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Kids build your own computer kits are a great way to develop a whole host of STEM skills. Not only because assembling the computers can develop your understanding of how electrical circuits and components function, but also because many kits also feature coding tutorials and challenges suitable for any age, from kids through to teens and adults.

We love what these companies are doing to educate people in the area of computer science, but we aren’t the only ones! Some of the kits have been endorsed by some pretty big names in the tech world – more on this below. After thorough research, we think the Piper Computer Kit is the best Build-Your-Own Computer kit for most ages. However, everyone has different criteria for making choices – read on for our recommended DIY computer kits for kids & adults in 2020 for learning how to build and program computers.

Build Your Own Computer Kits for Kids

The first couple of build your own computer kits here are targeted at a slightly younger audience than the second two. As such, the builds are a bit simpler, with less fiddly parts and a story line style tutorial to guide you through assembling the little computers.

Additionally, the components are bright and colorful with no soldering required to put them together, so they are both safe and engaging for kids. Let’s take a closer look at three of our favorite build your own computers kits for kids this year.

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The Kano computer kit came into being because one of the co-founders cousins, 7 year old Micah, had a desire to build his own computer. In the video below, little Micah is seen sitting with a huge ‘Raspberry Pi for Dummies’ textbook and a Raspberry Pi board (a mini computer) when he says ‘I want you to make this as simple and fun as Lego’. So that was the challenge – to make a computer kit that was both easy and enjoyable to put together, but also educational.

Alex and Saul Klein got to work on building the kit, which saw them turn to Kickstarter for funding roughly one year in. To say the campaign was a success would be a huge understatement. Looking for an initial investment of only $100,000, Kano ended up raising $1.5 million and getting backed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler!

Production went into full swing and Kano Computer Kits now find themselves in thousands of schools, coding clubs and homes around the world.

So that’s a brief history of Kano, but what’s it all about? Firstly, kids have to assemble their computers through following a fun and interactive story book tutorial. Staying true to the initial goals, the parts easily snap together and there is no complicated wiring or soldering involved.

Although, for kids with some prior experience or older kids, the assembly may be a bit simplified. If this is the case, you may want to consider some of the more advanced kits below.

Once assembled, it’s time to plug in the Kano to a monitor via HDMI. Depending on the kit you bought, the monitor might be included, but otherwise you will need your own. Next it’s time to learn to code!

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Another book is designed to guide kids through coding simple games like Snake and Pong, as well as ‘hacking’ and adding mods to Minecraft. The Kano also has a speaker to add that extra bit of guidance. Kids can learn how to program art, animations, music and more, as well as browse the web.

But it isn’t all just games! Kano makes use of real coding languages like Python and Javascript used in App and web development, so kids can actually develop useful skills. We totally love this kit from Kano and firmly believe it is one of the best build your own computer kits for kids out there.

If your kid gets on well with it, there is also a motion sensor add on – though this comes with the Complete Kit, and Pixel Kit add on for experimenting with programming LED lights.

For Hogwarts fans, or parents looking for a highly affordable entry into building and coding from this company, have a look at our thoughts on the Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit.

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The Piper Computer Kit is another set inspired by the ease and simplicity of Lego and Minecraft. Piper believe one of the secrets to creativity is confidence. With Lego, it’s so easy to snap pieces together and build what your imagination tells you too, and Minecraft is almost the digital version of this. Piper aims to bring down the barriers that prevent kids creating with technology by building an experience that simplifies the whole process and makes it easy to get started.

Similar to Kano, Piper also ran a successful Kickstarter campaign and received compliments from Wozniak who said “I love Piper because it represents what enabled me to do all the great technology things in my life.” The company also claim that Elon Musk’s kids love the kit!

It is also similar in that the focus is on building your own computer then learning to code. Although, the assembly is a little more complex, with kids tasked with putting together a lovely hand-crafted wooden computer case. It also comes with a lot more components including LED lights, motion sensors, buzzers, buttons and switches. As such, it might suit a slightly older age range.

When you open the kit you will be greeted with a ‘top secret’ letter, which tells kids they are about to embark on a serious mission to prevent earth being hit by an asteroid. Then they have to assemble the ‘control station’ by following the instructions on the giant blueprint map.

When you boot up, an animation begins where we meet Pip and Piperbot, who have just received a call from mission control. Next, the story line guides you through assembling the rest of the components through challenges and tutorials in a Minecraft styled interface.

The programming element allows kids to customize and create in Minecraft, program other sensors and electrical components and more. Again, the Piper makes use of Python and Java coding languages, as well as the graphical programming interface Scratch. You can also browse the internet and run other normal computer functions like creating documents and spreadsheets, as well as find more ideas on the Piper YouTube Channel.

It’s similar to Kano in a lot of ways, but there are still pros and cons to both sets. We like how every Piper kit includes an LCD, compared with Kano where it only comes with the Complete Kit. Although, if you already have a monitor you might prefer not to pay for an extra one!

2019 Edition – The new Piper Computer Kit 2 features updates such as:

11 hands-on coding projects

a “Bot-builder” game mode

an expanded creative mode

Personally, we find using a mouse for dragging and dropping elements way easier than using a trackpad, so it is nice that Piper comes with a mouse. However, the Piper kit does not come with a keyboard and you will need to connect your own to begin writing programs, whilst the Kano does include its own. Whether any of these points will bother you will likely depend on the hardware you already have, but either way these are both great computer kits for kids.

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Developed by non-profit organisation Boolean Girl, the Boolean Box is a build your own computer kit for girls designed to teach coding and electronics through fun and interactive projects. The company also provide a range of summer camps and clubs aimed at getting more girls interested in STEM, which has given them the ideal platform to test and perfect the kit.

Apart from a monitor, the Boolean Box comes with everything you need to assemble your own computer and begin learning to program. This includes a wireless keyboard & mouse, Raspberry Pi microcontroller, a breadboard for electronics projects, plus electrical components such as wires, buttons, lights and resistors. Although it doesn’t come with a screen, it can plug into a TV via HDMI.

There are loads of coding projects for kids to get stuck into on the Boolean website. Through fun challenges, they can learn how to code their own video games, create animations and explore physical computing programming with lights, switches, sound and more. Similar to Kano, total beginners can start programming with Scratch – a drag and drop coding interface with blocks. Then they can progress to text based coding with the widely used programming language Python.

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Although this is marketed as a girls DIY computer kit, we see no real reason why it would not appeal to boys as well. We think the kit is fantastic value and view it a great starting project for kids 8 and up to get into computing and electronics. See more suggestions on STEM toys for girls here.

DIY Computer Kits for Teens & Adults

Whilst the build your own computer kits above do have options to get into some more advanced coding concepts, the story lines and basic designs likely won’t appeal to older kids and adults. There also isn’t much in the way of electrical engineering, it’s more of an assembly rather than an actual build! The DIY computer kits below offer a bit more in this area, read on for details.

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The Super Starter Learning Kit is another Raspberry Pi based computer kit from electronics education company SunFounder. It is focused around assembling electrical components and then programming them with the Pi. These include lots of different color LEDs, buttons, a DC motor, switches, a buzzer, a small LCD screen, a fan and more, plus all the necessary wiring. For the price paid, we really think this build your own computer kit is incredibly good value!

The programming element is taught through a 123 page illustrated instruction book, although SunFounder also provide additional documentation online. Within the book, you can find an introduction to all the components, as well as 17 projects to learn how it all works. These include controlling LEDs in lots of different ways, controlling the buzzer, experimenting with switches, learning how to drive a DC motor and controlling the LCD screen.

The projects start simple and progress to more advanced concepts, but this is only an introduction. There is so much you can do with Raspberry Pi, but it’s up to you to experiment and discover. You can even use it to build an electric skateboard or your own gameboy! Check out some awesome project ideas here.

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The Elegoo Mega 2560 Project is similar to the SunFounder kit in a lot of ways, but it is powered by Arduino rather than Raspberry Pi. What’s the difference, I hear you say?

Well, a Pi is a general purpose mini computer that is able to run multiple programs at once, whereas an Arduino is a microcontroller motherboard. This basically means it is a simple computer that is best suited to running single programs like opening and closing a garage door or operating a simple robot. As such, it is better for simpler tasks and a good choice for beginners.

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This kit is also great value, coming with tons of components including a microcontroller, a small LCD display, motors, lots of LEDs, a photo-resistor, switches, sound and motion sensors, buzzers, plus temperature and humidity modules! It also includes all the wiring and other components needed to assemble the circuits.

Although, the microcontroller is actually an Arduino clone made by Elegoo, but it functions the same way. The set also features a PDF tutorial with over 35 lessons for getting to grips with how it all works. This will also guide you through the programming element, which is done in a C/C++ based coding language. Similar to Python and Java, this is also a widely used language in industry.

Summary

We hope you have enjoyed our article on the best kids build your own computer kits! The ultimate goal of the kits here is to learn how to create technology, not just consume it. It’s all about experimentation and, once you have got to grips with the basics, there are so many possibilities to explore and see what you can build. We think that tinkering with computer components is a great way to build STEM skills, and we hope you do too!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to build my own laptop?

Yes! The Piper Computer Kit is easily transportable and runs on a rechargeable battery, so kids can build their very own laptop with this kit!

What age is Kano computer kit for?

Kano is recommended for children between 6 and 14 years-of-age. Although, it would still be a suitable kit for teenagers (and adults) well above that age range. At the younger end of the age range, some assistance from an adult or older sibling may be required during assembly and later use.

What is a Kano computer kit?

Kano is a computer kit that is easy and enjoyable to put together, and also educational to use. Kids (and adults!) learn how the components of a computer are put together, and then learn to code and create with technology. The Kano is built around a Raspberry Pi single-board computer.

What is a Piper computer kit?

Piper is a DIY (do-it-yourself) computer based on Raspberry Pi. Children (and adults!) assemble the computer, including screen, in a custom made carry box from wooden cut-out parts.

What can you do with a Piper computer?

Once it has been constructed, the Piper computer kit can be used to progress through a series of StoryMode adventures in Minecraft and to learn coding in a variety of languages, including Python.