That “Things of Science” kit sounds wonderful! I wonder why I never heard of that as a kid. I bought all sorts of things like that, my Dad gave me wonderful toys and tools like that (Erector set, chemistry sets), helped me build crystal radios using cat’s whisker detectors he got at work (I remember 100 foot copper wire antennas across the back yard). One of my all-time favorites was building the “Visible V8” engine kit.
I’ve been automating my home the past several years and find that there aren’t always the sensors or systems available to do what I want, so I’ve been teaching myself Arduino and circuit design to fill in gaps. It’s like the electronics kits from the 50s and 60s on steroids these days! I still get a lot of fun out of building things like that.