Creativity For Kids Spark!Lab Smithsonian "Invent Fantastic Flying Machines" Model Kit

Invent fantastic flying machines is an all in one set with just about everything you need to build something that will fly (or not).To my way of thinking its greatest asset is teaching the child how to think, how to plan, how to work out on paper what they would like to do and then do it. It helps to how to make intelligent decisions as to what is likely to work. It provides limited guidance and useful materials.Children learn both by getting it right and by getting it wrong. There are NO instructions which I’ve come to think of as a good thing. I like that it gives more inspiration than step-by-step instructions.Adult supervision is required because, if left to their own devices, most children will want to rush towards immediate gratification and there really isn’t a single project that doesn’t require planning and logic—even the simplest parachute- based ones require that you pay attention to how the vehicle is balanced. Not hard to do, but not something you can be sloppy about.The weakest point in the set is the fact that so much of the kit is made up of very ordinary (and very inexpensive) materials that every household has. Things like plastic straws, tape, paper clips, rubber bands, markers, glue, and scissors. The kit should provide a list of these and, in three minutes flat any household can gather them together.The actually essential items that you’d have a hard time finding (like thick card stock sticks, an air pump, foil stickers, a helicopter propeller assembly, a propeller and so on should be provided in greater quantity or different sizes or with other accessories that would widen the experience. There is simply too much filler contributing to the cost, and not enough relevant materials that would contribute to the experience.Granted, it is convenient to have everything in one box and be ready to go from the time you open it. It also makes a great self-contained gift. But in a house like mine in which we have tons and reams of art supplies getting more was annoyingly redundant.Still, I have to confess, not only did my grandson thoroughly enjoy the experience, my husband was delighted to have something that they could share that wasn’t useless and that allowed for quiet, cooperative, and quality time spent together. I was instructed to try to find more of this type of kit and I’m on the project.

This was fun. There are materials enough for several attempts and multiple participants. There is a tiny bit of history, a tiny bit of science, and mostly just exploration. Since it is marketed as a creativity project vs a science kit, this is acceptable.Three of my children (6, 8, and 11) used this and continued to think of new ideas and try new designs for 6 hours before I forced them away to do chores. They pulled out a book on Leonardo to see his designs. They tried the examples in the included booklet. They tried to apply what they know of aerodynamics.The only thing I would want to add is more explanation of the science of flight. It was disappointing to them when their designs utterly failed. More understanding of what creates lift, maybe some paper airplane designs that illustrate the concepts, or even just explanation of what makes the ideas they include work, would be nice to help them be successful and make more sense of what they experience.

I admit, this kit surprised me. When I opened it, the first thing I did was look for instructions. Although there are examples of what to do with the contents, there are no specific instructions. I thought to myself that my grandkids wouldn't go for something that didn't show them step-by-step what to do. Boy, was I wrong! First, my 4 year old granddaughter opened the box, asked me what it was, and I told her it was to make "flying machines". That's all she needed! She was folding and attaching and rubber banding and very soon, shooting her "flying machine" across the family room. Then my 10 year old grandson got in on the action, and he had even more fun coming up with different ways to use the wide variety of contents. They sat and played with this toy for several hours together, showing off their inventions, offering suggestions to each other. It was wonderful to watch those imaginations go to work, and made me realize that it may just be a GREAT thing to have no instructions included!