The Circuit Blox 72 Project Set is a STEM kit containing thirty-five pieces and is intended for ages 8+. It also includes a forty-nine-page instruction manual that outlines each of the seventy-two projects, a guide to troubleshooting, and some basic information about electricity. The set requires three AA batteries required but are not included in the kit. It can be purchased for just $32.99.

Each of the projects, when completed in sequence, teaches various concepts about circuits, currents, switches, and LED’s, complete with explanations for how various changes made to the circuits create variable outcomes. Indeed, there are so many variations included in this kit! The step-by-step instructions are so easy to follow. The pieces are both color-coded and numbered, making them easy to identify in the diagrams of how to build each project. Before long, we realized that the direction of the pieces matters unless you are using a piece with a bi-directional current, so paying attention to the placement in the diagrams is important. Once we had gotten through the first twelve projects, my twelve-year-old son took over to try building some projects of his own. I gave him some “free time” to play and explore with the kit free of instruction. He made some things that worked and some that did not, and then we returned to the projects as they were laid out in the manual. We also skipped around to some of the more advanced projects toward the back of the book. For instance, we tried the maze project that helped us to test the steadiness (or unsteadiness) of our hands by trying to pass a hook through a metal maze without touching the metal. Every time our hook touched the metal maze, both an alarm and an LED light were set off! We loved this game, and neither of us could make it all the way through.

The manual warns that it is possible to cause damage to some of the components if they are connected improperly, and it includes information in the troubleshooting guide to help you identify which components may need replacing. For this reason, I recommend supervising children if they are exploring the kit in a freestyle manner.

Since all the parts have a building brick style, they are so easy to snap together. A building base is included to hold the projects stable while you are building and using them. The kit teaches concepts like Morse code, generator power, various scientific laws related to electricity, how motion detectors work, how various types of switches work, how house alarms work, and so on. The lessons seem endless! This kit is packed with a wealth of information and hours of fun.

This kit offers some truly educational entertainment for a variety of ages. I welcomed the opportunity to provide my son with an alternative to video games and other electronic devices. I would recommend this kit for any household of children with inquiring minds. You do not need any prior knowledge or understanding of electricity or components to be able to open this box and go.

-Product review by Kelly Burgess, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, September 2020