THE 2024 INSPIRE ENGINEERING GIFT GUIDE

Inspiring children and teens through the wonder of play

Purdue University's 2024 Engineering Gift Guide (released 11/19/2024) is filled with 40 gifts to help children and teens better understand and develop an interest in microelectronics. This year, we partnered with SCALE K-12 and GM Foundation to find microelectronics-themed gifts. Scroll down to view the top 10. 

For 11 consecutive years, our annual gift guide has helped millions of parents and caregivers to choose thoughtful, engineering-inspired holiday presents that encourage kids to design, build, code, play, and discover how things work. In previous years, the guide featured engineering-based games, toys, and books with the potential to help children explore what it means to be an engineer. This year, Purdue focused on a specific aspect of cross-disciplinary engineering called microelectronics, which refers to the design and manufacture of very small electronic designs and components typically made from semiconductor materials. 

The gift guide is produced by INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering, a research program within Purdue's School of Engineering Education (ENE) dedicated to integrating engineering with science, math, and language arts in pre-college classrooms. INSPIRE engages learners and promotes participation of students from groups underrepresented in engineering.

Purdue ENE faculty and staff led a dedicated Student Research Team to evaluate gifts in three microelectronics-related categories: 1) circuitry, 2) robotics, and 3) coding/programming.

Read the full article.

TOP 10 REVIEWED GIFTS FOR 2024

1 – SOIC & SOT: THE MICROCHIPS

SOIC & SOT: The Microchips is a picture book that tells the story of two microchips, Soic and Sot, as they embark on a journey through a warehouse to their new home in the outside world.

2 – MOCHI ROBOTICS KIT

Mochi Robotics Kit is an engaging and interactive gift that introduces children to coding through hands-on play, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

3 – SNAP CIRCUITS ARCADE

Snap Circuits Arcade teaches the fundamentals of electricity, engineering, and circuitry through creative, fun, and limitless STEM concepts.

4 – ALPHABOT

AlphaBot lets readers flip through interactive flaps to design their own robots while exploring robotics terminology from A to Z.

5 – MICRO:BIT STARTER KIT

micro:bit Starter Kit is designed to introduce children to the world of microelectronics, offering hands-on experience as they explore electric circuits and programming concepts.

6 – SPHERO BOLT

Sphero Bolt is an advanced, spherical coding robot that gives kids the opportunity to bring their creative ideas to life and experience the power of programming.

7 – MBOT

Makeblock’s mBot makes coding easy and accessible, while helping kids learn about electronics, machinery, and robotics components.

8 – CHIBITRONICS LOVE TO CODE CREATIVE CODING KIT

Chibitronics Love to Code's Creative Coding Kit combines art with STEM in a fun, friendly and new way to create an engaging experience with circuitry and coding.

9 – TALE-BOT PRO

Tale-Bot Pro promotes programming, coding, and engineering thinking through engaging, creative challenges that foster a deeper understanding of microelectronics.

10 – TURING TUMBLE

Turing Tumble is a unique game where players build mechanical computers powered by marbles to solve logic puzzles.

Research Base for Engineering Gift Guide

Moore, T.J., Glancy, A.W., Tank, K.M., Kersten, J.A., Smith, K.A., & Stohlmann, M.S.  (2014). A framework for quality K-12 engineering education: Research and development. Journal of Precollege Engineering Education Research, 4(1), 1-13. 

Dasgupta, A., Rynearson, A., Purzer, S., Ehsan, H., & Cardella, M. (2017). Computational Thinking in K-2 Classrooms: Evidence from Student Artifacts (Fundamental). 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings.

Questions

Learn more about the Engineering Gift Guide's submission process. Questions? Contact our team at inspire@purdue.edu

Mailing Address

Purdue University, Wang Hall, Suite 3500
516 Northwestern Avenue, Room 3506
West Lafayette, IN 47906

Financial Support for Gift Guide

General Motors Foundation