Solar Energy Science Kits and Solar Toys

Many of us have had some limited exposure to solar energy systems or products and know that solar energy will play an even greater role in our children's future.  Given this one of the best science activities you can find for kids are easy to use kits for kids where they can experiment with solar electricity.  These kits and toys can make great birthday presents and Christmas gifts and, unlike a lot of toys, require no batteries!

Solar Energy Science Kits

There are a great number of solar science kits on the market which can provide a wide spectra of activities for kids while teaching them the basic concepts behind solar energy.  In most kits there are experiments that allow children to use small solar cells to create electricity and power simple mechanical devices. Some kits are designed to allow a child to carry out a single project such as building a solar powered car.  Others are broader in scope (and more expensive) and allow children to use the solar cells to build and customize many different types of machines.  A couple of the kits are somewhat miniaturized versions of a solar home which struck us as interesting, particularly for those who might be thinking of adding solar to their real home.  A bit more bizarre were the kits that let you build solar-powered windmills.  Seems to us a toy windmill should be wind powered, not solar powered.  Silly us!

Not all of the kits are based around solar photovoltaic energy.  We have found a few kits that address solar thermal energy as well.  One of the better kits covers the history of solar heating and lets you experiment to improve heating efficiency. It includes a gravity-fed water system with a small solar collector which can be used to test and record data on heating capabilities. The lessons allow you to determine heating potentials, background reflection-absorption abilities and thermal transfer.  A bit more advanced but appropriate for older kids.  It probably could come in handy at one of those science fairs.

Most of these toys are designed for children 8 years and older.  One thing to keep in mind is that many of the mechanical project parts are very light weight given that the solar motors are small and so they are potentially breakable. If your child is a bit heavy handed when playing with toys you might want to supervise them when using these activities. Nearly all of the educational kits we have reviewed come with educational documentation that explains the basic concepts of photovoltaic cells and most also touch upon the nature of the energy within light.  In reviewing the solar science kits that are on the market we found that the kits with the most polished booklets tended to be both the most popular and the most effective. Also, for those of you who may be looking to use the kits as part of a school or home school science program, there are several kits that not only include booklets but a few which include lesson plans for science education as well.

One note of caution.  Many of the solar educational kits are imported.  We found the kits imported from Europe, particularly some of the ones from Germany, to be of excellent quality. However on some of the kits from Asia the print materials supporting the kits were minimal and did not always appear to reflect high quality translations to English. 

Types of Solar Toys

In addition to the kits there are also numerous solar toys on the market.  While some of these make some attempt at being educational most are just intended to be fun.  We have been impressed by the creativity and ingenuity behind many of these toys.  A number of the toys are transportation oriented and include a lot of futuristic looking cars and boats.  Some are pre-built with the solar cell already in them while others are kits you can put together.  We suspect that building the cars will be more fun. Some of the car kits also included multiple gears which is a great way for kids to begin learning about the concepts of gears and ratios.  As for boats we were impressed by one kit that let you build a solar powered boat using empty plastic soda bottles for flotation and a solar powered fan for an engine.  Very clever. Another theme with solar toys are animals.  There are a variety of solar bugs, frogs, cats and dogs all powered by solar cells.  And if your kids are more mechanically inclined there are some not too menacing solar robots as well.

If you need a toy for the somewhat older set (think teenagers and grownups) one of our favorite gifts was a solar powered headphone radio.  The solar cells are built into the top of the headset band and charged the built-in batteries.  For those of you who like gadgets there are a variety of solar powered sculptures and figurines.  Can you believe solar powered bobble head figurines?  For something more practical there are some fairly useful items such as solar calculators, solar watches, solar radios and solar flashlights.

Where to Find Solar Science Kits and Toys

Solar powered toys and gadgets are available on the Web and can be found at most major toy stores.  We have seen some available at Toys R Us but you may find their selection is somewhat limited. We have had better luck either looking online or at specialty toy stores that sell science related toys. Good luck and may the sun be with you!