NEWS$show=/search/label/news

Here's where you'll find all the latest news about technology for children. We love to follow cool new inventions on Kickstarter and we hunt out all the latest announcements about tech toys and gadgets for the coming Christmas holidays. You'll also get our take on children's technology stories in the media.

REVIEWS$show=/search/label/review

Our kids technology product reviews are intended to help you work out whether a toy, gadget or kit is a good fit for your child or family. There's lots of cool stuff available, but is it the right choice for the child or teenager that you are buying for? We'll help you make the right choices and get the best value for money.

GIFT GUIDES$show=/search/label/gift%20guide

Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends assemble. We create gift lists to help you make good choices for kids technology which helps them develop the right skills for the future. We research the best in Coding Toys and Games, Making / Craft Tools and Kits, STEM/STEAM related gifts, Programmable Robots, Electronics Kits and Gadgets for Tech Age Kids and Teens.

PROJECTS$show=/search/label/project

Get crafty with technology. Here we'll post all our ideas and projects using technology to get creative and making with kids. You'll find anything from making a lemon battery to a glow-in-the-dark Minecraft sword. Our projects are tried and tested on our own kids or at events we run, so we are sure you can have a go at home with your kids. Some of our projects use specific tech gadgets which we provide links for you to purchase.

STEM$show=/search/label/stem

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In recent years there is an increased focus in these areas of study. We like to include Art and Design too, so we often talk about STEAM (A stands for Art). At Tech Age Kids we believe Coding is a new literacy and children need to understand how technology works, practice making skills and grow in their curiosity to make a better future for us all.

CODING$show=/search/label/coding

Coding is increasingly being recognised as an important skill for children to learn. Some will learn to code at school or at a coding club, but it's brilliant if they get support at home too.

ELECTRONICS$show=/search/label/electronics

We think it's really important for kids to get hands-on with electronics and learn how to make circuits and write code to control hardware. Younger kids can start with conductive playdough. For kids who like to combine craft and tech, littleBits are fab. And we love SAM Labs wireless electronics components for making it easy for kids to make Internet of Things inventions. Lots of electronics kits for kids have support for the Arduino microprocessor environment. The DuinoKit Jr is one of our favourites. Arduino is a fab skill for older kids and teens to develop.

ROBOTICS$show=/search/label/robotics

We love robots at Tech Age Kids, especially programmable ones. We've got lots of them and write reviews and projects that use them. Our programmable robots for kids buying guide is a good place to start if you're not sure what's available. Roby the mBot Meccano robot dog is one of our popular projects and has been with us to lots of events. Our Ozobot LEGO trailer is fab for kids who love LEGO and robots.

MAKING AND CRAFT$show=/search/label/making

We're advocates of the creative use of technology, but this needs to be balanced with developing physical skills such as papercraft, woodwork, clay modelling, technical drawing and soldering. If children don't develop these skills as they grow up then physical making projects can become frustrating rather than fun. The Maker Community uses the term 'making' as a broad term to include all sorts of artisan skills or craft activities. Being able to make things can lead to life-long hobbies or even careers. It's a great feeling to be able to take a project from an idea in your head to a real object that does something. We're particularly interested to explore products that combine maker skills with tech skills such as electronics but others focus purely on the physical making skills that are still important to modern making.

3D Drawing Pen for Kids: 3Doodler Start Review


The 3Doodler Start is a 3D pen specifically designed for kids. Not all 3D pens are suitable of young kids to use, due to an exposed heating element and danger of hot filament. 3Doodler are not new to the 3D pen market however 3Doodler Start is new and designed for young creators and makers.

We've been waiting to get our hands on a 3D pen which we can confidently recommend for families with children and we think we've found it!

Disclaimer: 3Doodler sent us a 3Doodler Start to try at home. This is not a sponsored post and as always our views are our own.

Unboxing

We received the 3Doodler Essentials Pen Set, which includes the 3D pen, two packs of filament (48 strands of multi-colours), USB charging cable and activity guide. It looks like some sets include a Doodleblock (template to draw on) but ours didn't have one.



The 3D pen comes in a big box, which will make an impressive gift, but in reality all the items will fit into a small IKEA 'GLIS with a lid' box. We have a thing about keeping our tech tools and toys stored properly, so you can find everything when you are ready to use it.



The set also includes a VERY useful instruction booklet which clearly explains how the pen works and what all the LED lights and flashing indications mean. I definitely recommend reading it before you start playing with your 3Doodler Start.

Getting Started


I was really happy the 3D pen came out of the box charged. This meant we could get going with creating straight away. It can be very frustrating when you want to play with an electronic toy or tool and it first needs a long period of charging.

Getting started is so simple. Shift the button to "on", wait about 30 sec for the pen to heat up, slide in a strand of filament in the back of the pen, click the big orange button once and start drawing in 3D.  When you want to stop the filament from coming out, click the orange button again.

The 3Doodler Start is a wireless 3D pen. We love that there are no trailing power cables getting in the way of making.

The kit comes with an activity guide with lots of project ideas to get started. You can simply trace the drawing on the booklet with the 3D pen. They will easily peel off once the filament has cured. The projects will appeal to both boys and girls but why is the pen "blue"?

Be warned, the kit doesn't include the same colour filaments as used in the activity guide. My kids wanted brown, which isn't included!



Great for Maker Kids

All my boys had a go with the 3Doodler (ages 6, 8 and 16) and loved it. Actually I think I loved it more, but let's talk about the kids experience! Whilst we were using it, my husband commented, it was like holding a 3D printer in your hand. I thought that was a very accurate observation.

Using the 3Doodler does require some practice and also some planning and design thinking skills. Although it says you can draw in 3D, in reality you can't simply draw straight up in the air! Well you can, but you need to think about providing support for your line in 3D whilst the filament hardens. It does harden fairly quickly, so you'll only need to hold it in the air for a minute!

The filament heats enough to melt and be formed, but it never gets too hot to touch. My 6 year old (although I don't recommend it) touched the filament as it came out of the tip and commented that it was not hot!

Sometimes he squished the plastic with his fingers whilst it was still pliable. Once the filament hardens it's pretty rigid. It can also be cut easily with scissors when it has cured.


Age Recommendation


The 3Doodler is recommended for 8+ which is a perfect age for using the 3D pen independently. Once my 8 year old got the hang of how the pen worked, he was able to use it without any adult supervision.  He made this picture for his grandma.


My younger son (6 years) was also able to use it, with a little more hands on help. He was less careful and even touched the point where the filament comes out, once heated. It wasn't too hot and I felt it was perfectly safe for him to use independently. He is left handed and used the 3D pen comfortably.

Charging the 3D Pen


The 3Doodler Start comes with a USB charging cable, which can be plugged into a computer USB port or wall charger. It does take quite a long time to charge fully (about 1.5 hours when we charged it). However, it does seem to go on working for a long time before needing charging again.

I definitely prefer no cables and don't mind the extra time needed for charging the 3D pen.

Filament

I would recommend you make smaller projects first, so everyone in the family can have a go at making with the 3D pen. The filament does get used up fast.

Refill packs are sold separately, but currently it looks a bit expensive on Amazon. 3Doodler Start filament is available from the 3Doodler website at $4.99 for 24 strands.

There are only 2 sets of colours available. Each refill pack comes with 24 strands of filament. You an also get individual colour packs from the 3Doodler online store.  We're looking forward to more colours including, pink and purple!

Note: 3Doodler Start plastic is not compatible with the 3Doodler Create, 2.0, 1.0, or PRO.

Project to make


We've only just started creating with the 3Doodler Start and already came up with a handful of fun things to make.
  1. Christmas decorations

    I made this Christmas tree ornament as a first trial using the 3D pen. I actually tried drawing into the air, but had to flip the ornament upside down to let it cure without slumping - good use of gravity!

  2. Costumes for Ozobot

    Ozobots are tiny line following robots and great little tech toys for kids. We've got a couple and enjoy "dressing" them up. The 3Doodler Start is perfect for creating costumes for Ozobots. Because the filament is light, it doesn't weigh down the robot and affect it's operation. We made a Santa hat / Christmas tree costume for Ozobot.

  3. 3D greeting cards

    It's a great idea to add 3D parts to homemade greeting cards. The receiver of your card can peel off your creations and hang up as an ornament. A card and gift in one!
  4. Accessories for toys

    My youngest bought a cute little knitted teddy at his Christmas fayre this year and wanted to create some accessories for him. Doesn't he look smart in his glasses.


Verdict

We highly recommend the 3Doodler Start for families. In fact, I think, it should be an essential tool in any maker / crafter's kit! We love that it's really safe to use, even for younger kids. The 3D pen feels comfortable to hold and best of all it's wireless. Operating the 3D pen is simple and it only takes a bit of practice to get used to creating with it.

Currently the filament is rather expensive. We'd definitely like to see these consumables become more affordable, especially for families with kids that like to make a lot - that would be my family!


24 days of Scratch coding book cover and cute penguin
Name

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Tech Age Kids | Technology for Children: 3D Drawing Pen for Kids: 3Doodler Start Review
3D Drawing Pen for Kids: 3Doodler Start Review
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Tech Age Kids | Technology for Children
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