Every year, Brian Williams Science helps you find the perfect gift for the science enthusiast in your life. Today, we present littleBits!
Every year, the Brian Williams Science publishes a set of articles aimed at helping you find the perfect gift for the science enthusiast in your life. We call it Giving the Gift of Wonder. This year, we’ve got a very special list of great gifts ideas meant to inspire curiosity and imagination. Some are for children. Others are for adults. Many are for kids of all ages! Chances are that you’ll be able to check a few names off your list with some of the ideas you find here. And as usual, we hope that you will take time this holiday season to Do Some Science!
Today’s Gift Idea: littleBits
littleBits are small, simple blocks that make creating cool electronics a matter of snap…snap…SNAP. They are a bit like LEGOs with lights, buzzers, and batteries. littleBits (spelled lower case L, upper case B, all one word) consists of tiny electronic modules with simple, unique functions engineered to snap together with magnets. No soldering, no wiring, no programming, and no electronic knowledge is needed. Just snap and play. Each color-coded bit has a simple, unique function (light, sound, sensors, buttons, motors, etc). The modules snap together in only one way to make larger circuits. Even better, since littleBits is an open source product, there are lots of great project ideas online (just in case you run short on imagination)!
This year, the folks over at littleBits have come up with some wonderful kits. There’s the littleBits Marvel Avengers Hero Inventor Kit which gives you everything you need to build and customize your very own Super hero gauntlet. Maybe you would rather to build your very own Star Wars Droid. There’s a kit for that too. There’s even a kit for building your very own electric synth guitar! You’re sure to find a littleBits kit that sparks your interests. The kits have won awards from NYC Makers Faire and Popular Science. It is the perfect gift for the little hacker or electronics tinkerer in your life!
Recommended for ages 8+
