Thames & Kosmos Catapult Engineering STEM Maker Kit, Build 6 Models of Unique Medieval Machines, Explore Mechanical Physics, Includes Safe Foam Balls & Soft-Tipped Projectiles, Suitable for Ages 8+

I bought this for nephew, mostly because he’s really been getting into the STEM stuff. I personally am a history buff, so naturally I thought this was pretty cool. All I know is he absolutely loved it, he’s eight and is usually glued to his video games. It’s really well priced for what it is. The quality of the siege engines from Medieval times made it fun to learn for my nephew. You can build different versions of the most common used siege engines of decent various sizes. They work as intended. Overall we had fun building them together.

My kid loves it. Great item to give a young person as a gift.

This catapult kit was easy to assemble and actually launched pretty far. The kit even comes with a cardboard castle and little boxes you assemble to make a target wall . Was even fun for adults and kids.

Grandson, 10, loves it. He put it together himself.

first of all, what is not made clear is that you can't build 6 machines. you build ONE and if you want to build a different one you have to take the other one apart, easier said than done. i needed pliers. second, the pictures in the instructions are small and a few of them could be clearer. third, the included foam ball is too lightweight to travel nicely through the air or knock the bricks over much.However, the pieces aren't flimsy, and the models we have made do work. It was a nice idea to make the box be a castle. For the price, it's acceptable; but an 8 year old is unlikely to be able to do this except with a lot of help.

Son loved it! He’s autistic and this is his current hyper focus! Got it a while back and still plays with it most days!

My 11-year-old son built all these models without any trouble. It still held his interest, though. A fun, educational, toy.

This is a pretty fun kit, and satisfying to complete. The instructions were mostly clear, but occasionally hard to follow. Our 14-year-old boy built it all by himself, and get a little frustrated here and there, but not too bad. I had to help him make a minor adjustment to improve the launching power, but again, he essentially did it on his own. Once it was working, he was really happy with it. Also somewhat educational for him to see how all the pieces needed to work together to launch the ball. Only negative is I wish it included more than just one ball. Really needs like half a dozen or so.