Daleks, however, probably would be a frustrating project for someone new to electronics.

Electronics projects are a great way to learn about the hardware part of computing. Obviously electronics involves electricity. But it also includes circuits, voltage, and resistance, all components used to build computer hardware. Electronics projects are also a great way for beginners to not only be consumers of electronics but, more importantly, to be able to build, change, and fix computers. You don’t have to become a computer repair expert to benefit.

Where can you get started with electronics projects for beginners? Here are a number of online resources to help you find projects, tutorials, parts, and online communities to help.

Electronics Projects for Beginners

Instructables: Electronic Projects For Beginners

Written by a thirteen year old, this article links to a number of small projects geared towards people new to electronics. Projects include a solar iPhone charger, how to solder, a solar cockroach, and a water powered calculator.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Electronic-Projects-For-Beginners/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Beginners-Electronics-Projects/

Five Beginner Projects that Work on the First Attempt

Links to videos showing simple projects, including a clap on clap off switch.
http://www.buildcircuit.com/5-beginners-projects-that-work-in-the-first-attempt/

Simple Electronics Projects for Beginners

Articles with reader comments for a number of projects, including a water level indicator, FM radio transmitter, and infrared motion detector.
http://www.circuitstoday.com/simple-electronics-projects-and-circuits

Electronics Projects for Dummies

No one who reads this magazine is a dummy, but this Dummies website has a great step-by-step set of tutorials for a coin toss circuit that also teaches the process of designing and building electronics projects.
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/consumer-electronics/electronics/Electronics-Projects.html

Makezine Electronics Projects

While most of their projects are not for beginners, this is a great site to browse to get excited about what you might do once you finish a few electronics projects for beginners. There are some really neat projects on this site.
http://makezine.com/category/electronics/

Radio Shack Beginner Electronics Projects

Really an overview article with some ideas on what they offer people who want to get started with electronics projects, for example, Engineer Mini Notebooks which sound interesting.
http://techchannel.radioshack.com/beginner-electronics-projects-1831.html

Electronics Tutorials

Ben Heck Show: Back to Basics

Key skills like how not to fry your projects.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwO8CTSLTkijrSW6DIFsQxcvjRo5fZ-y5

How to Solder

The ability to solder, using heat to fuse two soft metals, is a key skill for electronics projects.
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-solder—through-hole-soldering/all

Spark Fun Tutorials

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials

Parts for Electronics Projects

Element 14

Sponsor of the Ben Heck show that features electronics projects, as well as an online community where you can get help with your projects.
http://www.element14.com/community/welcome

Adafruit

Focus on Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and Beagle Board parts and projects, with lots of tutorials.
https://www.adafruit.com/

Spark Fun

https://www.sparkfun.com/

Minibread

http://www.minibread.com/

Octoparts

A search engine to find electronic parts from many different vendors.
http://www.octopart.com/

Online Communities

Element 14

An active community built around their electronics parts business and the Ben Heck YouTube show they sponsor.
http://www.element14.com/community/welcome

Makezine

https://plus.google.com/communities/105413589856236995389