Thames & Kosmos – Kids First: Robot Factory, Wacky Misfit, Rogue Robots STEM Experiment Kit, 567016 – RARE0049

Build a series of wacky, motorized robots with this introductory mechanical engineering kit for kids ages five and up. A beautifully illustrated 32-page storybook centers around the adventures of the Omegas the family of makers and engineers featured in other Kids First early engineering kits. This story takes the characters to a robot factory where the robots have gotten a little out of control. One by one, the robots are fixed up and put back into working order.

As they follow the story, kids can build models of eight different robots and experiment with them to see how each one uses the battery-powered motor, gears, and other mechanical parts. Each robot moves its arms or legs in a different way, creating funny walking and moving behaviors, and also teaching kids how simple mechanical systems work. Large, cubic plastic building pieces make it easy for small hands to put the models together. Robot Factory provides an engaging way to teach simple engineering concepts to young children, allowing parents, teachers, and caregivers to lay the groundwork for strong STEM-related skills and comprehension at an early age. Model building and experiments develop fine motor skills, mechanical engineering skills, visual-spatial skills, and reasoning and concept development skills.