structured data.
What JoyLabz publishes — the contents, the computer requirement, the software position and the age rating — we can report and compare. How reliably a particular household object registers a key press, we cannot.
The specification that decides it
The arithmetic
Makey Makey Classic, published
| Contents | Board, USB cable, 7 alligator clips, 6 connector wires, start guide, sticker |
|---|---|
| Computer | Required — Mac, Windows, Chromebook or Linux; any device supporting a USB keyboard or mouse |
| Software | None to install; no programming knowledge needed |
| Stated age | “Ages 8 to infinity” |
| Consumables | None |
What the numbers mean in practice
It is a keyboard, not a circuit kit. There are no components to learn and no manual of projects. The board turns a physical action into a key press, and the computer decides what that key press does.
Anything conductive becomes a control. That is the whole invention space. The child’s job is to find objects that conduct, wire them up, and choose software that responds to key presses — a game, or a music program.
Nothing to install, on almost any computer. JoyLabz publishes Mac, Windows, Chromebook and Linux compatibility. For families whose only computer is a school device, that is the difference between usable and not.
Nothing runs out. No chemicals, no ink and no batteries appear in the board’s published contents; it connects by the included USB cable.
Who should skip it
A household without regular computer time for the child. Every use of Makey Makey is a use of the computer. Where that is shared or rationed, a screen-free kit gets used more.
A child under eight. JoyLabz publishes 8 as the floor.
A child who wants to build a gadget that works on its own. That is littleBits, which publishes sensors, motors and no screen at all.
Say the unwelcome thing
Do not buy it where the computer is always busy
Makey Makey is only as available as the computer it plugs into. In a house with one laptop and several people who need it, the board spends most of its life in a drawer — through no fault of its own.
Where it sits
Makey Makey is a pick in invention kits for kids, the subject of Makey Makey vs littleBits, and appears in STEM gifts for kids who love art.
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. The product
Makey Makey Classic
JoyLabz · Classic · maker rates it 8+
A board that registers as a keyboard, so anything conductive the child clips to it becomes a key.
- 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. It works with Mac, Windows, Chromebook or Linux — any device that supports a USB keyboard or mouse — with no programming knowledge needed and no software to install, for “Ages 8 to infinity”, with nothing consumed.
That compatibility statement is the mechanism. The computer sees the board as a keyboard, so every alligator clip is a key, and whatever conductive object is on the other end of the clip becomes the button.
No software to install matters more than it sounds. It is why the board works on a school Chromebook or a locked-down family laptop, where installing an app is often not an option.
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 — Mac, Windows, Chromebook or Linux — and nothing happens without one.
| 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. The screen-free rival
littleBits Invention Kit
Sphero · Invention Kit · maker rates it Grades 2-7
29 Bits with sensors and motors that work without any screen at all.
- 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 — 12 inputs including proximity, temperature, light and sound sensors, and 8 outputs including a servo and two DC motors — on one 9V battery plus a USB power Bit, published as screen-free, for grades 2-7.
The mirror image of Makey Makey. Makey turns objects into computer inputs; littleBits builds gadgets that work on their own. See Makey Makey vs littleBits.
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
One 9V battery, and 10 challenge cards in the box.
| 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, with no computer needed.
- 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 including a blinker and a dimmer, a stencil, a steel canvas and an 8-page Inventor’s Notebook, rated 8 and up.
For a creative child without regular computer access, this is the closer substitute: the invention happens on paper rather than on a screen.
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; the modules and canvas do not.
| 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
Osmo Coding Starter Kit for iPad
Osmo · Coding Starter Kit · maker rates it 5-10
Also needs a device, and uses it for three fixed games rather than for the child's own inventions.
- Contents
- Osmo Base and Reflector for iPad, 31 magnetic coding blocks, stackable storage, 3 game apps
- Games
- Coding Awbie, Coding Jam, Coding Duo
- Screen required
- Yes — an iPad is required and is not included
- Compatibility
- All iPads except generations 1-4 and certain newer models; minimum iOS 11
Osmo publishes three coding games and 31 magnetic coding blocks, rated 5-10, with an iPad required and not included.
If a household is going to accept a device dependency, Makey Makey’s is the more open one: the computer runs whatever the child points the board at. Osmo’s runs its own three games.
Replay signal
- Open-ended or one-shot
- Guided by the three games rather than open-ended; Coding Jam is the one with no ending
- Does anything run out
- Nothing physical runs out
- Room to grow
- Three games at rising difficulty, described by Osmo as beginner to expert
- Adult required
- Only to hand over the iPad — which is precisely the friction: this one competes with screen time rather than replacing it
Why we say so: Osmo publishes the 31-block count, the three named games, the iPad requirement and the compatibility list. The iPad dependency is a published requirement, and it is the fact most likely to decide whether this gets used.
What’s wrong with it
An iPad is required and not included.
| Contents | Osmo Base and Reflector for iPad, 31 magnetic coding blocks, stackable storage, 3 game apps |
|---|---|
| Games | Coding Awbie, Coding Jam, Coding Duo |
| Screen required | Yes — an iPad is required and is not included |
| Compatibility | All iPads except generations 1-4 and certain newer models; minimum iOS 11 |
| Stated age | Ages 5-10 |
Every figure above is from Osmo, Coding Starter Kit. 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 Makey Makey worth it?
For a child of eight or older who can use a computer regularly, yes — JoyLabz publishes a board, 7 alligator clips and 6 wires that turn any conductive object into a keyboard key, with nothing to install. Without regular computer access, a screen-free kit such as littleBits is the better buy.
Does Makey Makey need a computer?
Yes. JoyLabz publishes that it works with Mac, Windows, Chromebook or Linux — any device that supports a USB keyboard or mouse. The board registers as a keyboard, so the computer is what responds.
What age is Makey Makey for?
JoyLabz publishes “Ages 8 to infinity”. There is no programming knowledge needed and no software to install.
Does Makey Makey work on a Chromebook?
Yes. JoyLabz publishes Chromebook alongside Mac, Windows and Linux, and states that no software needs to be installed. Invention kits for kids.
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 Reviews, or read how we pick.