3Doodler is back with a cute and safe 3D printing pen for kids

Even from its first moments of success on Kickstarter, one thing was clear to the team at 3Doodler, the 3D printing pen startup: They would have to create a version just for kids. Now, after releasing a stripped-down update to the original and pushing to bring these things into classrooms, they’ve finally done it. Meet the 3Doodler Start, a cuter, curvier version of the pen designed for a new generation of little creators.

In case you haven’t kept up with the movers and shakers in the creator space, 3Doodler’s formula is very simple. Each pen comes with a starter pack of plastic strings: insert one into the pen, turn it on, and extrude that plastic into fanciful figures or faithful reconstructions. In a way, you become a 3D printer yourself, except your brain is the software that gives shape and substance to your ideas. The new pen will set parents and school boards back $50 each (or $40 if it’s the kind that pre-orders), making it half the price of the 3Doodler 2.0 the team released around this time of year. past. And before you ask, yes, that means the team had to make some notable compromises.

For one thing, there’s only one extrusion speed, and it seemed pretty slow while playing with a very early model at our CES stage. There’s also only one temperature setting, but that helps keep the 3Doodler Start’s plastic extrusion tip from getting hot enough to burn anything (or anyone). Really. This is arguably the most impressive thing about Start: While playing with the pen, co-founder Daniel Cowen encouraged me to doodle on my skin, a move that would have meant a bit of howling and a lot of cold water splashing just last year. However, the hardware team can’t take full credit for this kid-friendly plastic extrusion; 3Doodler has also developed a new type of biodegradable plastic filament that melts at lower temperatures. Oh, and the piece de resistance? Fortunately, the Start uses a standard MicroUSB port for charging; that’s a less thick and specific wallwart to track.

Interest piqued? It would be nice to get them before the holidays to keep the hordes of kids busy, but the Start should be a great distraction for the summer: the first units are expected to ship this May.