Move over, Tony Stark — you aren’t the only one building up cool, robotic gadgets.
Thanks to Thames & Kosmos, kids can build up the ultimate blaster that they can wear like a glove on their hand. The Ultra Bionic Blaster kit features 100 pieces that kids can use to build up their very own air-powered, robotic glove that launches foam darts. As they work their way through the building process, they’ll learn all about pneumatics (technologies that use pressurized air to perform actions) and other cool mechanisms that work together to make the blaster work. Curious kids and those with engineering minds will love to watch the machine come together as they build.
The kit is designed for kids ages 10 and up, but it’s a good build for tweens and teenagers, too. Younger kids may need a little help from an adult as they work through the build. With more than 100 pieces, parents can be sure that this kit also serves as a great activity to keep kids busy and engaged, in addition to resulting in a very cool end product.
A heads up that the build itself is meant to challenge kids! It will take some time, as kids will be learning how things work together to make the working machine along the way. It may be helpful to have something like a nail file on hand, so when you’re cutting the plastic pieces apart to build, you can make sure that they all fit. There is also an included oil packet that will help make the build go more smoothly — do not ignore the oil packet; the oil packet is your friend.
Once the blaster is built up, kids can strap it to their wrist. Pull the first trigger to cause the scissor arm to lift up the barrels and launch the first dart; then, pull the trigger two more times to launch the next two darts. The included reserve clip makes it easy for kids to reload. The whole play experience is kid-powered — no batteries or motors required to function.
If you have kids that tend to gravitate toward STEM toys, that love to build and a challenge, or are really into fun blasters, this is the kit for your family. Kids will love the process and the end result, and parents will love the play value and added STEM learning benefits. Truly a win-win for the whole household!