by 28 reviews.
3 in 1 STEM Building Remote Controller Drone for Kids: A Fun but Flawed Learning Experience
The 3 in 1 STEM Building Remote Controller Drone for Kids Ages 8-12 is a unique blend of education and entertainment. Designed to inspire creativity and introduce children to STEM concepts, this drone kit allows kids to build and customize their own drones using 98 colorful building blocks. With features like 3D flips, one-key takeoff/landing, and a 160-foot control range, it promises hours of fun. However, as with any product, it has its strengths and weaknesses. Let’s dive into what customers are saying about this drone kit.
Pros and Cons: What Customers Are Saying
Quality and Build
The drone kit is made from high-quality ABS plastic, which is non-toxic and meets U.S. toy safety standards. Many parents appreciate the durability of the materials, noting that the blocks are smooth and safe for kids to handle.
Pros:
- Durable and Safe Materials: Customers praise the sturdy ABS plastic construction, which ensures the drone can withstand minor crashes.
- Customizable Designs: The kit allows kids to build three different drone designs, sparking creativity and problem-solving skills.
Cons:
- Cheap Feel: Some reviewers felt the materials, while safe, lacked the premium quality they expected for the price.
- Fragile Connections: The drone tends to pop apart during collisions, which can be frustrating for younger users.
Usability and Performance
The drone is marketed as beginner-friendly, with features like one-key takeoff/landing and auto-hover. However, its performance has received mixed reviews.
Pros:
- Easy to Fly: Many users found the drone surprisingly easy to control, especially for beginners.
- Fun Features: The 3D flips and 360° rotation add excitement to the flying experience.
Cons:
- Stability Issues: Several customers reported drift problems, even after trimming. The drone struggles to maintain a stable hover, which can be frustrating.
- Short Battery Life: With only 7-10 minutes of flight time per battery and an hour-long charging time, the fun is often cut short.
Educational Value
One of the standout features of this drone is its STEM focus. It encourages kids to learn about engineering and technology while having fun.
Pros:
- STEM Learning: Parents love that the kit combines play with education, helping kids develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
- Interactive Assembly: Building the drone is a rewarding experience for kids, especially those who enjoy puzzles and construction toys.
Cons:
- Poor Instructions: Many reviewers criticized the assembly and operating manuals for being unclear and poorly laid out. The small print and vague images make it difficult for kids (and even adults) to follow.
- Limited Documentation: The lack of additional educational resources or detailed explanations about drone mechanics was a missed opportunity for deeper learning.
Safety Concerns
While the drone comes with propeller guards and an emergency stop function, some customers raised safety concerns.
Pros:
- Propeller Guards: The guards help protect kids from the spinning blades, making the drone safer for indoor use.
- Emergency Stop: The one-key stop function is a useful feature for preventing accidents.
Cons:
- Blade Safety: Despite the guards, the blades can still cause harm if the drone hits someone with enough force. Several reviewers warned against unsupervised use by younger children.
- Age Appropriateness: Some felt the recommended age range (8-12) was too low, suggesting that kids under 12 should only use the drone with adult supervision.
Conclusion: Is It Worth It?
The 3 in 1 STEM Building Remote Controller Drone for Kids is a mixed bag. On one hand, it offers a fun and educational experience that combines building and flying. The customizable designs and beginner-friendly controls make it an excellent choice for kids who are new to drones. On the other hand, its stability issues, short battery life, and unclear instructions can be frustrating.
Final Verdict: If you’re looking for an affordable way to introduce your child to drones and STEM concepts, this kit is a decent starting point. However, if you’re expecting a high-quality, long-lasting toy, you might want to explore other options. For kids under 12, parental supervision is highly recommended to ensure safety and maximize the fun.
Specification 3 in 1 STEM Building Remote Controller Drone for Kids Ages 8-12, RC Mini Drone for Beginners, Science Kit - 3 Different Designs, 3D Flips, Drone Kit Gifts for Teens Boys Girls:
Comments from Amazon:
Ok, where to start. The stability is ok, not good, and definitely not great. The trim does work somewhat, but there is no way to completely remove drift, as I'm pretty sure that it can't sense drift. With that being said, I think the age range is misleading, if not completely wrong. I definitely would not recommend this for anyone under the age of 12 (preferably 14) w/o constant parental supervision. In no way what-so-ever, should an 8 year old be allowed to use this on his/her own without an adult supervising. Why do I feel this way? Even though there are guards, when the drone runs into something, it can still cause damage. There is a level of instability, especially after power is first applied, until trimmed. If it hits a person (or other object) with any momentum, the guards push out of the way and the blades hit the person (object), which hurts. I didn't cut myself, but that doesn't mean that the blades won't cut you. Hit someone in the head, and you can understand the concern. The batteries only last about 7 minutes, and they take an hour to charge, so you can do the math. At best, you are going to get 6 minutes of flight time per battery charge, and that may even drop to 5 minutes if there are issues with calibration. I am not saying that this is bad, as I have used bad drones, and they are really terrible, which is why I only took off 1 star for this device. The instructions are somewhat poorly written and laid out, so be careful during assembly, and read the full instruction manual before attempting to fly it. Who is this good for? Someone who is interested in drones but hasn't had any experience with them, and you aren't 100% sure that it is something that you truly want to spend a lot of money on. If you've had experience with a good drone that can hover in a stationary position and not drift, DO NOT BUY THIS DRONE! You will be extremely disappointed, and it will be a complete waste of your money. If after reading this entire review, you feel that this is something that you want to explore, I can recommend it for those that I describe. Get your feet wet, understand how drones work, and understand their limitations. Then go to next step, which can be an expensive hobby. BEST
The big thing that caught my eye about this drone was that it was buildable in many ways. With my brick-building-loving son who has also been begging for a drone, I knew this would be great for his birthday. Indeed, he loved putting it together and being able to swap out colors, as desired. Even though it's his first drone and many people have had bad luck with it, he's loved it and been very successful with it. He has been able to navigate it inside and outside and even been able to successfully do flips with it. It's one of his favorite presents now!
I was excited about the 3 in 1 STEM Building Remote Controller Drone as it promised a combination of education and fun for kids. However, the experience fell short of expectations. While the concept of building and controlling your own drone is innovative, the materials provided in the kit felt cheap and almost junky, diminishing the overall value. The price point doesn't reflect the quality, making it hard to recommend this kit. It's a fantastic idea on paper, but the execution with low-quality materials makes it less appealing. If you're considering this for educational play, it might be wise to explore other options that ensure better durability and value.
This is a really neat kit for drone construction. There are 3 color kits to choose from with yellow being the default motor color. The instructions are ok and the controller is very well made. The only compaint is the lack of more documentation. This would be a fantastic kit to instruct kids and adults new to UAV's if it had better source material. The fact that it's "Lego" really makes it easy to assemble, but adding anything more than just a figurine really bogs it down. Also, you don't have a lot of options for the motors since the wires are fairly short. Still a great kit and would highly recommend to anyone!
This would be a fun project if the instructions were better, and even more fun if it worked. The assembly instructions are reasonably good except the print is very small. The photos for some assembly steps can't be seen in enough detail to know for sure how to put things together, requiring some trial and error. And the wiring is a bit difficult because the parts are so small. But I got through everything in about an hour. The operating manual is poor. Again, the print is too small. There are also some overlapping and conflicting instructions due to the instructions being for more than one model of this drone. The drone itself comes with two rechargeable batteries. You need to provide and install 3 AA batteries in the controller. All seem well when I got the drone and controller powered up. The LED lights on the drone were flashing and I coordinated (i.e. linked) the controller to the drone. The propellers began to spin, but after a second, they shut down. I repeated these steps to no avail. I then powered everything down and started over, but this time the drone never displayed its LED lights. Apparently, something went wrong electrically in the drone. All of the electrical parts are very small and the wiring very thin. It would seem simple for a connection to come loose but be impossible to locate and fix. For the cost of this DIY project, you can get a comparable drone fully assembled. I like the concept of this product and cannot recommend it.
My 10 yo and I had a lot of fun with this. It took about 20 minutes for him to build on his own. It really works. It's surprisingly easy to fly. The battery lasts a good amount of time. It does tend to pop apart when you run into things, so be aware of that.