fitted plastic insert to hold the parts snugly in place

I can't sing enough praise about this toy for the parents of any scientifically minded youngster. While the toy is costly, for sheer "educational and fun" value, I can say we've gotten more bang for our buck out of this toy than any other we've ever bought for our children. It is well worth the price. My nine year old received this toy in February, and I can say while he has played with it almost every single day since, has barely made a dent in all of the possible projects, and still can't get enough of it.

For this review, I asked my childrens' (and their father's) favorite experiments. I got more than I could include, but here's a small sample:

The Light and Sounds experiments: We loved looking at electronic signal patterns using the included oscilloscope Windows "WINSCOPE" software. My child spent two weeks experimenting with different signal patterns in any any sound from talking, laughing, or screaming into the microphone; playing music and other audio samples etc.

Salt Water Light: Electricity conduction. By submersing wires into water, we completed a power circuit and lit a light bulb. We added salt to the water and found it to be an even stronger conductor, creating a brighter light.

This toy isn't limited to huge number of projects outlined in the experiment book. If your child is creative, the potential of this toy is a happy thing.

We created our own variation of the Salt Water Light by wetting our hands with salt water and clasping hands while holding the wires, thus using our bodies to create and complete the circuit. Since the power source was double A batteries, this was a safe variation, though clearly you wouldn't want to try any un-approved power sources for this toy for obvious safety reasons. (IE: Don't plug it into a wall socket if you'd like to keep your hair or brain.)

Another example was a modification of the simple "On/Off" project from the Snap Circuits. My nine year old likes Legos and K'nex building toys. He put together a motorized K'nex car. Using the Snap Circuits, he created a bypass of the K'nex motor's original on/off switch so that he could turn the motor on using the Snap Circuit mechanism. He wants to expand on this using the solar panel included in the Snap Circuits to see if he can then make the K'nex car solar powered.

On the downside, while this toy is remarkably sturdy for something with so many parts and delicate electronic components, it isn't indestructible, and can't handle a lot of hard play. We've broken one of the capacitors so far. You can order replacement parts from the company, though since we haven't done this yet I can't offer a review of the process.

My one complaint is storage. We have kept the original box with its form fitted plastic insert to hold the parts snugly in place, but the box is not designed for real storage and transport. My son keeps it out and open on his dresser. You can purchase a specially designed carry case for between $30-50 dollars. I might consider that for his next birthday present, but it's pricy enough that it isn't an afterthought purchase in the least. I'm sure other people could offer better and cheaper creative storage suggestions, but we haven't looked into it yet.

More :

Diggin JumpSmart TrampolineRadio Flyer Girls Radio Flyer 4-in-1LEGO The Lord of Magna-Tiles Clear Colors 48 LEGO Architecture Fallingwater 21005 Hot Wheels R/CFisher-Price Dora The LEGO City Fire Station 7208 Baby Einstein Musical Melissa & Mega Bloks HaloKidkraft Fire Station Little Mommy Real LEGO Shuttle Expedition 10231Radio Flyer Classic LEGO City Cargo Train 7939 Step2 Deluxe WorkshopRadio Flyer-Flyer 500 Melissa &

KidKraft Large Kitchen Vizio E3D320VX P'Kolino Little One'sBruder Toys Man KidKraft Ride Around Kidkraft Deluxe Fire Fisher-Price Dora Fiesta KRE-O BATTLESHIP USS Disney Princess Castle X Rocker Pro H3Carcassonne Big Box 3 Razor E300Razor MX500 LEGO The Lord ofLego 6857 Smart Lab ReCon 6.0American Girl of Kryptonite 997986BARSKA Pro Edition Schwinn Easy Steer

LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts 4867LEGO Star Wars 9500 Magformers Magnetic Building Megabloks Halo UNSC Hobby Zone Champ KidKraft Nantucket Table & 4 Melissa &Step2 Easel For LEGO Star WarsLEGO City Passenger Train 7938Little Tikes Easy Little Tikes EndlessKidKraft Grand Gourmet Radio Flyer Classic LEGO Star Wars 10225 R2D2Alex My Busy Mini Kick ScooterLincoln Logs Collector's Megabloks Halo Covenant TUMBLING MAT 4' X 8' X

Bazoongi 48-Inch Lego Monster Fighters: Power Wheels Disney/Pixar LEGO Whitecap Bay 4194 Magic the Gathering M13 2013Pacific Play Tents Razor eSpark Electric Lifetime Portable TetherballMelissa & LEGO Star Wars LEGO Creator Grand Emporium 10211LEGO Tower Bridge #10214 Step2 Deluxe Canyon Interactive R2D2Step 2 Hot Wheels 3-Lane Pure Fun 9005MTH LEGO Star Wars 9516 Jabba's Plush Santa Suit Radio Flyer All-Terrain

Evenflo ExerSaucer Triple Fisher-Price Little Superstar Step N' Royal Guard P-Core LEGO Creator Maersk Train 10219 Razor E300 Melissa &AmScope 40x-1000x Lifetime 1301Step2 Naturally Playful Fisher-Price Discover 'n Angry Birds PlushMonster High Sweet 1600 Chicco Lil Piano Mega Bloks World of Playcraft Sport 40--Inch LEGO City Fire Plane 4209 Step2 Deluxe Art Kidkraft Deluxe Let's Strider ST-3 LEGO Star Wars Anakin's & Sebulba's