1. Technology Will Save Us DIY Gamer Kit
The DIY Gamer Kit asks players to construct their own Game Boy–size console before they can (once again) get addicted to Snake. Ambitious users can hack together more sophisticated games, and then wirelessly connect and compete with fellow gamers. ($80)
2. Kano DIY Computer Kit
With this build-your-own computer–which cofounder Alex Klein calls “as intuitive as a Lego set”–Kano wants to demystify the inner workings of our favorite gadgets. Once assembled, Kano syncs with a monitor or TV screen, and a dead-simple manual gets kids coding software. ($99)
3. LittleBits Synth Kit
LittleBits first launched with a kit that taught kids basic electronics. Now it’s expanding, with this music-making Synth Kit that uses magnets–not cords–to create instruments. Magnets make it easy to swap out pieces and replace sounds in just seconds, so “there are very few opportunities to make a mistake,” says the company’s product manager, Paul Rothman. ($159)