Toys by Subject
Science
Description and Reviews
From the manufacturer
Galileo looked to the stars in wonder. His curiosity put Earth in its place
when he finally convinced the world that the sun is the center of our universe. Explore
the planets and stars like the first astronomers. Make a telescope modeled on Galileo's
16th century designs. Recreate the world's first thermometer, and investigate the motion
of pendulums.
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Description and Reviews
Amazon.com
For the horticulturally challenged child: The Kitchen Botany set. Now kids can
learn something other than growing ... bored. The set touts 18 different botany-influenced
craft projects. Kids will learn and have fun as they grow a beanstalk or watch corn
sprout. Their creativity will flow as they make a potato head family and decorate plant
markers and containers. The Kitchen Botany set comes with quick-grow beans, grass, and
corn, and planting materials for sprouting and growing plants. There's also a magnifying
glass for observing and measuring the growth process. It even comes with acrylic paint and
stick-in eyes for potato heads! This set has everything to keep a budding botanist busy.
(Ages 7 and older) --Andrea Linsky
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Description and Reviews
Amazon.com
Colliding Continents is a much more exciting toy name than "Complete
Geology Starter Kit," which is what this kit really is, but Educational Design does
such a quality job that it's hard to begrudge them a little hyperbole. Any rock hound in
the making will find hours of things to enjoy in this box. There are two globes to
paint--one of the modern globe, one of the ancient supercontinent Pangea; there's a packet
of rocks to identify; and there's a world map with overlays and several flipbooks. The
only thing missing from this kit is a rock hammer and a pith helmet. --Keith Simanton
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Description and Reviews
From the manufacturer
A brain baffling collection of optical illusions and visual effects for the
young artist. Experiments and projects will teach kids how movies are created and why and
how your mind and eyes can see things that sometimes are not there.
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Description and Reviews
Amazon.com
A combination of scientific history, theory, and fun lab projects, this is
another great science kit from the Scientific Explorer series. Re-create Newton's
experiments with gravity and motion, and then design and launch rockets based on those
same laws. Build a spectroscope to learn about the colors that create light, and then
explore the science of optics with a color-viewing box. In addition to being a great
miniphysics lesson, this kit is a helpful think tank for creating the ideal science fair
project. The Scientific Explorer series has won a "Best Toy" award from the
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio twice! It is also one of Parenting Magazine's "Top
Toys of the Year," a Parent's Choice Honors recipient, and a Dr. Toy honoree. Most
importantly, your child will learn while having fun. Adult supervision is recommended. --Chris
Livesay
From the manufacturer
Sir Isaac Newton's masterpiece "Principa" is considered by many to be the
greatest science book of all time. Emulate his pioneer of modern science with the
experiments in this kit. Design and launch a rocket based on Newton's laws of motion;
build a spectroscope to investigate the colors in light; explore the science of optics
with a color box; and recreate Newton's experiments with gravity and motion.
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Description and Reviews
Amazon.com
It's easy to see why this introductory kit to optics would be a hit. It
includes a kaleidoscope and easy instructions to build a simple periscope. Science-minded
children will find some of the experiments fun and some more instructive, but all are
geared to teaching some basic optical principles. Refraction, reflection, and the color
spectrum--all dry, lifeless, and boring laying on a textbook page--are shown in a
different light here. In a nice use of packaging, the box that encloses the materials
becomes a base for a few of the experiments. --Keith Simanton
From the manufacturer
Build a real periscope, create spinning illusions, play with magical mirrors, and more.
Seven eye-opening optical activities.
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Description and Reviews
Amazon.com
True or false? Cracked knuckles are caused by exploding gas. There are 900
entertaining questions in the Nova True Science board game, and this is just one of them.
Played on a board cleverly illustrated as a human brain, the game challenges two to four
players to a duel of scientific knowledge. By rolling the dice and answering questions in
six true or false categories, players move their pieces and win cards. Scientists ready
for the supreme challenge can rev up their brain cells and answer Genius-level questions.
Besides answering questions, players can choose Pop Quizzes, Brain Boosts, and Einstein's
Gamble, making this game as much about strategy as knowledge. It's definitely true that
fun and learning are equal partners in the True Science game and, if you haven't figured
it out yet, so is the answer to the cracked-knuckle question. (Ages 10 and older) --Lee
Strucker
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Description and Reviews
From the manufacturer
Mixing fragrances is a delight for children. And it's a great introduction to
science. Kids and their families spend hours--even days--making wonderfully smelling
potions and conducting science experiments to see how scent affects our moods, memory and
alertness. Comparing the responses of siblings, parents and friends make this a shared
adventure the entire family will enjoy.
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Description and Reviews
From the manufacturer
Test for acids and bases with litmus paper, give your family a blind taste
test with mouth watering flavors, make a secret cola recipe, and explore the chemistry of
food.
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Description and Reviews
Amazon.com
Smithsonian Adventures takes you to the Amazon. Mix exotic jungle scents, learn the botany
of the Amazon, explore life in the rainforest, and discover the medicinal powers of
tropical plants. Kit includes five fragrances, mixing vials, and pipettes. The 12-page
science guide walks you through the perfume-making process, and then explores the
rainforest and its inhabitants. Apply the principles you learn to your own backyard
"jungle"--you'll be amazed at the life that exists right outside your door.
(Ages 10 and older) --Margaret Quinn
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Description and Reviews
From the manufacturer
The collection of exotic spices inside this kit will delight your nose and
give you a new way of thinking about chemistry. Conduct experiments to find out ways to
extract their volatile elements, and trace Marco Polo's journey to the fabled spice
treasures of the East.
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Description and Reviews
Amazon.com
Charles Darwin, the 19th-century naturalist who revolutionized biology with
his theory of evolution, believed that there were three stages on the road to becoming a
naturalist: collecting specimens of life forms, observing specimens, and drawing
conclusions based on observations. The Charles Darwin Kit, one in Scientific Explorer's
History of Science series, guides children through each stage with a series of experiments
and activities. They can catalog life in their backyards using biodiversity cards, grow
wildflowers, and even design a new bird species. Includes magnifier, forceps, petri
dishes, collection box, starter pots, wildflower seeds, labels, and other equipment
necessary for investigating the amazing diversity of life in the backyard. Scientific
Explorer kits have won Dr. Toy's Best 100 Toys and 10 Most Socially Responsible Toy Awards
(1996), three Oppenheimer Toy Portfolio's Best Toy Awards (1996), Parenting
Magazine's Top Toys of the Year (1995), and Parents' Choice Foundation's Parents' Choice
Honors (1994 and 1995). --Lisa Whipple
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