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Fun-ology!
From biology to paleontology, ecology to geology, and some anatomy, chemistry, and oceanography thrown in for more fun, our recommendations for award-winning science gifts offer the tools and ideas to get young scientists started - no matter what their "ology" of interest.
PEEP Figures It Out
Ages: 3 - 6 yrs.
WGBH Boston Video,
$12.95 (DVD)
Peep and the Big Wide World is science for the youngest of scientists. Just as young children are constantly observing, experimenting, and hypothesizing (not necessarily in that order!) animated Peep (chick), Chirp (fledgling bird), and Quack (duckling) do the same in their Big Wide World. Here, eight animated episodes are followed by live-action segments with kids doing experiments based on the show. Other DVD features include a Spanish-language audio track, bilingual downloadable activity sheets and coloring pages.
Science is Simple: Over 250 Activities for Preschoolers
Ages: 3 - 6 yrs.
Author: Peggy Ashbrook
Illustrator: Marie Ferrante-Doyle
Gryphon House, Inc., $16.95 (Paperback)
Science Is Simple encourages children to experience our world fully, and gives teachers learning objectives, items for discovery, related books and follow-up activities. This comprehensive resource will help you teach simple science concepts -- simply! Book Description
Stepping into Science
Ages: 5 - 8 yrs.
Thames & Kosmos,
$34.95
This kit is a set of materials with an instruction book to create twenty-five science projects for early elementary students. The instructions for operating the experiments were clear and easy to follow. Each project described in the manual includes simple scientific explanations as to why the experiment behaves as it does and offers suggestions for further exploration of the theme.
Little Labs: Physics
Learn about mechanical physics by building simple machines such as levers, gears, and pulleys. Discover force and motion. 16-page color guidebook
Ages: 5 & Up
Thames & Kosmos,
$15.95
Learn about mechanical physics by building simple machines such as levers, gears, and pulleys. Discover force and motion. 16-page color guidebook
The Magic School Bus Series - The Journey into the Human Body
With the help of Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus kids, young scientists will learn about the human body. The kit includes a large, life-size illustrated poster of the human body showing body systems, and body parts, a colorful 19-page book with eleven experiments and lots of fun facts about the body including the fact that we have 22 feet of small intestine when uncoiled.
Also look for: The Magic School Bus Series: The World of Germs
Ages: 5 & Up
The Young Scientists Club,
KidStuff Public Relations,
$19.99
With the help of Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus kids, young scientists will learn about the human body. The kit includes a large, life-size illustrated poster of the human body showing body systems, and body parts, a colorful 19-page book with eleven experiments and lots of fun facts about the body including the fact that we have 22 feet of small intestine when uncoiled.
Also look for: The Magic School Bus Series: The World of Germs
KNOW: The Science Magazine for Curious Kids
Ages: 6 - 9 yrs.
Peter Piper Publishing Inc.,
With informative articles appropriate for young readers ages 6-9, colorful imagery and illustrations, and fun, hands-on experiments, KNOW is designed to fuel the minds of curious young scientists. Topics covered include dinosaurs, the solar system, technology then and now, and the stories of the fascinating men and women who have made scientific discoveries
EyeClops
Ages: 6 & Up
Jakks Pacific, Inc.,
$49.99
The EyeClops is an innovative science toy with a unique twist on the traditional microscope set. Connect this hand-held bionic "eye" to a standard television and see everyday objects magnified 200 times on the TV screen. Kids can either put the eye directly on an object, such as a family pet or sofa, or place small objects, such as insects or coins, in a plastic tray that fits on top of the eye.
Planet Earth 4-in1 Digital Microscope Kit
Ages: 6 & Up
Planet Products, Inc,
$59.99
This 4-in-1 is a digital camera, digital microscope, web cam, and microscope. It includes kid-friendly software that allows everyone to enjoy the microscope and customize their observations, using templates to make calendars, project books, posters, cards, and even produce their own Planet Earth Video of Microscopic Life. This kit includes all the accessories you need to document perform your scientific experiments, and have hours of fun. Product Description
Dr. Frankenstein's Human Body Book
Ages: 8 - 13 yrs.
Author: Richard Walker
DK Publishing, $24.99 (Hard Cover)
This book doesn't make human anatomy scary. Instead, this is a fascinating study of the inner human body. All that's borrowed from Frankenstein besides the book's title is its mission to clarify with short to-the-point text and plenty of illustrations what's needed to "make a person." But the "make a person" here is science, not fiction. A humorous touch adds a playfulness that'll keep kids reading. But most impressive, this glossy, hard-page book is straight-forward Anatomy 101.
Neuromatrix
Ages: 8 - 14 yrs.
Morphonix LLC,
$24.95
Players take on the role of a secret agent who must infiltrate a top-secret neuroscience lab where rogue nanobots (microscopic robots) have invaded the brains of the lab's top scientists. Spawned by a secret evil villain, the nanobots' mission is to reprogram the human brain-starting with those who know most about it-and render humans subservient and docile leading to the take-over of the planet Earth. But get this: In conducting brain medically-based diagnostic exams and surfing to different parts of the scientists' brains to "delete" the nanobots, players see what the inside of the brain looks like and how it functions-just like a neurologist would. Lots of grisly (but not gross) internal body scenes that only a scientist or budding scientist could love.
EyeClops BioniCam
Ages: 8 & Up
Jakks Pacific, Inc.,
$79.99
The EyeClops Bionicam offers a redesigned microscope (think "eyeball on a stick") combined with digital photography for still and video images. Bionicam in hand, young scientists can peer at the world at magnification of 100x, 200x, or 400x. The images can be reviewed on the camera or transferred via USB drive to your PC for even closer viewing. This is a well-conceived device that combines the natural curiosity of children with high-tech entertainment.
EyeClops Night Vision Goggles
Ages: 8 & Up
Jakks Pacific, Inc.,
$79.99
Take covert operations to the dark side with this handheld unit that lets you see up to 20 feet in the dark. Powered by actual infra-red driven night vision technology, EyeClops Night Vision enables clear visibility in even complete, pitch dark environments. Become a night spy, investigate nocturnal activities in your house and take games like hide 'n seek to a whole new level. Product Description
Fizz, Bubble & Flash!
Ages: 8 & Up
Author: Anita Brandolini
Editor: Emily Stetson
Illustrator: Michael Kline
Williamson Publishing, $12.95 (Paperback)
Youngsters interested in learning more about chemistry will fizz with excitement over this introduction to the elements of the periodic table. Following an introduction to the properties and history of the table, activities and experiments related to individual elements are accompanied by detailed information about each element, photographs and humorous cartoons. Ideas for science fair projects are also included.
Green Science - Enviro Battery
Ages: 8 & Up
4M Industrial Development Limited,
$11.99
Enviro Battery is a science kit designed to demonstrate how natural materials like lemons or even mud can produce enough electricity to light a bulb, power a digital watch, or activate a music chip. It includes wire, copper and zinc plates, plastic and paper cups, 2-hole bottle caps, a sound chip, a plastic tower with LED lamp, and an LCD watch. A 12-page booklet provides safety instructions, the basics of battery operations, and procedures to conduct and record six battery experiments.
Physics Solar Workshop
Ages: 8 & Up
Thames & Kosmos,
$59.95
Children can choose to build an assortment of suggested miniature solar-powered vehicles: tractors, trucks, rovers, bulldozers, and taxiing airplanes. Or, they can design and create their own solar-powered devices.This is a versatile and satisfying kit with important lessons.
Science & Nature Challenge
Kids with inquiring minds--or those fascinated with all things out-of-the-ordinary--are in for hours of (educational) entertainment! Any one of 1,000 questions is randomly chosen to challenge one player or create a 2-player game. Player(s) try to score as many points as possible in this fun, timed 10-minute game. Product Description
Ages: 8 & Up
SmartLab,
$19.99
Kids with inquiring minds--or those fascinated with all things out-of-the-ordinary--are in for hours of (educational) entertainment! Any one of 1,000 questions is randomly chosen to challenge one player or create a 2-player game. Player(s) try to score as many points as possible in this fun, timed 10-minute game. Product Description
Science Verse
Ages: 8 & Up
Author: Jon Scieszka
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Penguin Putnam Inc./Viking Children's Books, $16.99 (Hard Cover)
What if a boring lesson about the food chain becomes a sing-aloud celebration about predators and prey? A twinkle-twinkle little star transforms into a twinkle-less, sunshine-eating-and rhyming Black Hole? What if amoebas, combustion, metamorphosis, viruses, the creation of the universe are all irresistible, laugh-out-loud poetry? Well, you're thinking in science verse, that's what. And if you can't stop the rhymes... the atomic joke is on you. A CD with text read by Scieszka and Smith is included. Product Description
Secret Formula Lab
Fifteen experiments that use household cooking ingredients detail the recipes to create a variety of secret formulae. The kit comes with a beaker, test tubes, test tube holder, funnel and glow-in-the-dark powder. Projects include invisible ink, glowing alien blood jelly plastic, and hard rock candy. Although many similar experiments can be found in library books, having the realistic chemistry parts, as well as the glow-in-the-dark powder added to the fun.
Ages: 8 & Up
SmartLab,
$12.99
Fifteen experiments that use household cooking ingredients detail the recipes to create a variety of secret formulae. The kit comes with a beaker, test tubes, test tube holder, funnel and glow-in-the-dark powder. Projects include invisible ink, glowing alien blood jelly plastic, and hard rock candy. Although many similar experiments can be found in library books, having the realistic chemistry parts, as well as the glow-in-the-dark powder added to the fun.
SmartLab Challenge: Human Body
Ages: 8 & Up
SmartLab,
$19.99
Human Body Challenge is an electronic quiz book designed for one or two players. The hard cover, wire-bound book contains 1,000 multiple-choice questions (about seven per page) on anatomy, fitness, diseases, nutrition, pharmacology, and various other topics related to the human body. Attached to the book is a handheld game controller similar to those used with popular gaming systems.
SmartLab Indoor-Outdoor Microscope
Ages: 8 & Up
SmartLab,
$19.99
Indoor-Outdoor Microscope (IOM) is a 10X mini microscope that can be held in your hand or be clipped into a stand. To be able to view specimens more clearly, the IOM has an LED light that is activated by pushing a button on the neck. It also comes with a lanyard that is easily attached for convenient travel. A pocket-sized plastic case holds the IOM, tweezers, a micropipet, and two sample vials. Four prepared slides, extra specimen slides, and slide coverslips are also included. The colorful 32-page companion book, Up Close and Personal!, describes how to use the kit and shows lots of common materials to investigate under the microscope.
Smartlab You Explore It Human Body
Ages: 8 & Up
SmartLab,
$27.99
You Explore It Human Body is a human model that includes squishy vital organs and body systems visible through a clear shell. Muscles, bones, and respiratory, digestive, excretory, neurological, and digestive systems are all represented in the model. The companion book, Insides Out!, takes readers through all the body systems and explains how the body processes and benefits from eating a pizza. Included on each page are many special features such as "Try This!" activities, "Gross Alert" fun facts, "Q&A" challenges, photographs of actual internal organs, and lots of interesting trivia. An "organ-izer" poster illustrates the removable organs in the model and is a place to put the body parts that are removed using plastic tweezers and forceps. After reassembly, the model can be displayed on the included stand.
Yuck! Science Kit
Ages: 8 & Up
Be Amazing!,
$19.99
Enticing green goo is clearly visible inside a big plastic jar. Parents must supervise the activities that include making slime, growing superabsorbent polymers, and squishing sodium alginate strands that resemble "snot." Kids' sense of touch will be mightily stimulated by these activities. Add fizzy food coloring tablets and these chemical products look as bad as they feel.
zPix
This sweet little zooming microscope enlarges targets 26 to 130 times on your computer screen. Just load the easy-to-install software disk, plug zPix into your computer's USB port and you're on the way to discovery! Besides the software, included in the zPix box are the nicely designed handheld microscope itself, a specimen stage, a prepared slide (ours had a swatch of cotton fabric), three blank slides, a plastic eyedropper and plastic tweezers.
Ages: 8 & Up
Carson Optical,
$99.99
This sweet little zooming microscope enlarges targets 26 to 130 times on your computer screen. Just load the easy-to-install software disk, plug zPix into your computer's USB port and you're on the way to discovery! Besides the software, included in the zPix box are the nicely designed handheld microscope itself, a specimen stage, a prepared slide (ours had a swatch of cotton fabric), three blank slides, a plastic eyedropper and plastic tweezers.
The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.
Author: David MaCaulay
Houghton Mifflin Co., $35.00 (Hard Cover)
The Way We Work shows how individual systems - circulatory, respiratory, lymphatic, digestive, nervous, endocrine, immune, musculoskeletal, and reproductive - work together to make the human body function the way it does. Beginning with cell structure and the DNA that defines us, and ending with the cells from a man and a woman combining to create new life, this captivating journey brilliantly shares with readers the science of ourselves.
YES Mag: The Science Magazine for Adventurous Minds
Ages: 9 - 14 yrs.
Peter Piper Publishing Inc.,
Subtitled the science magazine for adventurous minds, each issue brings science to life for readers ages 9-14. Written with wit and humor, and youthful energy, colorful illustrations and photographs, articles, fun facts, and hands-on experiments, young readers will travel through topics ranging from biology to statistics in this anything but dull treatment of science.
Cool Stuff and How It Works
Ages: 9 & Up
Author: Ben Morgan
Author: Luke Collins
Author: Clint Whitchalls
Author: James Flint
Author: Chris Woodford
DK Publishing, $24.99 (Hard Cover)
This is a book for 21st Century kid who are curious about everything. It's essentially a book about how cool stuff works but with a very important difference for young readers. Cool Stuff and How It Works utilizes diagrams far better than most books of its kind, striking an excellent balance between pictures and text. This feature is worth mentioning. Too many general interest explanation books are so much like textbooks they turn kids off. The sections on “bionic” limbs and “how glue works” were favorites in our reading group.
CHEM C500
CHEM C500 is an introductory chemistry set designed for children ten years or older who are interested in chemistry. The 30 experiments, covering six major topics, are well presented with detailed instruction, excellent illustrations, interesting related facts, and exceptional safety and materials handling advice. The kit includes five solid chemical vials, three glass test tubes, a two-ended measuring spoon, a rubber stopper, two disposable pipettes, a 9-volt battery holder with lead wires, a glass solution bottle, safety goggles, and a colorful 32-page experiment manual that specifies everything needed to conduct the experiments.
Ages: 10 & Up
Thames & Kosmos,
$31.95
CHEM C500 is an introductory chemistry set designed for children ten years or older who are interested in chemistry. The 30 experiments, covering six major topics, are well presented with detailed instruction, excellent illustrations, interesting related facts, and exceptional safety and materials handling advice. The kit includes five solid chemical vials, three glass test tubes, a two-ended measuring spoon, a rubber stopper, two disposable pipettes, a 9-volt battery holder with lead wires, a glass solution bottle, safety goggles, and a colorful 32-page experiment manual that specifies everything needed to conduct the experiments.
Elements of Science
Elements of Science is several years of science instruction packed into one kit. It covers the gamut of topics from water, air, heat, light & sound to force & motion, electricity, magnetism, and chemistry. The comprehensive 114-page manual outlines 100 experiments. Additional items such as magnets, a compass, a magnifying lens, and safety goggles, complete the package. For a wide-ranging look at science, this kit cannot be beat.
Ages: 10 & Up
Thames & Kosmos,
$69.95
Elements of Science is several years of science instruction packed into one kit. It covers the gamut of topics from water, air, heat, light & sound to force & motion, electricity, magnetism, and chemistry. The comprehensive 114-page manual outlines 100 experiments. Additional items such as magnets, a compass, a magnifying lens, and safety goggles, complete the package. For a wide-ranging look at science, this kit cannot be beat.
Milestones in Science
Ages: 10 & Up
Thames & Kosmos,
$79.95
Walk in the footsteps of Copernicus, Darwin and Einstein as you learn about their discoveries and put their science to the hands-on test. Learn about light, colors and sound, steam and engines, magnetism and electricity, atoms and molecules, stars and planets, microelectronics and much more. Kit covers the accomplishments of over 140 scientists and civilizations. Features 100 different experiments.
