Tom's Hardware Verdict

Crowbits’ progressive STEM kits teach future engineers (ages 6-10 and up) the basics of electronics and programming, but nondurable paper elements and poorly translated documentation could lead to frustration and incomplete projects.

Reasons to buy

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+ Over 80 Lego-compatible electronic modules and sensors
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+ Helpful programming software
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+ Progressive learning kits
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+ Examples are very helpful
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+ Engaging projects for pre-teen and teen engineers

Reasons to avoid

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Inadequate and inaccurate project tutorials
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Cable modules are stiff and pop off easily
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Cardboard projects are flimsy and cumbersome
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Labels are hard to read

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Editor's Note 11/29/2021: This review has been updated with new pricing information and our thoughts on the Creator Kit which was not included in the original review due to vendor availability issues.

Crowbits STEM Kits

Available via Kickstarter, the STEM kit series starts with building simple projects that make use of basic electronic concepts, then steps up kids' skills by introducing projects that require some coding and graduates to more advanced application development. The Crowbits lineup consists of five interactive STEM-based packages, each appropriately themed with projects that cater to kids from ages 6 -10 and up. These are the Hello Kit, Explorer Kit, Inventor Kit, Creator Kit and Master Kit.

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With the variety of engineering kits out in the market today, Crowbits’ pricing falls in the mid-range category. Ranging from $26 to $90, depending on which kit you prefer, it is money well spent. One of the key values that Crowbits brings is its focus on teaching kids the basics of electronics through the use of these programmable blocks and sensors and ties that learning to current practical uses, like turning the lights on or off. This simple circuit logic is used to program small home appliances like coffee machines, automatic dispensers, or even smart home security systems.

Much like the company’s previous Kickstarter project the CrowPi2, a Raspberry Pi-powered laptop that we reviewed last year, Crowbits also presented issues with documentation. Makers and creators know that clear and concise directions are very important for any project building. Unclear and inadequate instructions cause users, especially beginners, to feel that they may have done something wrong. They may be able to troubleshoot some issues themselves, but if left unresolved an air of defeat and frustration ensues.

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Hello Kit and Explorer Kit — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

There are four different types of modules and are easily identified by color: Blue for power/logic, yellow for input, green for output and orange for special modules. It’s important to keep in mind a few rules for creating a circuit sequence. There should be at least a power, an input and an output module in order to build a circuit, with the proper sequence having the input block before the output.

Power Modules (Blue) – the power source and a core module that’s required for every project build. You’ll see a green light that indicates when the power is on. Use the included micro-USB cable to re-charge the power supply when needed.
Logic Modules (Blue) – for basic operations. Includes: 315 MHz Controller, Expansion, etc.
Input Modules (Yellow) – accepts input data like touch, vibration or object detection and passes it to the output modules. Includes: Touch module, IR reflective sensor, light sensor, etc.
Output Modules (Green) – receives command from input module and executes ending action. Examples are: Buzzer module (makes a sound), LED (Y) light up, or vibrate
Special Modules (Orange) – used for advanced programming tasks. Examples are: I2C or UART

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The Hello Kit and Explorer Kit are learning tools for beginners and targets children ages 6-8 and up. It introduces the concept of modules and their functionality. No coding is required for any of the suggested experiments and projects here. Building the projects with cardboard elements proved to be difficult for my seven-year-old and she got easily frustrated trying to use the thin double-sided tape that came with the kit.

Once the structures were built (with my help) she did enjoy putting the modules together and making things happen like sounding the buzzer on the anti-touching device or making the lights turn on her window display project. Another annoyance to note was when using the cable module that serves to connect modules together. The cable is quite thick and not flexible so it had the tendency to pop off and break the connection for multiple projects.

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Crowbits Inventor Kit — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

It is worth noting, though, that the list of projects suggested for the Inventor kit seem to be age-appropriate. My tween worked on the Horizontal Bar and the Ultrasonic Guitar projects. She thoroughly enjoyed the experience and had no issues following the diagrams in building the Lego structures. There was a little hiccup in using the software, as I mentioned earlier, where we were wanting for troubleshooting tips and more clear documentation.

Elecrow was kind enough to send us a sample of the Creator Kit to evaluate and complete our review of the entire Crowbits lineup. This is the fourth kit in the five-set progressive STEM kit series. Being that this kit is geared towards kids ages 10 and older, the projects are more challenging and require the child to learn to program using Elecrow's Letscode visual programming software and also introduces Arduino Uno as the main module for most of the kit's projects.

We tried a couple of fun projects such as Car Racing and Horse Racing - those were the ones that appealed most to my girls and yes, there is definitely a theme to the types of games they seem to enjoy. For the Car Racing project, you will learn how to assemble a steering wheel controller, use the button as an input module (for speed) and play the car race game that you program. You can follow the programming instructions in the manual and modify parameters as you go along.

Pretty much the same principles are applied to the Horse Racing project, but instead of building a steering wheel as your controller, you'll need to assemble a horse lego model, which is pretty creative, I would say. Here you will use the IR sensor as your input module which controls the speed of your horse in the race. Both projects took some time, but it is time well spent with the kids and a most enjoyable way to create and learn new skills.

I would say that receiving the Creator Kit was worth the wait. Unfortunately, some of the issues from our experience with the previous four kits still remain. Specifically with the confusing documentation which may need some patience and troubleshooting on your part. Clear instructions are very important especially for kids who are learning new concepts because it can lead to frustration which is the opposite experience any parent or educator would want to happen. We also had a bit of back and forth with the vendor in order to get the programming software to work properly for us.

Please note that we have also updated this review with Crowbits' current pricing information. As expected, there is an increase in pricing from its Kickstart phase. This definitely puts these STEM kits in the more expensive category, but we still want to give Crowbits props for its versatility, simplicity, and value as a great learning tool to educate kids on the basics of electronics and programming.

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Crowbits Master Kit — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

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Header Cell - Column 0	Modules	Projects	Age	Kickstarter Pricing	Current MSRP Pricing
Hello Kit	7 Modules	5 Cardboard Projects	6+	$26	$50
Explorer Kit	13 Modules	12 Projects	8+	$70	$130
Inventor Kit	10 Modules	12 Lego, graphic programming projects and Letscode introduction	10+	$80	$140
Creator Kit	11 Modules*	12 Projects*	10+	$90	$150
Master Kit	6 Modules*	16 Projects*	10+	$90	$140

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Bundles	Kits Included	Pricing
Kickstarter Bundle #1	Explorer Kit, Creator Kit, Master Kit	$239
Kickstarter Bundle #2	Explorer Kit, Inventor Kit, Master Kit	$249
Kickstarter Bundle #3	Hello Kit, Explorer Kit, Inventor Creator Kit, Master Kit	$354
Crowbits-All in One Pack Kit	Hello Kit, Explorer Kit, Inventor Creator Kit, Master Kit	$600

With its average pricing and the flexibility to pick and choose which kit to purchase, it is an attractive choice for someone looking to buy an educational STEM kit for their child or loved one. Of course you can also buy the entire set as a bundle and enjoy helping your child build models and program as you go through the different stages of electronic learning from basic to advanced concepts. It’s also worth noting that the Letscode software program that comes with the packages is free and supports Python and Arduino programming which is a welcome added bonus.

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Anj Bryant is the Assistant Managing Editor at Tom's Hardware. She provides content layout and development support, and coordinates editorial initiatives for all the talented groups of freelancers, contributors, and editors in the team.