AMSTERDAM, Oct 1 — A new Kickstarter campaign is offering up kits so that kids — everyone from babies to pre-teens — can get involved in building their own rides, a concept that is making it big in its crowd-funding phase.

Infento provides a set of kits that allow an adult and child to work together to build a ride in any number of styles, all adapted to a child’s age.

Its creators are hoping the hands-on approach will help kids think creatively and build technical skills as they “get the mindset of a maker.” In fact, they hope to empower entire families to be “makers instead of consumers,” they say, saving money in the process, as a single kit can evolve as a child grows.

Infento launched with an education kit designed for schools, meant to be a life-size answer to Lego and Meccano. Positive feedback from schools, parents and kids led them to develop a version for the consumer market, which is now enjoying positive feedback on Kickstarter: the project launched with a goal of US$50,000 (RM220,312) and has now raised more than US$355,000.

How it works is this: a kit and hex key are all that’s needed to construct styles that will take a child from toddler to teenager, including a walker, scooter, tricycle, bicycle and go-kart. The company is offering three kits and two add-ons for 18 rides in all, although there’s also plenty of room to customise beyond that.

A Junior Kit features styles for ages 0-5 and is available for a pledge of US$299. Or, parents can opt for a Creator Kit (US$499, ages 0-10), which includes all six rides from the Junior Kit plus more advanced ones children can start building themselves. A Master Creator kit will take a child from ages 0-13 and is available for US$599.

No matter what kit parents opt for, the company estimates that they come in at US$50 per ride. Add-ons alllow you to adapt the kit for snow-going adventures, while an electric motor can be added for US$199.

To pre-order, visit the team’s Kickstarter campaign page at www.kickstarter.com/projects/infento/infento-worlds-first-real-constructible-rides. Delivery is planned for January to the US, Canada, Europe and Australia. — AFP-Relaxnews