The 3Doodler Start Essentials 3D pen set is down to $30.90 on Amazon. The kit normally sells for around $50, and it hasn't beaten this price since a drop during the Black Friday shopping season last year. It does have a limited stock, but you should hopefully be able to order it at this price even while it's out of stock and Amazon will ship it to you when more come in.
What is this? It's basically a 3D Printer in your hand. Instead of the big, expensive machines using computer-generated templates to create objects, you can just use this to draw whatever your mind imagines. The 3D pen extrudes a hot plastic that instantly dries, so you're drawing in mid air and creating masterpieces wherever you move the pen.
It's a great STEM toy for kids aged 8 and up. The hot plastic dries super fast so it won't burn, and the pen nozzle can be safely touched even while you're using it. Inspire some creativity in your young engineer and get them interested in design, planning, building, and spatial understanding.
The set comes with the 3D pen, two mixed-color packs of eco-plastic equivalent to 48 strands, a micro-USB charger, and an activity guide to give you a nudge in the right direction.
You can also download the 3Doodler app. In it, you'll find step-by-step interactive instructions with detailed photos and videos that can help inspire you. It's available on iOS and Android. Users give the 3Doodler 4 stars out of 5 based on 386 reviews.
If the toy takes off and you end up going through the filaments you started with, you can replace them with more. Amazon has a variety of colors and options to choose from. Mix and match the colors for more complicated objects.
