I got into electronics by building simple radios. There was a Ladybird Book [1] that started with a crystal set then added extra bits to it like a transistor am

I got into electronics by building simple radios. There was a Ladybird Book [1] that started with a crystal set then added extra bits to it like a transistor amplifier. It was all built using a DIY breadboard, the components were connected together using screws with countersunk washers fastened into a piece of wood. There was a whole hobby electronics scene with several magazines that provided designs to build as well as local shops or mail-order to get components. If I were a teenager now then a FPGA development board with plenty of LEDs and ports could be good. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladybird_Books https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladybird_Books