In honor of Back to School month here at Adafruit, here are some of our top picks from the Adafruit site!
Adafruit ARDX – v1.3 Experimentation Kit for Arduino (Uno R3): Interested in making neat stuff with an Arduino but not sure where to start? This kit includes all the pieces needed to complete 11 different circuits, along with a experimenter’s guide booklet & breadboard layout sheets. Basically everything you need to be playing within minutes of its arrival. No soldering required! Read more.
Raspberry Pi Model B Starter Pack – Includes a Raspberry Pi: You want to get hacking with your Pi fast, right? Get everything you need to start with the Adafruit Starter Pack for Raspberry Pi. It’s the perfect accompaniment to your new Pi, everything you need to get a distro image loaded and running. We pre-assemble the Cobbler for you, no soldering required. Read more.
Parallax BOEBot Robot for Arduino Kit: This kit brings the excellent design and tutorials of Parallax to the Arduino world. Make your Arduino the onboard brain of a mobile robot and learn robotics, electronics, and programming with this versatile kit and its accompanying step-by-step lessons. The Board of Education Shield plugs into your own Arduino (not included) and mounts on the popular Boe-Bot robot chassis. Read more.
MaKey MaKey by Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum – Made by JoyLabz: MaKey MaKey is an invention kit for the 21st century. Turn everyday objects into touchpads and combine them with the internet. It’s a simple Invention Kit for Beginners and Experts doing art, engineering, and everything in between. MaKey MaKey was invented by Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum & Made by JoyLabz. Find out more details at makeymakey.com or watch the video at makeymakey.com. Read more.
littleBits Deluxe Kit: The littleBits Deluxe Kit is the biggest collection of Bits modules ever made, allowing creators young and old to create more complex and intricate projects than ever before! It has 18 color-coded modules that snap together with magnets to make over 5 million possible simple and complex circuit combinations. The Deluxe Kit was designed for endless hours of fun and includes both the DC motor (with motorMate accessory) and servo motor (with servo accessories), a wide assortment of wire modules like the fork, inverter and latch, as well as the timeout and light wire Bits modules. The Deluxe Kit is a well-stocked littleBits collection just by itself and includes everything you need to start designing and prototyping your own interactive creations, including a 9V battery and an attractive, re-usable case. There is also an expansive project booklet with step-by-step instructions for 15 spectacular projects like the Unihorn Helmet and the famous Swimming Shark. The Deluxe Kit is a long-term investment in creativity! Read more.
The Maker’s Notebook: The best notebook on earth, The Maker’s Notebook. From the creators of Make Magazine comes the Maker’s Notebook. Put your own ideas, diagrams, calculations & notes down in these 150 pages of engineering graph paper. We’ve also included 20 bonus pages of reference material, from useful stuff like electronics symbols, resistor codes, weights and measures, basic conversions and more, to really useful stuff like the amount of caffeine in different caffeinated beverages and how to say “Hello, World!” in various computer languages. The covers of this hardcover book are printed in cyan “Maker” blue with a white grid debossed front and back. Grab one today! Read more.
Coloring book – “Ladyada’s E is for electronics”: Ladyada’s “E is for Electronics” is a coloring book adventure with electronic components and their inventors.
Makers of all ages can learn, color, and share common parts and historical figures throughout history. Explore the world of electronics with Ladyada as your guide! Read more.
Python for Kids – A Playful Introduction to Programming: Python for Kids brings Python to life and brings you (and your parents) into the world of programming. The ever-patient Jason R. Briggs will guide you through the basics as you experiment with unique (and often hilarious) example programs that feature ravenous monsters, secret agents, thieving ravens, and more. New terms are defined; code is colored, dissected, and explained; and quirky, full-color illustrations keep things on the lighter side. Read more.
Collin’s Lab: Collin is here to explain the basics of electronics from using a multimeter to learning how to solder. Check out all of Collin’s Lab’s videos in the Adafruit Learning System here!
Adafruit Skill Badges: Reward yourself, or your Maker friend, with Adafruit Skill Badges. They’re the best way to show off your projects and skills! Open Source Hardware, HTML5, Perl, even Brewing are just a few examples of the array of iron-on patches that we carry. Earn and share badges as topics you’ve mastered – and display them proudly on your backpacks, messenger bags, and sashes. Read more.
August is Back to School Month here at Adafruit! Each day we’ll be bringing you a post for educators on the blog. Stay tuned for product guides, tutorials from the Adafruit Learning System, and inspiration from around the web! Get started by checking out Adafruit’s educational resources, such as our kits and project packs, suggested products for young engineers, and an extensive selection of books to help you learn!
