November 2008 Notable Toys — Kits

This ceramic boot planter comes with herb or flower seed packets and is available in red, yellow, blue and green.

This research-based kit for busy parents includes materials to help baby grow healthily from birth. It includes a "Life With Baby" information guide and 23-minute DVD that go over children's development and encourage healthy communication with baby. The kit also includes a plush dog, the book "Goodnight, Moon," some small toys and a bib. It received a 2008 Seal of Approval from The National Parenting Center.

Suede lace is a popular lace in the craft industries. It has many decorative uses from American Heritage crafts to key chains, jewelry and more. Available in spools as well as 6yd cards, all in various colors.

This kit includes high-quality ceramic magnets and 26 activities designed to develop a solid foundation for more advanced topics in electricity and magnetism, teaching children the fundamental principles of magnetism while they play. It includes how to build an electromagnet, how to flip the poles of an electromagnet, and how an electric motor works, and allows kids to go iron detecting, visualize the lines of force, craft a compass, and levitate and bounce ring magnets. "ScienceWiz Magnetism is the only product of its kind that teaches the concepts of magnetism through hands-on learning and play. Magnets are more fun when you know how they work!" Rachael Norman, sales manager for Norman & Globus Inc., told TDmonthly. This product has received a Creative Child Magazine Award. Launch date: July 1, 2008.

The 20 multi-part miniatures included in this kit are made of hard plastic and stand 28 mm tall. They come with full-color shield transfers and are unpainted and unassembled. The pieces feature "the highest quality sculpting and innovative designs," Paul Sawyer, operations manager for Warlord Games Ltd, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2008.

Offer some extra color to projects with these waxed braided cords. In addition to stitching the 25 yard spools can be used for braiding friendship bracelets, jewelry, and various other crafts. Available in 17 different colors.

Tandy Leather Factory offers a full range of children’s leather craft kits designed for all ages. The kits can teach kids pride and accomplishment by letting them create their own leather items. Kits include basic leathercrafting such as stamping and painting kits.

Make your own chewing gum with chicle, the sap of the Sapodilla tree that grows in the rainforests of Central America. Everything you need is included in this kit and it's easy! You can make your own gum on the stove or with a microwave. Great for class room activities, scout troops, birthday parties, home school, or after school groups. Adult supervision is recommended. Makes a great gift for kids!

Make your own gummies out of seaweed! Everything you need is included in this kit and it's easy! You can make your own gummi bears, gummi worms, gummi fish or any other shape. Make gummies on the stove or with a microwave. Great for class room activities, scout troops, birthday parties, home school, or after school groups. Adult supervision is recommended. Makes a great gift for kids!

Become acquainted with the structure of space by building hundreds of models from simple to profound. Zometool bridges nature, math, science, art and architecture; this kit can be a great introduction to the Zometool universe.

This product combines Dowling's most popular magnets in one fantastic kit that includes one each of a 1" horseshoe, a 2" horseshow and a 2" bar magnet, plus a tube of iron fillings and steel shapes. "This product makes science fun. With something as classic as a magnet, you can really get the whole family involved in play and learning," Jessica McCulligh, in marketing at Dowling Magnets, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2008.

Build the molecule that's responsible for building you. Learn more about the structure that makes life possible. DNA contains all the information needed to create and sustain life. Find out what makes DNA like a computer program that runs your body, learn how DNA clones itself and be astonished by the elegance and simplicity of the key to life.

Build 28 important molecules using atoms as your building blocks.  Life is composed chiefly of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and Nitrogen, use the enclosed molecule cards as your guide to build water, carbon dioxide and a lot more.

The Adventurer kit now comes in a tough, part-sorting case. You can even customize it for special parts like Colored Balls, Greens, Half Blues, or Super-Short Reds. 236 Parts: 50 white nodes, 30 each of 3 lengths blue struts, 20 each of 3 lengths yellow struts, and 12 each of 3 lengths red struts. Concise color instruction booklet, with models, bubble recipe, and more.

This structure is the form of a virus, but it's been flattened by the extreme gravity of another world. Don't worry, it's harmless to humans. FYI: The shape's official geometrical name is "Squashed Fractal Icosahedron". 123 parts: 33 white nodes, 30 blue struts, 30 yellow struts, 30 red struts each in 3 different sizes.

A great way to introduce young minds to Zome, already used successfully in thousands of schools worldwide! Includes 388 Zome components, Zome Learning Adventures Volume 1, an interactive DVD (or Video cassette) full of “funstructional” activities, and the Bubble Adventures activity book (3 volumes in one).

This kit allows kids of all ages to design their own works of art that can then be displayed in a fun-to-see light. Children can simply design and/or color their picture with any markers and then place it into the night light. Each kit comes with four blank coloring sheets plus a promotional, preprinted butterfly design coloring sheet. Replacement insert pages for the GLOWTASTIC! U-Draw Light Kit are also available.

The Robot Inventor's Workshop Kit was originally marketed in a 4-Color Box that has been replaced with a kid-friendly Heavy-Duty PVC Zipper Bag for easy storage of the ROBOTIX Motor, Controller and Parts.  The Handbook is professionally printed with a 4-Color Cover and Black & White Pages full of diagrams and robotic instructional programs.  The 23-Parts include a Low-Speed Motor, a Black 1-Switch Controller with Easy-Opening Clip, ROBOTIX Arms in both 50mm and 100mm length in 2-different colors and ROBOTIX Connectors in Black.

This Metamorphic Rock collection features a variety of colors and textures. Each of 10 rocks comes with an identification card that includes a photo and fun rock facts. Kids can try to identify each rock using the hand magnifier and information cards. For a hint, the name of each rock is beneath the foam padding. Launch date: March 2007.

Kids can discover some of Earth’s most magnificent rocks in this kit that features 15 large igneous rocks — both intrusive and extrusive types. Each rock comes with an identification card that includes a photo and fun rock facts, which can be used with the enclosed hand magnifier to identify the samples. Launch date: March 2007.

This charming collection makes naptime a welcome treat for everyone. Perfect for traveling, car rides and daycare, it includes an animated Daydream DVD, the Daydream CD, the Daydream Coloring Book and Daydream Game Cards. "Daydream helps bring a deep sense of calm and inner balance to kids ... and parents," Anna Matthews, customer service representative for Wai Lana, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 8, 2008.

The Fun Songs Activity Kit entertains little ones as it nurtures their attraction to lifelong habits that will help them be healthy, happy and balanced. The whole family will enjoy all of the goodies in this delightful kit: the Fun Songs CD, a lyrics book, game cards, an activity book and stickers. It features "unique, fun and charming characters," Anna Matthews, customer service representative for Wai Lana, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 8, 2008.

Children can learn about some of the earth’s most beautiful rocks in this sedimentary rock collection. Each of 10 rocks comes with an identification card that includes a photo and fun rock facts. Kids can try to identify each rock using the hand magnifier and information cards. For a hint, the name of each rock is beneath the foam padding. "All of our rock and mineral kits are supported by our extensive website with free geology information, including special documents and downloads for each kit, articles on geology topics, puzzles, experiments and project ideas. We also encourage children to write in to our staff geologist with their questions, which are answered on our website," President Tracy Barnhart of Mini Me Geology told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2007.

Zula Tool Kits are a fun way to extend and enhance students' learning. They can experiment with the natural magnetism of a Lode Stone with the Zula Compass, identify clouds with a Zula Weather Window, learn the physics of magnification with the Zula Monocular, and discover how shadows can help them tell the time-of-day using the Zula Sun Dial. "Zula Tool Kits are a fun and exciting way to explore real science," Kristen Mayfield, program manager at Carolina Biological Supply Company, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2008.