When an exciting looking cardboard box labeled Tinkerer arrived earlier this week, Sophia and Tatiana's eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning!
They LOVE all things STEM so the prospect of a new kit to build was met with much anticipation!
Inside the box was everything we needed to build a DIY working Robotic Hand, perfect as we are currently learning about the workings of the human body.
The Robotic Hand is part of Tinkerer range which offers different boxes for different age groups; this one is part of their Explore Box aimed at ages 9-12.
The kit in a box contains everything you need to build a fully working mechanical hand.
With easy to follow instructions, older kids can assemble the kit themselves using real wooden parts, strings, and a bit of science magic.
As you know, we love to balance learning with creative play and minimal screen time, so we’re always on the lookout for educational activities that feel like fun, and this one didn’t disappoint.
We Built a Robotic Hand from a Box – And Here’s What Happened
Let me walk you through what happened when we cracked open the Tinkerer Box Robotic Hand and what we thought of it.
1. Unboxing the Tinkerer Experience
The box itself is sturdy and contains everything you need, organised into carefully labelled packets.
Each component - the pre-cut wooden hand parts, connectors and a bundle of metal eyelets - was in its own clear packet with some double-sided tape to connect the parts.
No glue needed, no batteries, no hunting through drawers for missing tools - definitely a bonus! Just open, explore and build.
A full-colour instruction manual and an engaging educational magazine about the project, packed with fun experiments and background on how real human hands and robotic systems work, were also included.
2. The Build: From Flat Parts to Functional Fingers
We laid everything out on the table and got started.
The instructions were really kid-friendly and surprisingly clear, especially for visual learners.
The step-by-step guide combines visuals with concise text, helping kids to build confidence and independence.
As we followed the instructions and connected the different wooden parts together, we could see how it all worked and the pieces slowly came to life.
Then came the trickiest part, threading strings through the eyelets to mimic the tendons of a human hand.
There were a few tricky moments, such as threading the string through the finger joints, aligning the wooden struts just right, tightening the screws without splitting anything, but the girls didn’t give up.
And then when pulled, the strings flex each finger on the wooden hand, just like real muscles pulling on tendons.
Like I say, perfect when your current science topic is the human body!
When we pulled the control string at the base and saw all five fingers curl in sync it was a real wow moment for the girls, great fun.
3. More Than Just a Model
If you're a home ed mum or a teacher you probably know how easy it is to talk about things, see them in teext books and conduct some home experiments to test out theories, but a hands-on ('scuse the pun) brings everything together.
Like when you explain the sun's movement but then do the torch and ball demonstration? That aha! moment.
So what impressed me most with this kit wasn’t just the result, it was the learning journey baked into the experience.
The girls were amazed to see that moving our fingers is just like stretching a rubber band, then applied that to our other joints.
They also wanted to know if we could build a whole life-size robot this way!!
The magazine that comes with the box dives into anatomy, evolution and robotics.
There are sections on how our hands and fingers work, how tendons move the fingers, and why robotic prosthetics are designed the way they are.
Suddenly, we weren’t just building a toy, we were exploring biomechanics, asking questions and making connections.
Then it talks about practical applications like sign language, Braille, fingerprints and even base 10 vs. base 12.
So there are lots of ways to extend learning or introduce new concepts and topics.
This means the Tinkerer kit sparks the kind of curiosity you hope for as a parent, and especially as a home educating parent!
4. What We Loved
Here are a few standout points from our experience:
High-quality materials: The wooden components feel sturdy, and everything fits together well. It didn’t feel like a flimsy craft, this was something we could use repeatedly and even proudly display on the bookshelf afterwards.
Educational value: This kit was a great combination of fun and learning. The guide that comes with it helps to expand the learnign and experimentatoion beyond just the build itself.
Clear instructions: Step-by-step visuals made the project managable with minimal frustration. All the parts were included (plus spares), so we never hit a dead end.
5. A Few Small Watch-Outs
While we had a great time building our robotic hand and elarning from it, there are a few things to note:
Younger kids would need help: Our girls are aged 11 and over and managed just fine with a little parental supervision, but younger children (under 9) could get stuck on the more detailed steps. There are Tinkerer boxes for younger age groups though so you could get a selection if you have mixed ages.
Limited replay value: Once the hand is built, there’s not a lot of repeat play involved. It’s more educational than interactive afterward, so it becomes more of a science model than a toy. Although Lara is enjoying using it as a Transformer arm in her play!
Cost considerations: There are various renewing subscription options available:
- Annual (12 boxes): £239.88
- Semi-Annual (6 boxes): £137.94
- Quarterly (3 boxes): £78
(There are also non-renewal options available.)
So, Is the Tinkerer Robotic Hand Box Worth It?
Absolutely, especially if you have a curious kid between the ages of 9 and 12 who loves STEM, building, learning or asking "how does that work?"
This project was more than just a craft. It was a hands-on anatomy lesson, a deep dive into basic robotics and a confidence-building exercise all rolled into one.
We spent about 90 minutes together building it, tinkering, testing, problem-solving and laughing.
And at the end of that, we had a mechanical hand on our table and some proud kids next to it.
We then headed down some rabbit trails to find out more about robotics, Base 10 and Braille.
We looked up videos about prosthetics. We talked about how engineers use biology for inspiration.
Plus the fingerprints part made a great starting point for our forensic science unit study!
That’s a pretty great return on investment.
And it's a fantastic reminder that screen-free learning can still be fun.
Final Thoughts
In a world where so many kids' activities revolve around screens and apps, it’s so refreshing to find something that’s tangible, enriching and genuinely fun.
Plus you can do it together as a family for hands-on learning.
The Tinkerer Robotic Hand box provided a doorway into understanding how our bodies and machines connect, and sparked all sorts of questions and learning for our girls.
So, if you’re looking for a STEM project that goes beyond glue and glitter and actually teaches something cool, this one’s worth buying.
Whether you're home educating, supplementing classroom learning, looking for a great STEAM gift, or just want a weekend project with a purpose, this kit delivers.
We received the Tinkerer Box at no cost and were compensated for our time. However, all opinions expressed here are entirely our own and this review reflects our genuine experience with the product.