Easy electronics projects for kids and teens, with 3D-printed cases

The short answer

The maker ladder, step by step

Kids stay hooked when every project works. The ladder at the top of this page adds one new idea per step, so nothing arrives at once: first code, then circuits, then tools, then the internet.

1. Click-together kits (from age 8)

A board with the screen already on it drops into a printed case. Kids print the parts, press them together and load the program from a web page. They learn what a program does by changing one number and seeing what happens. PrintPal's build guides are written this way, with "try it" challenges in every lesson.

2. Blocks and simulators (from age 8)

The BBC micro:bit has an LED grid, buttons, a motion sensor, a speaker and a microphone built in, so kids can code before they wire anything. MakeCode uses drag-and-drop blocks and shows a working micro:bit on screen. Wokwi and Tinkercad Circuits do the same for Arduino and ESP32 circuits.

3. Breadboard circuits (from about 10)

A breadboard holds parts and wires with friction, so mistakes are free. An Arduino Uno R4 runs at 5 V like most beginner parts, and three parts (an LED, a button and a buzzer) are enough for a real game.

4. Soldering (from about 12, with an adult)

Soldering makes a project permanent and opens up LED strips and sensors without headers. It needs a stand for the iron, eye protection and ventilation. An adult should be in the room for the first sessions.

5. Wi-Fi gadgets and their own case (from about 14)

ESP32 boards join Wi-Fi, fetch the weather, serve web pages and talk to phones. Teens can design the enclosure themselves and follow our Arduino and ESP32 projects guide.

No-wiring builds kids can finish in an afternoon

Each of these PrintPal build guides has the printable case, a parts list, photo steps, short lessons with challenges, and a button that loads the program from Chrome or Edge.

No soldering Slab eyes Cartoon eyes in a tiny printed case that look around, blink, wink and doze off on their own. Beginner45 min$18ESP32-C6 slab Open the build guide No soldering Lucky slab slot machine A hand-sized slot machine with a real printed lever and three neon reels. Beginner45 min$18ESP32-C6 slab Open the build guide No soldering Split-flap departure slab A desk-sized airport departures board where flights click in letter by letter. Beginner45 min$20ESP32-C6 slab Open the build guide No soldering DVD screensaver slab The bouncing DVD logo plus a running dino and a space invader, in a printed stand. Beginner45 min$20ESP32-C6 slab Open the build guide No soldering Music Play Pal Shows the song playing on your PC with the album cover spinning like a record. One USB-C cable, no Wi-Fi. Beginner30 min$20ESP32-C6 slab Open the build guide No soldering Desk command slab Three pages on a tiny desk brick: a clock, today's weather, and a message you type on your phone. Intermediate1h 10m$20ESP32-C6 slab Open the build guide No soldering Desk Pal buddy A desk pet with big eyes and real moods that reacts to taps, pets and shakes, and reminds you to drink water. Beginner45 min$32ESP32-S3 round touch Open the build guide No soldering Desk Pal fortune 8-ball A printed magic 8-ball: ask a question, shake or tap, and an answer swirls up. Beginner45 min$30ESP32-S3 round touch Open the build guide No soldering Desk Pal touch doodle A round finger-painting pad: draw with a fingertip, hold still to change ink, shake to erase. Beginner40 min$30ESP32-S3 round touch Open the build guide No soldering Desk Pal plane radar A radar scope that shows real planes flying near your home, with their callsigns. Intermediate1h 30m$32ESP32-S3 round touch Open the build guide

A first real circuit: the reaction-time game

Three parts, seven wires and about 40 lines of code make a game kids will play for an hour: wait for the light, press as fast as you can, beat your record. It teaches what a circuit is, why LEDs need resistors and how a computer measures time.

const int LED = 8;
const int BUTTON = 2;      // button to GND: pressed reads LOW
const int BUZZER = 5;      // a passive piezo buzzer

unsigned long best = 0;

void setup() {
  pinMode(LED, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(BUTTON, INPUT_PULLUP);
  Serial.begin(9600);
  randomSeed(analogRead(A0));                 // an unconnected pin gives a noisy seed
  Serial.println("Press the button when the light comes on!");
}

void loop() {
  delay(1000);
  Serial.println("Get ready...");
  unsigned long wait = random(1500, 5000);    // 1.5 to 5 seconds, so nobody can guess
  unsigned long start = millis();
  while (millis() - start < wait) {
    if (digitalRead(BUTTON) == LOW) {         // pressed too early
      Serial.println("Too soon! Wait for the light.");
      tone(BUZZER, 200, 400);
      delay(1500);
      return;
    }
  }

  digitalWrite(LED, HIGH);
  unsigned long lit = millis();
  while (digitalRead(BUTTON) == HIGH) {}      // wait for the press
  unsigned long ms = millis() - lit;
  digitalWrite(LED, LOW);
  tone(BUZZER, 1500, 100);

  Serial.print("Your time: ");
  Serial.print(ms);
  Serial.println(" ms");
  if (best == 0 || ms < best) {
    best = ms;
    Serial.println("New record!");
  }
  while (digitalRead(BUTTON) == LOW) {}       // wait until the button is let go
}

Coding with no wires: a micro:bit dice

from microbit import *
import random

while True:
    if accelerometer.was_gesture('shake'):
        display.show(random.randint(1, 6))
        sleep(1500)
        display.clear()
    sleep(50)

Try it free in a simulator first

Simulators let kids test code and wiring before any parts arrive, and nothing can burn out.

Kids designing their own cases

The moment a child prints a case they designed, the project becomes theirs. Tinkercad is the place to start: free, ad-free, kidSAFE and COPPA certified, and built from boxes, cylinders and holes. Teachers can add students with just a nickname and a class code, with no email address, in classes of up to 250, and Safe Mode is on by default.

• Measure first. A cheap pair of digital calipers teaches more about design than any tutorial.
• Leave room. Add about 0.3 mm around a board so it slides in without force.
• Print small tests. Print just the corner with the USB hole before printing the whole box.

PrintPal's free makers turn a few choices into a printable model, which is a fun way in before CAD:

Flexi model creator Print-in-place articulated animals. Kids favourite Fidget clicker maker Design a clicky fidget toy. Kids favourite Name plate generator Multi-color name plates and desk signs. Free Desk Pal maker Design a printed head for the round ESP32-S3 screen. ESP32-S3

Safety rules for young makers

• Stay on USB power for the first projects. USB is 5 V and limited; mains electricity is never a kids' project.
• Treat lithium batteries with respect. Use protected cells and a proper charger, never puncture or crush them, and charge only at room temperature.
• 3D printers are hot. The nozzle runs at around 200 °C or more. Do not touch it, and keep long hair back.
• Do not leave a printer running unattended, and print in a ventilated room. UL's guidance applies at home and in classrooms.
• Start with PLA, which generally emits less than ABS or nylon.

For parents and teachers

• Cost per child: about $20 to $32 for a click-together build, $20 for a micro:bit Go bundle, and about $25 for an Arduino starter circuit. Boards are reusable from project to project.
• Free software all the way: MakeCode, Tinkercad, Wokwi's Community tier, Arduino IDE and the Arduino Cloud free plan (2 Things, 25 compiles a day).
• One printer serves a class. The click-together cases take 10 to 25 g of PLA each.
• Teach the debugging habit: check the cable, check the port, read the error, change one thing at a time.

Frequently asked questions