Welcome to Bedtime History. Hello, this is Brake.

Growing up, one of my favorite childhood memories was using my imagination to build new things.

I'd take apart old, unused electronics or appliances in our home, and then try and rebuild them into something new and interesting.

They usually didn't work. They were more like works of art than functioning inventions, but I had a blast doing it.

What's great about a product like KiwiCo is the things you build as part of the engineering kits actually work.

My kids and I have built a few different projects together, including a ukulele, a pinball machine, headphones, and a speaker.

These projects include detailed instructions and also explain the science behind how the devices work.

As a parent, it can be hard to find creative ways to keep your children busy, challenged, and off screens.

KiwiCo does the legwork for you, so you can spend quality time tackling projects together.

KiwiCo also has boxes for geography and culture, the Atlas crate, and another one focused on cooking.

Other subjects are science, art, engineering, crafting, and design. KiwiCo also has crates designed for kids and adults of all ages.

Redefine Learning with Play. Explore hands-on projects that build creative confidence and problem-solving skills with KiwiCo.

Give 50% off your first month plus free shipping on any crate line at KiwiCo.com forward slash bedtime history.

That's 50% off your first month at kiwico.com slash bedtime history.

All the way back in the 1500s, explorers were trying to find a faster way to get from Europe to East Asia.

Columbus thought he'd found a way when he ran into the Americas, but it turns out you have to go all the way around the American continent in order to travel from Europe to Asia.

But if you look at the American continent, you'll realize there's a very skinny section of land near the middle, which came to be known as the Isthmus of Panama.

That's what an Isthmus is. A skinny section of land. Exploreers thought if they could find a river going from the east side of America to the west.

That's another way they could get through America without having to sail all the way around the bottom at modern day, Argentina, and Chile.

To find a route like this would save many, many days at sea, but unfortunately no such easy route was found.

The Isthmus had many mountains and thick jungles, so ships would have to continue sailing all the way around the bottom of the American continent.

Another idea to get from the east side of America to the west would be to build a canal, a canal is a man made passage through land that has to be dug out.

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