Lets talk seriously about play and toys - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2017, 06:20:41 pm
content: I am sure we all had fun as kids taking things apart and learning from what we found. What are good toys to awaken interest in the "reality based" physical and electronic world in children?

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2017, 06:37:47 pm
content: One of my favorites was always Legos. I also had some Capsela stuff that I enjoyed when I was a kid, and those electronic sets with the little spring connectors. One of my favorite experiences was when my dad would drag home some sort of old equipment for me to take apart and play with, we're spoiled these days since so much good stuff gets thrown out there is an unlimited supply of "junk" to take apart. I haven't even looked at what sort of toys are available these days.

author: Housedad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2017, 07:00:02 pm
content: rubber band powered balsa airplanes.

author: Vtile
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2017, 07:18:00 pm
content: Electric motors and batteries and piece of styrofoam on lake/strean shore.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2017, 11:43:09 pm
content: I think I pre-dated Lego. I had things like Lincoln Logs, American Bricks (I think), Girders and Beams (got the monorail one Christmas). I had some wooden blocks that came in a blue cloth bag that got a lot of use. There were about six basic shapes painted in various colors. I always had stuff like telescopes and chemistry sets. Heck, my grandfather even built me a lab bench when I was 12 with a concrete sheet work top (so I wouldn't burn the house down I guess).

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 12:50:41 am
content: Meccano.I had the regular general purpose kits with all metal pieces for the construction. Plastic bits were almost non-existent. One of my most interesting projects was building a differential. Simple, yes, but it showed exactly how a diff worked.My father had some as well that was handed down - but there were two sets that I had never seen before or since. With one, you could make up army equipment, including field artillery with wooden barrel pieces. There's not much of that left, having been scattered to the four winds over the years.The other was an aeroplane construction kit, where you had pressed wing pieces, struts and body pieces that you could build various aircraft, such as a bi-plane. It even came with cast pieces in the shape of a radial engine. Side panels were plain painted on one face, with the opposite face having painted on widows, so you could build a passenger plane if you wanted. That kit also has few parts left now, but I believe the box is still buried somewhere - in a state I dare not think about. (It was pretty knocked around last time I saw it.)

author: Cubdriver
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 01:47:31 am
content: Legos, erector sets, tinker toys, Guillow's balsa models, plastic model kits, Rat Shack P-box kits, 150-in-1, other of their kits, Heathkits, and old TVs from my father's friends to dismantle. AFX cars and HO gauge trains. Cox control line planes with .049 engines. Various other motor powered toys that I can't recall at this point in life.-Pat

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 06:46:56 am
content: Ive always thoughtthis company's stuffwas really neat. When I was a little kid for several years my mom (who was an artist) subscribed me to a monthly kit by them where you would get a bunch of small things which you could do little physics and science experiments with. They were very creatively done.Example of a playground structure. $3600 must have been a small fortune back then. (this was before I was born)There is a creative playthings company now but I don't think its the same company it was when I was a kid.This (catalog in link) was way before my time and it seems their stuff was even more art-like then. Isn't it suitable for an art designation?For electronics toys I think the biggest impression was left by a Raytheon kit which used blocks with circuit diagrams on them and electronic components inside to allow you to make instant circuits.Here it is, Raytheon "Lectron" it appears to still be made and sold in Germany.I also think that the durable extremely rich rtl2832 "rtlsdrs" would make good toys for older kids who had some computer skill.I've had good luck with this one. They come with accurate crystals and are durable and super cheap..

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 07:05:06 am
content: If we want to talk about electronics - then I will put forward my Philips EE20 kit.I had heaps of fun with that.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 10:24:05 am
content: Lego (Please, it's *LEGO* not legos), a Meccano set, Bayko (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayko) and wooden blocks.Later on, I got into electronics and made pocket money repairing radios and cassette players for schoolmates which funded my projects, plenty of CMOS and transistor projects and the almost obligatory Tom Duncan 'Adventures with' electronics booksStep dad was a lathe operator at this place:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mjRLDCClbS0/UXQ4-9Ub8sI/AAAAAAAAH70/Gs7hzNn-0pM/s1600/linotype+works.jpg(the frontage has been preserved but the factory is gone, it's being developed into a housing estate)later Kearns and Richards then on to a small start up which developed chequebook printers, I hung around the workshop making tea, watching the lathes, milling machines and other workshop machinery, helping set jobs, tool changes etc.Even got to help the MD with his scale steam trains, this sort of thing:http://waltonparktrains.co.uk/So, probably not the most typical childhood but remembered with a smile for the most part.

author: elecman14
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 01:46:48 pm
content: They have a lot of cool stuff that was not around when I was a kid. The magnetic circuit building kits look really cool.http://www.snapcircuits.net/.Other than that you could always look for one of those number in 1 (300 in 1 etc..) electrical kits that have the springs.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 07:58:38 pm
content: My favorite toys were all construction type things - Lego, Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoys, Erector. I think I had those American Bricks too, if they are what I'm thinking of. Somewhat Lego-like but thinner in height from what I can remember. And I one called Girder and Panel, you could build skyscraper type structures with i-beams and panel walls. And the Spinwelder - plastic beams and other parts, and a welding 'gun' that hooked to a 6V lantern battery and spun some different sort of plastic 'welding rod' the friction melted the plastics together to form a weld joint. And it took some skill to make a nice clean joint without just melting the flange off an i-beam. Oh and one where you use plaster in supplied molds to make bricks and then you used all the bricks to build up a structure of some sort (mine was a service station).Electronically, I started out with a box full of wire, some home made switches, batteries, and a bunch of truck marker lights. Moved on to the 20 in 1 ki, which was more like those component block types of kits, each component was on its own plastic block with 4 spring terminals, and there were plastic connectors to hold the blocks plus L shaped metal connectors to link the spring terminals together, so every circuit was a mechanical as well as electrical build. Later on I had several versions of the more typical wood case x-in-1 sets.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 09:48:16 pm
content: Remember the Mattel Vac-U-Form and the "Creepy Crawlers" spin off? I had both at one time.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 10:31:23 pm
content: I had some cool toys.Knex was my favourite, and I still use it for a tablet stand. I actually hate Lego, all the interesting stuff is an arm and a leg, and the stuff you can actually affordis used once and I never touch it again. Knex is like a plastic Meccano set. I also use my dad's old Meccano set too.Another really cool is something called snap circuits. It's a electronic engineering kit that allows you to use components that connect using metal buttons like whatyou might find on a key wallet or jacket. It had projects like AM and FM radios, but some were really stupid like using the different "U" IC units to make sounds orwhatever. Some had a 7 segment display, and some had some really interesting stuff like experiments with saltwater. One unit was like an alternative energy thingthat had a water wheel, wind mill, solar panel, etc.But I am 15, I have moved from fake toys to real toys XD. I am mostly in computer engineering, to be particular, retro computing. Electronic Engineering is the hobby Ihave never really been able to take up that much. I am more waiting until I get into college full time (In about a year) to start doing my EE major. For now I have my feetdeep in Computer Science which goes almost hand in hand with Electronic Engineering (Not always though)

author: Buriedcode
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 01:08:11 am
content: I have to also say 'Lego'. It provided an 'easy' birthday/christmas present for my parents to get, as my sisters were both awkward to buy for. I had the 'Technics' kits along with motors, gears, cogs, drive shafts, pneumatic system (driving by the motor) etc.. just before they started using far too many custom parts that could only be really used in one kit.I built a tank, with tracks.. pneumatic digger.. and something that I still wish I had got a photo of - a terminator arm, using pistons and pulleys for the fingers. I could go on about that for ages..Aside form that... again as someone has mentioned 'anything to be taken apart'. My grandfather own a Tv repair shop in the 60's and if he noticed I was bored at my grandparents house - he'd go into the garage and pull an old appliance or something out, along with a set of screw drivers.GOOD TIMESThese days... whilst there is the wonders of modern computing.. for those who have an interest in how things work, I don't think much has changed! Although I can understand why 'electronics' per se could be seen as boring for the 7-12 year olds as a PCB doesn't really 'do' anything you can see, save flash LED's. But motors, lamp, mechanical switches, gears, pulleys, pistons I still think that *has* to instill a sense of awe in some kids. Anyone remember the Science museum in London back in the late 80's/early 90's? Entire engines cut open, externally driven, behind glass - with a constant row of kids staring at it! The world needs more of that.

author: ivaylo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 08:16:08 am
content: Maybe you can catch them with the Legos and Mechanos before the social networks suck them in? Otherwise no clue... Anybody born before 1990 should take a hard look at at the 8 or 10 social networks their kids are on at the same time (yes they are, even when they are in their bedrooms doing homework). For us old farts it's all Facebook this, Facebook that... Ever heard ofhttp://yikyak.com?Orhttps://fetlife.com?Neither had I, before I had to manage millenials. Not judging, just seems to me that you have to meet them there, wherever they are and bring them to the physical world. Recently had a complete brain meltdown explaining to an young engineer why is it not OK to tweet about work and coworkers. Found this instructive -Maybe rely on online tools to teach them electronics or something?

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 08:17:09 am
content: Quote from: TwoOfFive on January 30, 2017, 10:31:23 pmSadly the current trend in Lego is for ever more custom movie and character tie ins which don't lend themselves to re-use but you can still buy boxes of bricks that are just bricks. Same goes for the Technic stuff but that at least is considerably more flexible.I always yearned to own FischerTechnik sets but they were just so expensive (and still aren't cheap)

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 08:39:27 am
content: Oh man, we had some FischerTechnik sets in my jr. high tech class, those were awesome! We even had an interface card in an Apple IIe that could control the stuff, I remember making a taffic light, and some industrial process type machines, it was super cool stuff, but shockingly expensive. I remember they came in these neat roll-up storage cases, I don't know if those were part of the set or some third party product.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 11:20:25 am
content: If they're what I think they are, they're called RolyKit cases, I still have a couple of those somewhere.

author: Wirehead
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 11:31:52 am
content: Lego, Lego Technics, Capsela.And some good screwdrivers. Nothing like taking stuff apart and tinkering with itMy dad used to do this with me, modifying non-powered toy cars and putting little motors and stuff in it

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 11:35:08 am
content: Capsela taught me a lot about mechanical stuff as a kid,Kenex, and lego where the 2 building blocks i grew up with, arguably i was thrown into the world of engineering with kenex, when my parents got me this monster,http://www.graysage.com/cg/Toys/KNex/Coaster/arguably looks like they still pop up on ebay for $100 USD,and then followed up a year later with thishttp://www.technicbricks.com/2012/09/tbs-techreview-18-concept-car-by.htmlThose 2, are the biggest standouts in my memory, and that lego car... my god the detail, an engine with a working camshaft, a fully working manual tranmission, fully articulated suspension, a differential and rack and pinion steering, and with me building it myself and comign to understand it all, that was a massive step forward.I have no idea what my parents paid for him, but i still have him on the shelf. the best toy car ever. add a servo and a DC motor and you have a lego RC car that can actually take a beating.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 01:16:00 pm
content: Quote from: ivaylo on January 31, 2017, 08:16:08 amNot entirely sure what this has to do with toys, but okay. You're sorta injecting a personal problem here.

author: phil
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 01:40:51 pm
content: I started with lego, too. But electronics came quickly afterwards, I was about 4-5 years old when my grandad built me custom "electronics bricks". They were pieces of wood with 4mm connectors and some simple circuits.A year later or so he built me a lab power supply (which I still have and use!) and handed me a soldering ironOf course I also blew stuff up - he would sit down with me to find out what went wrong, why it blew up and how to fix it.I guess, being creative may be key here. For me, a toy was always much more interesting if someone built it for me (or evenwithme!) instead of just going out and buying something. But times were different back then, no fancy smartphones and no such thing as this "internet"

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 02:15:09 pm
content: Lego, as others said. I think a model train set is even better. For sure I made my first "circuits" with them, but it invokes a lot of questions about motors ligths, AC, DC etc.

author: HoracioDos
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 02:24:31 pm
content: One of my favourite toys was Rasti. It's kind a cheap and low quality lego but it had motors and gear boxes. I still remember the first time I plugged the battery backwards. Also enjoyed to tinker with old stuff, I fixed a power plug when I was 5, then I lost myself. I guess the most import thing for kids is a positive environment.By the way, I don't like legos, It has very specific parts and many children don't like to dismount and rebuild. They like to watch the model in the shelves and you have to buy more of them. Also loved metal meccano and my bike, which I used to disassemble and build it all over again.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 03:56:45 pm
content: That's two things I sort left out. One was the wooden box I had with a bunch of old clocks that I took apart - wind up type clocks, not electric. Still fascinated by finely crafted gear mechanisms.And trains of course. Always been a train nut. We never had space for anything permanent, but we had a set up from Thanksgiving to after New Year. I remember once, I was about 6 or so, I got up on a Saturday morning to find my Dad had finished the loop of track, so I tried to run a train It stopped about halfway around. After much investigation I found where the missing pair of wires were, hooked it up, and had the train running when my Dad got home from work.

author: ivaylo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2017, 05:30:40 pm
content: Quote from: TwoOfFive on January 31, 2017, 01:16:00 pmJust in the news -https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/31/lego-life-is-a-new-social-network-where-kids-can-share-their-creations/. Lego get it... Never thought if your toy set is "social network-able" would be a consideration when buying it. If you are equipped to deal with it, ignore me. Apologies for injecting a personal problem...