There are some other devices out there that are made to allow alligator clips onto leads or to use conductive thread, so no soldering is required. Adafruit makes several great little boards, but if you're getting started I'd recommend the "Circuit Playground" board: https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333 It has a number of sensors and LEDs built in already as well and supports CircuitPython, Microsoft MakeCode, and the Arduino framework.