Electronics for Kids, 2nd Edition

Play with Simple Circuits and Experiment with Electricity!

Paperback
$24.99 US
On sale Jun 30, 2026 | 200 Pages | 9781718503502

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Learn to (safely) control electricity with the click of a button, the tip of a finger, and even the light from the sun!

Why do lights blink? How does a speaker make noise? In Electronics for Kids, you’ll discover the magic of electricity through hands-on projects designed to safely teach the basics while having fun and building cool gadgets.

Ward off intruders with an alarm that buzzes when someone opens your bedroom door, create a secret message machine to communicate with friends, and build your own playable musical instrument with funky digital sounds — all while learning the ins and outs of batteries, breadboards, and more!

Throughout your electronics journey, you’ll:
  • Explore how resistance, voltage, and current work
  • Solder components to a circuit board to create permanent projects
  • Use transistors to create “smart” devices that react to touch
  • Turn 1s and 0s into words and images
  • Build circuits that help you decide things, like a coin flipper that randomly picks heads or tails

This second edition is revised and updated to focus on building a strong foundation of electronics, with more accessible language, less convoluted theory, and a focus on inexpensive, readily available components and tools. Full-color illustrations, diagrams, and new high quality photographs provide helpful context and keep readers engaged.

Ready to have the incredible world of electronics at your fingertips? After reading Electronics for Kids, you will be!
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Part I: Playing with Electricity
Chapter 1: What Is Electricity
Chapter 2: Making Things Move with Electricity and Magnets
Chapter 3: How to Generate Electricity

Part II: Building Circuits
Chapter 4: Creating Light with LEDs
Chapter 5: Blinking a Light for the First Time
Chapter 6: Let’s Solder!
Chapter 7: Controlling Things with Electricity
Chapter 8: Integrated Circuits: Tiny Packets of Wonder

Part III: The Digital World
Chapter 9: How Circuits Understand Ones and Zeros
Chapter 10: Circuits That Make Choices
Chapter 11: Circuits That Remember Information
Chapter 12: Let’s Make a Game

Appendix: Handy Resources
Index
Øyvind Nydal Dahl built his first circuit at 14 and has been passionate about electronics ever since. He has a master’s degree in electronics from the University of Oslo, helps companies develop new products, and travels the world while teaching electronics workshops. He also writes beginner-friendly tutorials at http://www.build-electronic-circuits.com.

About

Learn to (safely) control electricity with the click of a button, the tip of a finger, and even the light from the sun!

Why do lights blink? How does a speaker make noise? In Electronics for Kids, you’ll discover the magic of electricity through hands-on projects designed to safely teach the basics while having fun and building cool gadgets.

Ward off intruders with an alarm that buzzes when someone opens your bedroom door, create a secret message machine to communicate with friends, and build your own playable musical instrument with funky digital sounds — all while learning the ins and outs of batteries, breadboards, and more!

Throughout your electronics journey, you’ll:
  • Explore how resistance, voltage, and current work
  • Solder components to a circuit board to create permanent projects
  • Use transistors to create “smart” devices that react to touch
  • Turn 1s and 0s into words and images
  • Build circuits that help you decide things, like a coin flipper that randomly picks heads or tails

This second edition is revised and updated to focus on building a strong foundation of electronics, with more accessible language, less convoluted theory, and a focus on inexpensive, readily available components and tools. Full-color illustrations, diagrams, and new high quality photographs provide helpful context and keep readers engaged.

Ready to have the incredible world of electronics at your fingertips? After reading Electronics for Kids, you will be!

Table of Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Part I: Playing with Electricity
Chapter 1: What Is Electricity
Chapter 2: Making Things Move with Electricity and Magnets
Chapter 3: How to Generate Electricity

Part II: Building Circuits
Chapter 4: Creating Light with LEDs
Chapter 5: Blinking a Light for the First Time
Chapter 6: Let’s Solder!
Chapter 7: Controlling Things with Electricity
Chapter 8: Integrated Circuits: Tiny Packets of Wonder

Part III: The Digital World
Chapter 9: How Circuits Understand Ones and Zeros
Chapter 10: Circuits That Make Choices
Chapter 11: Circuits That Remember Information
Chapter 12: Let’s Make a Game

Appendix: Handy Resources
Index

Author

Øyvind Nydal Dahl built his first circuit at 14 and has been passionate about electronics ever since. He has a master’s degree in electronics from the University of Oslo, helps companies develop new products, and travels the world while teaching electronics workshops. He also writes beginner-friendly tutorials at http://www.build-electronic-circuits.com.

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