The Ultimate Kit Guide

Toys & Games

coke and mentos kit

Diet Coke and Mentos Kit

Make Kit Reviews

Diet Coke and Mentos Kit

$25

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Reviewed: December 1st, 2011

Recreate the Internet sensation in your own backyard! Fresh from their performance at Maker Faire, the guys at EepyBird hand-crafted replica PVC nozzles just like the ones they use themselves. Each kit contains a variety of nozzle cuts to give you the coolest, highest-shooting geysers. They even throw in a pack of Mentos to get […]

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Gryphon Ornithopter

Gryphon Ornithopters

Make Kit Reviews

Gryphon Ornithopters

$10

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Reviewed: November 14th, 2011

At MAKE Labs we built a squadron of balsa-and-tissue ornithopters for William Gurstelle’s how-to article in MAKE Volume 08. The trickiest part was bending the tiny wire crank that flaps the wings in time. Even with Bill’s clear instructions, that little wire was trial-and-error. This kit spares you that error. The pre-bent crank and laser-cut […]

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The Dice Kit

The Dice Kit

Make Kit Reviews

The Dice Kit

$20

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Reviewed: November 13th, 2011

This is a fantastic introductory electronics kit that comes with your choice of large red or green LEDs and everything else needed (aside from a soldering iron, solder, and flush cutters) to make one electronic 6-sided die. (The manufacturer says: “The name Dice Kit sounds a great deal better than ‘Die Kit’, so we bent […]

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Drawdio

Drawdio

Make Kit Reviews

Drawdio

$20

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Reviewed: November 12th, 2011

Drawdio is an electronic pencil that lets you make music while you draw. It’s a great project for beginners: an easy kit with instant gratification. Invented by Jay Silver, it’s a very simple musical synthesizer that uses the conductive properties of pencil graphite to create sounds. The result is a fun toy that lets you […]

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Simon

Simon

Make Kit Reviews

Simon

$25

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Reviewed: October 26th, 2011

All components are through-hole, making this Simon kit great for beginners. Reviewer Thomas O’Brien from San Antonio writes: “The instruction booklet is very well written and goes step by step with clear explanations. My grandson Ben, 5, helped put components in the holes of the circuit board, then I soldered them, and he clipped the […]

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Mechamo Inchworm

Mechamo Inchworm

Make Kit Reviews

Mechamo Inchworm

$70

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Make a mind-blowing remote controlled “Meka-Inchworm” robot with this fun, no-soldering-required kit. You’ve got to love a machine that moves like a bug! It’s Japanese, but we’ve got English instructions at makezine.com/go/inchworm. MAKE is proud to be the exclusive distributor in North America for these brilliant kits, part of Gakken’s Mechanical Animals Series. Reviewer Tyler Bennett […]

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Karakuri Somersault Doll

Karakuri Somersault Doll

Make Kit Reviews

Karakuri Somersault Doll

$75

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Employing a centuries-old secret technique from the Edo period, this kit has everything needed to create an acrobatic doll, plus a festive kimono and a tiered pedestal on which to perform. You can even adjust the velocity of the doll’s action. The instructions are in Japanese with beautiful illustrations that make it easy to put together.

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Video Game Shield

Video Game Shield

Make Kit Reviews

Video Game Shield

$23

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The Video Game Shield is an Arduino add-on shield to make your own video games, including graphics, text, sound effects, and music! Using the power of open source, this shield allows you to make awesome black-and-white video games on your TV. It supports up to two Nintendo Wii Nunchuk controllers for an easy and familiar […]

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Solar Grasshopper Kit

Solar Grasshopper Kit

Make Kit Reviews

Solar Grasshopper Kit

$12

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Build your own life-size grasshopper and explore solar power with this educational mini solar robot kit. The snap-together, attention-getting  Solar Frightened Grasshopper teaches how solar energy can be used to generate electricity. This easy-to-use science kit is perfect for first-time experimenters with little or no experience. Ages 10 and up.

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Pendulum Challenge

Pendulum Challenge

Make Kit Reviews

Pendulum Challenge

$26

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How are your reflexes? Ken Delahoussaye’s Pendulum Challenge (featured in MAKE Volume 26) is a fun and clever handheld game that you assemble on a printed circuit board. The game’s arc-shaped array of 15 LEDs (14 red and 1 green) simulate the path of a swinging pendulum, which you try to stop at the bottom […]

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