Also it makes a world of difference when kids learn that they can actually build an usable toy phone by connecting a battery, some long wires and two pairs of c

Also it makes a world of difference when kids learn that they can actually build an usable toy phone by connecting a battery, some long wires and two pairs of carbon mic and speaker capsules. There were kits to do that when us grey beards were kids, and I'm confident some of them contributed to a few engineering careers much later.