Hi there fellows and ladies.
My son just recently turned 9 years old and this year, instead of the usual video game, skateboard, DVDs, or board game useless junk that he quickly bores with I got him some electronics projects.
**broken link removed**
I got him this simple robot kit which uses IR diodes to drive a BJT H-bridge through a comparitor configured op-amp. Simple circuit and even I enjoyed helping him build the bot....(Though I got the connector for the battery pack backwards on the first go, which had interesting results because the circuit tapped 4.5 and 6 volts from a 4-battery (1.5v each) configuration. One motor ran no matter which way the power switch was set and the other didn't run at all!!! LOL, took me a few minutes to think it through.)
He learned a few new words, though he didn't quite get them (transmister, compaticer, dye-o...very cute)
**broken link removed**
I also got him one of those 300-in-1 electronics lab kits. We built the first project, the chirping bird which is a simple audio oscillator whose frequency is determined by the light sensor. I can't remember just now if its a resistor or diode used as the sensor. I'm not at home to look.
We also built the AM crystal radio with the germanium rectifier, but no luck finding a suitable earth ground for the antenna so he wasn't impressed!!!
Anyway, it was difficult keeping him attentive and truly interested. My son is VERY sharp, a quick learner. But I wonder if this is still a bit over his head. He gets impatient and only seems interested in the "finished product" and not the pieces that make up the whole and how they all work.
My goal here is not so much to inspire a future design engineer as much as fostering analytical thinking abilities, an interest in science in general, and practical skills that will help him with any career.
I confess my own father never spent much time doing that kind of thing. He did teach me to use a lawn mower if that counts
Am I going about this the wrong way? Can anyone share their experiences with their children???
If I could get him interested and spark a desire, I think I could pass my knowledge along and give him a superior head-start toward an engineering career.
My son just recently turned 9 years old and this year, instead of the usual video game, skateboard, DVDs, or board game useless junk that he quickly bores with I got him some electronics projects.
**broken link removed**
I got him this simple robot kit which uses IR diodes to drive a BJT H-bridge through a comparitor configured op-amp. Simple circuit and even I enjoyed helping him build the bot....(Though I got the connector for the battery pack backwards on the first go, which had interesting results because the circuit tapped 4.5 and 6 volts from a 4-battery (1.5v each) configuration. One motor ran no matter which way the power switch was set and the other didn't run at all!!! LOL, took me a few minutes to think it through.)
He learned a few new words, though he didn't quite get them (transmister, compaticer, dye-o...very cute)
**broken link removed**
I also got him one of those 300-in-1 electronics lab kits. We built the first project, the chirping bird which is a simple audio oscillator whose frequency is determined by the light sensor. I can't remember just now if its a resistor or diode used as the sensor. I'm not at home to look.
We also built the AM crystal radio with the germanium rectifier, but no luck finding a suitable earth ground for the antenna so he wasn't impressed!!!
Anyway, it was difficult keeping him attentive and truly interested. My son is VERY sharp, a quick learner. But I wonder if this is still a bit over his head. He gets impatient and only seems interested in the "finished product" and not the pieces that make up the whole and how they all work.
My goal here is not so much to inspire a future design engineer as much as fostering analytical thinking abilities, an interest in science in general, and practical skills that will help him with any career.
I confess my own father never spent much time doing that kind of thing. He did teach me to use a lawn mower if that counts
Am I going about this the wrong way? Can anyone share their experiences with their children???
If I could get him interested and spark a desire, I think I could pass my knowledge along and give him a superior head-start toward an engineering career.
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