Thames & Kosmos Solar Bots: 8-in-1 Solar Robot Kit, Ages 6+

This was a gift for friends with children. They used it as their science project. The kids loved it

my daughter loved spending time with Dad putting this Robot together. She worked on making the spider and was thrilled when it was complete. Very cute and tons of fun. The solar panel works great, all parts are well-made, impressed!

Great toy for kids and parents with patience. The motor assembly definitely will take a teen to a parents attention. The various setups work flawless if you follow the steps on the manual. The manual itself is very clear and shows the exacts. Make sure to have a nail file or a nail cutter would do it too. Each peace is crucial so assemble in a clutter free area with ample time, the outcome is amazing in full sun. It's fragile so don't leave in the sun or in the elements. Recommended for solar power toys.

The Thames & Kosmos Solarbots Robot Kit has detailed instructions on how to build a solar robot. This kit has 194 pieces that are anchored to plastic to be taken out piece by piece as needed. The pieces are pretty easy to find and take a little time to get out of the plastic. The book is very detailed and has instructions for 8 solarbots using the same solar panel. There is an introduction in the book of each solarbot with it's skills listed and some notes about each solarbot. It's fun to read about each solarbot and then decide which solarbot to put together. The first thing that needs to be done is to assemble the gearbox then use the gearbox to assemble each model. The solarbot has to be taken apart each time to assemble another one but the gearbox stays together. The gearbox needs to be tested in direct sunlight and if it's put together correctly the motorshaft should start spinning. There is a part separator tool that it comes with and it helps disassemble various parts. It makes it much easier to take apart the solarbot to build another version. The book has some interesting facts about solar energy and the solarbots are a great way for kids to learn about it.

Hey these are fun. We received these and decided to make a family affair putting them together and playing with them. Our 6 year old and 12 year old grandsons were right there very interested in these. The parts seem to be well made and do go together ok. Some are a bit tighter then ithers but that happens with all toys it seems. I did think they would be a bit larger but they are still fine being smaller. I think the best part is being solar. No batteries to purchase. Time will tell how long they will work re energizing. The younger one has had fun taking them apart and rebuilding them. Good for motor skills. This is a good toy. It teaches about solar. It teaches building. It teaches patience. I would buy again. Also when finished they look nice on the shelf between playing with them.

The kids had a lot of fun putting this kit together. And felt that they really accomplished something when done. It says for 6 and up. Had a 9 year old doing it and still needed adult help.But that also gives everyone a challenge in building it. That's the only reason for a 4 star. Other wise a fun little vehicle to play with. Seems real sturdy. It does take direct sunlight to make it work. I would recommend these as long as the kids have some help.

My nine year old granddaughter loves LEGO’s so I thought she might enjoy this STEM toy by Thames and Kosmos. The instructions are clear so that’s a big help. The pieces are very small . Once we had everything laid out on the table and she started working on it, then it came together fast . If she needed help once or twice I got her 12 yr. old brother. My job was to cut the pieces off the plastic sheet and hand them to her. It takes patience to work on this project and although I don’t possess that quality my granddaughter does and whipped through the Armadillo in a little over an hour. I rated this 4 stars because I’m not sure if a 6 or 7 yr. old could assemble this by themselves.

This kit was easy and fun to build with my six year old. He was able to get the pieces together and the instructions were clear and easy to follow. It's good for an afternoon of play and for those kiddos who enjoy building and constructing things. I don't recommend mainly because the main draw is the solar power aspect, but we found that the solar power array is very weak. You need absolute full bright sun to give it enough power to actually life its own weight. Not partial sun, not the slightest bit overcast, full sun. It says you can charge it with interior lights that are 100 watts but we found that again it wasn't enough to really charge it enough to do what it is supposed to do. A better quality solar panel would have really improved the experience, as it's a little disappointing to build these and not be able to see it do what it's supposed to do.

this is a complete waste of time and money. very small parts, instructions very poor, very weak motor, parts hard to handle, do not buy

This was a good idea, but the execution didn't work very well. The motor doesn't work. I doubled checked it, using direct sunlight, on a clear day. Nothing. I did probe the solar cell with a voltmeter, and I did get some voltage, but they didn't give any details on the motor or cell. Too bad. I received this item as a part of a review program.