Project Mc2 Circuit Beats Review: Making Music With Science

If you have a child who loves music, science, experimenting and making things, then Project Mc2 Circuit Beats is a really fun toy to discover.

Project Mc2 is a Netflix original series featuring four super smart girls who combine their love of science with their spy skills as they take on missions for a secret organisation called NOV8, pronounced “innovate”. Alongside the series came a collection of Project Mc2 toys, including dolls, science kits and other STEM inspired toys.

We had previously reviewed the Project Mc2 dolls, which Summer really enjoyed playing with, so when we were given the opportunity to try Project Mc2 Circuit Beats, we were really excited.

Summer loves her dolls, but she also loves music, so combining music and science sounded like something she would really enjoy.

And she did!

What is Project Mc2 Circuit Beats?

Project Mc2 Circuit Beats is a science and music toy that allows children to create their own music using everyday objects.

Instead of simply pressing buttons to make sounds, children can connect wires to different objects and use them to trigger sounds through the included cat ear speaker headband.

You can experiment with all sorts of things around the house.

A banana can become a piano.

A carrot can become a guitar.

A flowerpot can become a drum.

It is such a simple idea, but it makes children look at everyday objects in a completely different way.

Setting Up Project Mc2 Circuit Beats

Setting up the Circuit Beats toy is surprisingly easy.

You connect the wires to the controller, making sure that they are pushed in firmly. There is a main wire that acts as the ground connection, which you hold against your fingertip.

The remaining wires can then be connected to objects that you want to use to make music.

Once everything is connected, you can start experimenting.

The great thing about this STEM toy for kids is that there is plenty of room for children to explore and work things out for themselves.

There isn't just one way to play with it.

You can try different objects, different sounds and different combinations to see what happens.

Banana Piano? Carrot Guitar? Flowerpot Drums?

This was definitely one of our favourite things about Circuit Beats.

Once the wires are connected, touching the objects completes the circuit and triggers the different sounds through the Project Mc2 cat ear speakers.

Suddenly, a piece of fruit or a vegetable sitting in the kitchen becomes part of a musical instrument.

It is the sort of activity that makes children want to keep experimenting because they want to know what else will work.

We had lots of fun looking around the house for different things that we could connect to the Circuit Beats controller.

It is also a great opportunity to talk about science without it feeling like a science lesson.

What's Included With Project Mc2 Circuit Beats?

Inside the box you get everything needed to start experimenting, including:

• A circuit board with buttons for selecting five different sound options

• Piano sound

• Drum sound

• Guitar sound

• Cat meow sound

• The option to record your own sound

• Seven brightly coloured wire clips

• Cat ear speaker headband

• Sticker sheet for decorating

• Batteries

The cat ear speaker headband is a particularly fun addition. It makes the whole thing feel much more like creating and performing your own music rather than simply completing a science experiment.

How Does Project Mc2 Circuit Beats Work?

This is where the science behind the toy gets really interesting.

When you connect the ground wire to your fingertip, you are creating a return path for the electrical current.

The other wires are connected to objects that conduct electricity. When you touch the connected object with your other hand, you complete the circuit.

The electrical current can then flow through the completed circuit, which allows the Circuit Beats controller to trigger the selected sound.

Of course, you don't necessarily need to explain all of the science behind it straight away. For younger children, it can simply be about experimenting and having fun.

For older children, however, it provides a brilliant starting point for talking about electrical circuits, conductivity and STEM.

That is one of the things I really liked about this toy.

It is fun first, but there is also some genuine science behind the fun.

You Can Even Record Your Own Sounds

Another feature Summer really enjoyed was the recording option.

The Circuit Beats controller allows you to record your own voice and then play it back as part of your music.

This adds another element to the toy because children aren't limited to the sounds already included.

They can experiment with their own recordings and create something that is completely their own.

It encourages creativity as well as scientific curiosity, which I think is a lovely combination.

What Did Summer Think of Project Mc2 Circuit Beats?

Summer absolutely loved it.

She was fascinated by the fact that she could connect something as ordinary as a carrot or piece of fruit and suddenly use it to create music.

There was lots of experimenting as she searched for different objects that could be connected to the Circuit Beats controller.

I think that sense of discovery is what made it so enjoyable for her.

Rather than simply being given a toy that tells you exactly what to do, Project Mc2 Circuit Beats encourages children to experiment.

What happens if I connect this?

Will this object work?

What sound will it make?

Can I make my own music?

Those little questions are where the learning happens.

A Fun STEM Toy for Kids

One of the things I really like about Project Mc2 as a range is the way it combines entertainment with STEM.

Science, technology, engineering and maths can sometimes sound like very serious subjects, but toys like Circuit Beats can introduce some of those ideas through play.

Children can learn about simple electrical circuits and conductivity while having fun making music.

They are experimenting, testing ideas, solving little problems and discovering what works.

And because they are having fun, it doesn't necessarily feel like learning.

For us, that is a big part of what makes a good educational toy.

Our Verdict on Project Mc2 Circuit Beats

Project Mc2 Circuit Beats is a fun and creative STEM toy that combines science, music and experimentation.

Summer really enjoyed discovering which everyday objects she could use to create different sounds, and I loved watching her curiosity as she experimented with the different wires and sounds.

It is particularly good for children who enjoy making things, asking questions and discovering how things work.

The fact that you can use everyday objects also makes the experience feel much more exciting. A carrot isn't just a carrot anymore when you're wondering whether it can become part of your musical creation!

For us, Project Mc2 Circuit Beats offered a great mixture of creative play and science, and it was lovely to see Summer having so much fun while learning about something she might not otherwise have explored.

If your child enjoys Project Mc2, music, science experiments or STEM toys, Circuit Beats is certainly an interesting one to consider.

And let's be honest, anything that turns vegetables into musical instruments has to be worth a try!

This post was originally written following our experience with Project Mc2 Circuit Beats.