Perhaps it's too simple, but I like https://elenco.com/snapcircuits/
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I asked to some friends if they have great project idea that could be done by an 8th grade kid with or without support. I personally like to do it with him as it is a privileged time to build something together (for me) and learn new skills (for him).
The purpose of this thread is to assemble some ideas for Christmas presents.
I’m starting…
1. DIY LED Christmas tree kit for soldering (https://www.az-delivery.de/en/products/diy-weihnachtsbaum-kit-alles-inklusive-versandkostenfrei)
2. Software Defined Radios kit (https://www.rtl-sdr.com/about-rtl-sdr/ and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD7558GT)
3. DIY Internet Radio Alarm clock with touch screen control (https://www.az-delivery.de/en/products/radiowecker-mit-dem-az-touch)
Any other ideas or suggestions?
It feels a little like "Follow these instructions exactly" without requiring understanding in a lot of cases. For example, the music IC doesn't have any of it's terminals labelled.
The same with the transistor; it doesn't seem to explain exactly why you'd need to use it, why you'd need a resistor on the base, etc. On that note, It's also possible to potentially damage stuff if you just try to experiment without understanding.
I feel like they could have made some of the parts a bit more flexible -- have current limiting resistors built into the LED & transistor units for example, provide point-to-point wires rather than rigid 1/2/3 unit connectors, etc etc.
I certainly would not WITHHOLD Snap Circuits from a kid because they might not know what's inside the IC.