HACKABILITY
This is a fun kit to hack! Let’s start with the basics – we can connect the components to boards such as Adafruit’s Gemma M0 and Circuit Playground Express using crocodile clips.
So this means we can power the circuit and use the GPIO (general-purpose input/output) pins to control and react to the same components.
But, what if we wanted to make circuits using Hot Wires and Raspberry Pi or Arduino boards? Well, for that we need to use some crocodile clip to female or male header wires, which can be bought for under £10.
So this means that an electronics kit made for kids can be used to help children learn more about electronics with computers and microcontrollers.
But let’s do a little more hacking. Remember that the plastic bricks can be taken apart. Well, this means that we can replace the components with others.
So, if you really want NeoPixels, rotary encoders, or anything else, then so be it. In fact, with a little 3D printing or laser cutting, we can make our own compatible bricks. An Arduino or Raspberry Pi brick would be awesome!
Hot Wires are designed for children to learn simple electronics skills, but they can grow with the child as their learning progresses.
By adding new components, and connections to powerful devices such as Raspberry Pi, we can introduce the child to new ideas while still ensuring their safety. We wouldn’t introduce a bare resistor or LED to a small child, but with the bricks, we can easily do so.
By making your own bricks, using a laser cutter or 3D printer, there is no limit as to what you can do with Hot Wires. The easily found press studs also provide a strong mechanical connection, while still remaining easy to use for little hands.
If you have a little engineer in the family, then this would be a good start to their career.
SMALL BEGINNINGS
Your author has first-hand experience of the power of Hot Wires and Snap Circuits. Children who attend Blackpool Raspberry Jam have been using them for four years, and they have proven to be an excellent tool. When a new child comes to the Jam, we like to make them feel welcome, and so we dig into the big box of circuits and build something together. The helicopter launch project is always a big hit!
Learning electronics is a lifelong skill and every day we will learn something new, even about things which we are already experts in. These bricks offer children, and adults, a safe and engaging entrance into electronics. We have often used them to design circuits and work out ideas before creating more traditional projects. Their greatest strength is their simplicity – it removes any doubt when trying something new. We simply focus on building, rather than doubting.
Hot wires kit: £42.98
