Electronic kits have been around since the 1940's, giving people the ability to build devices which would normally require a lot of specific knowledge to make otherwise. Back in the day, the most famous kit company was Heathkit. Heathkit's first kit was the OL-1, an oscilloscope people could build themselves …

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But Heathkit wasn't the only kit company from yesteryear - check out some of the others and learn more about the history of kits over at Nostalgic kits.

What can you learn by building a kit?

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Building a kit is fun and a great way to learn about electronics. Here are just a few of the skills you sharpen when buidling an electronics kit:

soldering - solder is the electronics 'glue' that brings it all together!
identifying components like resistors, capacitors, transistors, & more
electricity basics - wiring power connections is a great way to learn basic electronic theory
modding - making changes to a circuit is a great way to learn while doing!
PCB design - mounting components on a printed circuit board familiarizes you with printed circuit boards