As part of my mHUB residency, I plan to highlight some of the members and the cool work they're doing. I also expect to interview Chicago Makers and local women in STEM. First up is Joseph Greer, founder of MakeXchange, which recently launched an electronics invention set for beginners. I met Joe last summer when he first joined the mHUB community. It's been exciting to see his idea come to fruition in the last nine months. You can meet Joe ... [ Read More ]
A Tale of Two Subscription Boxes
I'm reviewing two different subscriptions kits today: Maker Box and Stem Box. Please note that I was sent these for review and these are past, not current, versions of the boxes. Please also note, this is no smackdown as the products are not equals. The Maker Box is for teens on up and Stem Box is designed for tween girls. Still, if I had to pick a winner, it would be The Maker Box, so let's start there. Maker Box Maker Box is a quarterly ... [ Read More ]
Girls Can! Crate
It seems like there's a proliferation of subscription boxes for kids these days. It's fun to have something arrive in the mail that will provide a few hours of fun, or at least a bad weather day distraction for the kids. And from their perspective, it's like getting a cool new present every month. The latest box to enter the fray is the engaging and informative Girls Can! Crate, designed with an eye on young girls ages 4-8 years old. Girls Can ... [ Read More ]
DIY Gamer Kit Review
Lucas the Maker Kid is back. This time, he's sharing a DIY Gamer Kit review based on the product from the British Company, Technology Will Save Us. It's an item I was offered for review and sent along to him for the kids-eye view. DIY Gamer Kit Review Last year, I bought the DIY Gamer Kit by Technology Will Save Us from the Exploratorium store in San Francisco. My kit did not come pre-soldered, meaning I would have to solder all the parts ... [ Read More ]
Chemistry for Girls Beyond Sparkle Science: It’s STEM Girl Friday!
It's STEM Girl Friday and National Chemistry Week is just around the corner. It's the perfect time to review the Yellow Scope Science Kit for Girls. I've written about this STEM mom-run company in the past. They sent me a kit many months ago, but with two teen boys in the house, I felt I needed a guest reviewer. My friend Rachel Nador, of the super cool cell mosaic project, and her daughter stepped up to the plate. Read on to see why this product ... [ Read More ]
Marbleocity DIY Roller Coaster Kit by Tinkineer
I wasn't able to attend the World Maker Faire in New York City, but at I did get to try one of the hot products that debuted there, Marbleocity. The folks at Tinkineer reached out the me to review their Mini Coaster (currently selling for $30 on Kickstarter). They had me at DIY marble roller coaster. My boys are teens now, but they when they were young, my little engineers loved making marble roller coasters and watching them in ... [ Read More ]
Teknikio’s E-Textile Kit
I'd been itching to dabble in e-textiles, or electronic textiles, when I was offered a review kit from Teknikio early this year. They've since rebranded ans switched things up a bit so this is sort of two reviews in one. Teknikio is a new small business helping kids (of all ages) expand their ability to design and engineer amazing things. I think kits are great for exploring new hobbies and the $15 Fabtronic Sewing Set is no ... [ Read More ]