💻 Coding · 🔭 Science, nature and the world · 📱 Kids' phones, watches, tablets and speakers
Makey Makey
By JoyLabz / Makey Makey LLC. Visit Makey Makey
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A small circuit board that turns everyday things that conduct electricity, like bananas, play dough, foil or pencil drawings, into keys for a computer. Kids clip wires from the board to objects, then tap them to play a piano, control a Scratch game or trigger sounds. It teaches circuits and conductivity first and coding second, since it works with Scratch and MakeCode. The site has thousands of free projects and lesson plans.
Our take: A fun, low-risk way to spark interest in circuits for kids 8+; kids who want to program hardware directly should look at a micro:bit or Circuit Playground.
| Ages it suits | 8+ (the box says ages 8 to infinity) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | No account needed; the board acts as a USB keyboard. The store terms require buyers to be of legal age or to consent for their minor dependents. (terms) |
| Price | Paid. Makey Makey Classic $51.95 (Oct 2026); booster kits and classroom packs cost more. |
| Works on | A device, Windows, Mac, Chromebook |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI. |
What's good
- Instant, playful first circuit
- Works with any computer that takes a USB keyboard
- No accounts or data collection
- Thousands of free lessons
Watch for
- Novelty can fade without projects to follow
- Coding depth comes from Scratch, not the board
- Small parts and wires
Data and privacy
Says it complies with COPPA, FERPA and SOPIPA, collects no student data, and does not collect personal information from kids using its web apps and guides; it collects buyers' details only for orders. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No independent study was used here; the maker shares classroom project ideas.
In the Big Index
- On the list 14 AI and tech gifts for kids under $100 (Christmas 2026)
- On the list 15 creative gadgets for kids
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Where these facts come from
- https://makeymakey.com/
- https://makeymakey.com/products/makey-makey-kit
- https://makeymakey.com/pages/terms-privacy
- https://makeymakey.com/policies/terms-of-service
- https://makeymakey.com/policies/privacy-policy
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.