New 12-in-1 solar robot assembled toy DIY educational science smart robot toy

This is a really neat starter kit for a relatively younger child with a budding interest in robotics, electronics, etc. The intended ages 8-12 are pretty accurate, if not slightly too low. So if you have a 14-year-old with a more serious interest in these topics, this kit might seem limited and a bit boring. On the other hand, if you have an 8-year-old with no experience with this type of toy, it might be overwhelming — but in this case, you can help out.

Checking out other reviews, I think the consensus is clear that the age range, 8-12, is a bit too low, at least for most 8- or 9-year-olds. Your child(ren) may have different levels of experience and knowledge, so use your best judgment.

Also, speaking of other reviews, two big thumbs down to the reviewer who writes a review that very specifically insist this toy is only for boys. This product is not gendered in any way, and it’s a shame any reviewer, let alone one of my fellow Vine reviewers, is going to inject sexism and exclusionary language into a review of an educational toy. This product is 100% suitable for any child of the appropriate age or experience level.

It goes without saying that this is a stimulating, educational toy that promotes curiosity and study of scientific topics. It’s also pretty fun, and at the right age (or with the right amount of adult assistance) this is a very nice kit for children.

This is not as versatile as more complex, interoperable robotics kits, where a more advanced child would be able to build creatively, combine parts from multiple kits, etc. Those types of kits are better for the 13, 14, 15 year old sort of age bracket, but for the price, that’s forgivable. It’s not a terrible thing if/when a child grows out of this toy and is interested in the more complex kits — and this one can be passed on to a younger child.

I enjoy selecting innovative that not only entertain children but also contribute to their learning as they play and construct. This experience was incredibly enriching and provided us with valuable time to collaborate on assembling it and experimenting with various aspects. It struck a wonderful balance between being educational and enjoyable.

I bought this to my niece as her bday gift, she is turning 7, so please be aware that this toy is really for ages 8-12. It is not super easy to assemble, so she needed help from an adult. It comes with too many pieces, and there are many ways to have it ready and running. We could get it working and she was obsessed with it. If you have a kid in the geek world or want to introduce him to it, this is the toy for you.

I got this for my 8-year-old son for his birthday. He loves robots and building sets and STEM activities. He was super excited to get this. Easy to assemble and lots of options for different builds. Best of all it’s powered using solar so no batteries are needed.

This kit is a fantastic find for young STEM enthusiasts! The ease of use is great, with clear instructions that make it perfect for kids aged 8-12. My 9-year-old absolutely loves spending time building different models, and it keeps him engaged for hours. It’s also very kid-friendly, allowing them to explore their creativity and problem-solving skills. I especially appreciate the thoughtful use of solar power as the energy source—it’s an eco-friendly approach that introduces kids to sustainable energy concepts early on. Highly recommend for a fun and educational experience!

This was the perfect gift for a curious and energetic 9 year old boy. He loved spending hours playing with the different possibilities

I decided to purchase this Kit for my son’s birthday. The concept of creating 12 different robots powered by solar energy seemed interesting. However, the assembly process turned out to be quite challenging, especially for my son who is in the recommended age group. While the kit provided a good learning opportunity. Overall, it was an okay purchase for a birthday gift, but I wish the assembly process was easier for kids.

The Pakoo 12-in-1 Solar Robot Kit is a nice STEM project for kids, but I found it a bit limited compared to what today’s kids are used to. The concept is great—building robots that run on solar power is a fun and educational way to engage children in science and engineering. However, the actual construction and functionality of the robots are somewhat flimsy and basic.

For younger kids or those just starting out with DIY projects, this kit is a decent introduction. It’s hands-on, and the solar power aspect is cool. But for kids who are more tech-savvy or have experience with more advanced STEM , it might not hold their attention for long.

The instructions are clear, and the pieces fit together well, but once you’ve built a few of the models, the novelty starts to wear off. It’s still a good way to spend some quality time with your child, but if you’re looking for something more challenging or complex, this kit may not be enough.

Overall, it’s a solid STEM toy, just be aware that it might feel a bit simple for kids who are used to more sophisticated tech.

From 5 to 16 years old. The grandkids loved putting together and taking apart. It was hard to make them leave it here but we have others that will like it also. The parts are strong and we had nothing get cracked or broken, even with all the excitement. Looking forward to a visit from the next group. In the meantime I may give it a try my self.

Gifted this as a birthday present and my nephew loved it! His mother shared how it entertained and taught him so much while doing something he enjoyed. The instructions were clear and the kit was challenging yet doable. Great quality for the price. Will be buying more to gift this Christmas season.

I think there’s a small subset of kids who will really dig this, but most will find it too intimidating and quickly lose interest. Unfortunately my nephew was among the latter.

There’s just an overwhelming amount of little plastic pieces here, each of which have to be identified, removed from the sprues and then carefully cleaned up of little plastic bits. It’s a major modeling project. Not difficult but bordering on tedious.

On top of that the instructions are, let us say, challenging. This is definitely for the older age range given on the box as it’s not easy to just follow the directions. I’d say 12-14 would be more likely to finish one of these robots.

There are going to be some kids that take to all this with enthusiasm. I would of in my youth but all the youngins in our family want their entertainment without this much work. Sad, but true.

Maybe to keep the price competitive (I haven’t done comparison shopping so can’t speak to retail value), all the parts arrive still connected to their plastic mould frames (see pic). This means not only will you need to cut each (sometimes tiny) individual part from its frame, you also will need to trim the burr left on the part. This can be a time-consuming, possibly frustrating task for many children and possibly more than a few parents.

That said, once the parts have been liberated, this kit has great potential to make many interesting “robots,” , and projects all of which can be motorized and powered by an on-board solar panel. Definitely for older kids (10+ I would guess) who are willing to / interested in spending time putting something together. The all-important instruction booklet is very detailed, clear, and well illustrated. It does not rely on words, so there are no language translation issues. Some tools will be needed but nothing exotic or expensive. Obviously, and thankfully, no batteries required.

You need to be very patient with this set. There are a lot (and I mean a lot!) of tiny little plastic pieces. All the pieces need to be removed/twisted off from the parts tree. Then you need to use pliers to clean up the remaining plastic on every single piece. Some are fragile and will break.

Our 12-year-old really struggled with this and needed help. He said the instructions were lacking as well.

The parts (and there are many of them) fit together well and the exploded view diagrams are clear. I purchased a companion product and liked it so much I purchased this one as well, which I like even better because it does not have an amphibious variation.

I think the cardboard box would better serve the assembler if it were of the two half puzzle box type, as it would foster construction within the confines of the box half to prevent a part falling to the floor. I also recommend placing like parts in an 18 count egg crate or similar. It is never too early to add these habits.

I ordered this as a Christmas present for my grandchildren. They love both robots and transformers, and this is both. I opened the box to take a look, and it seems fairly complicated. But I didn’t look that carefully, so I could be wrong. The good thing is my son-in-law loves to help the kids build things, so they should have no problem.

This solar robot kit is just right for STEM-curious kids. It has a variety of builds and a lot of potential for creative projects. It’s a simple circuit to a solar recharged battery. It’s going to be difficult for younger kids because it requires cutting tools (not just scissors) to really get rid of plastic burrs from the packaging. I’ll post more pictures as my kids change up the design. The only problem is it takes a bit for the solar to power the robot. Other than that, Recommended!