A great gift for the inquisitive kid who’s not squeamish. Kids grow their own friendly germs and fuzzy molds and can even mix up a batch of coagulating fake blood. If they really want to, they can make a stinky intestine. No matter what, they learn the science behind unmentionable bodily functions while doing some truly nasty experiments.
— Sandra Tollinger, salesperson at Growing Tree Toys, State College, Penn., said that the Disgusting Science kit is one of their best sellers. “Boys really like it.”
— The owner of Cheeky Monkey Toys in Menlo Park, Calif., pointed out that the “Scientific Explorer Kits are the best selling toy for 9 to 12 year old boys.”
— “The Scientific Explorer kits are great sellers for me,” explained Jeff Boss, owner and president of Brain Builders, Moorepark, Calif.

It’s the only lab kit that allows kids to cut open Frankenstein, remove his gooey organs, and view them under a microscope! With a mad scientist-style “viewing station,” kids with strong stomachs get an “experiment”-ready Frankenstein with chest opening and multiple monster organs. It includes a kid-friendly tweezers and scalpel.
— Sally Jenkins, assistant manager at the Toys “R” Us in Orlando, Fla., said that “little boys love this kit. It’s very gross, and after they saw the movie, they knew the Van Helsing name and wanted to play with this.”
— It was in the top-10 play sets on Amazon.com for seven weeks running (starting the week of August 28th).
— Also available is Dracula’s Pigmy Pod with pigmy bat, so kids can add to their collection.

Owl Puke: The Book, by Jane Hammerslough, is a kit that contains everything kids need to learn about the wonderful world of owl puke. Owls eat small rodents and then throw-up the indigestible parts in a fuzzy pellet. With the guidebook in hand, kids can inspect the professionally collected and heat-sterilized pellet for the bones of the animals that the owl has eaten. A plastic sorting tray is also included. It’s a great science experiment and very gross.
— Kathy Uhtoff, co-founder of the Northwest Nature Shop in Ashland, Ore., thought this book was “very creative. It’s educational, fun and disgusting. Kids like it, and even some university professors use it in their classes.”
— Seattle Audubon Society’s Nature Shop’s Chuck Wosselly (a volunteer at the store), said that “kids really go for the owl puke. Well, at least the boys. The girls are a little more squeamish.”

What is a Giant Microbe? These plush dolls look like common microbes — only a million times their actual sizes! From ulcers to Ebola, they’re humorous, educational and quite contagious. Each 5- to 7-inch microbe doll comes with an image and information about the microbe it represents. These germs of endearment are better than a get-well card for a sick friend.
— Dave, founder and head of Sillyasstoys, Richmond, Va., thought the Giant Microbe plush toys are the coolest things around. “They’re one of our biggest sellers.”
— “Kids love them and so do teachers. We sell a lot to schools. They make biology fun and cuddly,” explained Susan Richards, manager for Educational Innovations Inc., Norwalk, Conn.
— Michael Stipe, lead singer of REM, even got some of these at Kawaii Gifts in Pittsburgh, Penn. (of all places).

In this kit, students learn about the mechanics, importance, and make-up of bones and muscles. Kids can study and recreate X-rays, make hinge and ball-and-socket joints, and make a model leg complete with bones and muscle. There are 36 different kits available, including Fossils, Flight, and Planets.

These ceiling stickers light up the bedroom when the lights are turned out.
— The package comes with 40 plastic stars.
— Jordan Walden, store manager at Finnegan’s Toys & Gifts in Portland, Ore., said that glow stars are big. “They were really popular about 10 years ago,” she said. “They faded out, and now it seems like they’re making a comeback.”
— “Our glow in the dark stars sell very well, too,” explained Rhia Abarquez, logistics manager of EpartyUnlimited.

This is a great glow-in-the-dark habitat for glow-in-the-dark bugs, fireflies and other insects as well. It’s even great for taking under the blankets at night to watch your insect friends without a flashlight.
— “Fantastic, very good, inexpensive, anything glow in the dark always sells,” explained Betsy Dees, district manager of Bright Beginnings & Cotton Tots in Texas.
— A patent-pending design keeps the case cricket-proof.
— The Habitat is durable and yet weighs a mere 1.5 pounds.

Inspired by the original photographs of the whole Earth taken by NASA astronauts, Orbis World Globes has created the first and only inflatable globe to depict Planet Earth as it appears from outer space. Featuring the newest generation of NASA satellite imagery, the EarthBall is the most visually authentic globe available anywhere and the most fun a child can have holding the whole world in their hands! The EarthBall is the only globe to display the world's city lights with glow-in-the-dark printing, providing an exciting dimension of realism. The 16 page Global Handbook, included with every EarthBall, is packed with resources, games, activities and fun information for global explorers of all ages.
— Lorena Lopez, manager at Puzzle Zoo in Santa Monica, Calif., said that the Earth Ball is a favorite among astronomically-inclined consumers. “The sales are good,” she said. “It’s probably our best selling glow-in-the-dark product.”
— Using satellite imagery as a guide, the world’s major cities glow in the dark, recreating the view from space.
— Please visit their Web site (www.earthball.com) for a soon-to-be-released 1-meter EarthBall.

Toys don’t come any more natural than the geode, one of nature’s most interesting phenomena. Geodes occur in nature when sedimentary or volcanic rocks are hollowed out (sometimes by water) and filled with other minerals that eventually form crystals.
— These geodes come fully formed, so kids can break open the rocks themselves to reveal the crystals inside.
— “Kids really like these,” said Susan Waterstreet of Tree Top Kids in Washington, D.C. “They’re neat because they look innocuous on the outside, but when the kids break it open, they can see how the crystals have formed on the inside, and it’s cool. They’re a good seller.”
— Kim Walter, manager of Giggles in Stoughton, Wis., said that people couldn’t resist this product. “Kids love these; they’re by far the most popular thing on the rack. I don’t think a kid can leave without buying a geode.”

ADVENTURE SCIENCE SERIES– is a series of fun and exciting science kits for young children that stimulates their innate desire to learn and discover.  This hands-on exploration will give children an Educational Science Adventure that will Last a Lifetime!”

Volcano Madness, Zany Crystals, Water Splash, Chemistry Blast, Ultimate Illusions, Awesome Bubbles, Magic Magnets, and Wacky Weather.

Winner! Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Products (2005), Dr. Toy 10 Best Educational Products (2005), Creative Child Preferred Choice Award (2006)

When you get right down to it, what´s more fun than science? If it´s the kind of scientific activities included in Mind Blowing Science, the answer is "not much." It´s tough to beat the color-changing erupting volcanoes, the never-wet sand, and all the other experiments waiting to be conducted in this set. The package includes red cabbage powder, baking soda, cooking oil, corn starch, goldenrod paper, cotton swabs, test tubes and caps, plastic cups, pipettes, magnifier, measuring scoops and a guide. Parental supervision is required.
—  As of 1.06.2011 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 51 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 15 on the top 100 bestselling toys and games. Pros: Colorful experiments intrigue young children. Cons: Adult supervision required at all times; too simple for older children.
—  “We sell a lot of that one. It’s very colorful and it’s very popular. We sell about six per month,” Gwen Bowden, manager of Doodlehopper for Kids in Springfield, Va., said in late August 2009.
— Two of 38 retailers told TDmonthly in early fall 2009 that Mind Blowing Science is a best-selling science product at their stores. Disgusting Science was also named as a top seller.

Like the beach? Like Sea Monkeys? This has both. First, there´s a small beach-scape monkey-arium that has a plastic beach scene complete with hoops and beach towels and surf´s up for the Sea Monkeys to swim in. It comes with water conditioner, Sea Monkey instant eggs and a packet of food. It has a small spoon for stirring and measuring the food. It has instructions. Follow the instructions, and it has ... drum roll please: Sea Monkeys!

This is a cool, squishy, squashy, vibrantly colored replication of a Red-Eyed Tree Frog. It feels clammy, it looks clammy, and it´s altogether gross ... which is the whole point. It´s a fairly accurate reproduction (except that it´s an order of magnitude larger than a real Red-Eyed Tree Frog), and would look quite comfortable out in the wilderness. It´s very fun to play with.

The sturdy 12" diameter globe is write and erase. With silver painted metal semi-meridian and base, it´s a solid educational tool for all ages. Designed for dry erase markers (one included), the Geographer features larger continent and country outlines. This interactive globe enhances learning in the classroom and home schooling. The Geographer was awarded a Seal of Excellence Award (Educational Toys for Kids category) in the 2005 Top Creative Toy Awards sponsored by Creative Child Magazine.

This is a super-deluxe magnifying glass: Big, bold and brightly colored, with a large handle (easy for the younger kids to hold) and a wide wood boarder around the glass (tougher for those same kids to break), this is a must for the unschooler.
— As the people at the Maukilo store said: “The name HABA stands for high-quality products and age appropriate materials.”
— Jason Oliver of Oompa Toys, had this to say: “We just started to carry them, but they are selling well already.”
— According to the British Society For Cell Biology, “Great fun can be had by looking at small organisms. A good magnifying glass will help your observations.”

Color, refraction, light, Isaac Newton (in all his glory), rainbows and a kaleidoscope. It’s a one-stop optics lab and just plain cool. Plus it’s a door of introduction to history, engineering and even mineralogy.
— This quality acrylic prism works for fun and exploration. Kids learn how to split a beam of light into a multicolored rainbow or look through the top beveled edge to reflect images into kaleidoscopic patterns.
— “Prisms are perennial sellers, always fascinating, always interesting, always a must-have once a child begins to look through them. No matter what the season, prisms are always an item,” said Martin Fong, owner of Dis & Dats toy store in San Francisco.
— Kyle Davies of Brainee Bunch in College Park, Md., said the smaller ones are selling particularly well for them.
— “You could look at a simple toy prism and say ‘whatever’ or you could look at it and remember that people like Einstein, Boyle, Newton and hundreds of other great minds used to play with them when they were kids, too,” Sue Ellen Childs of Tedco told TDmonthly.

This bird feeder with a cool tiki hut design includes a motion sensor that alerts the Tikiman transmitter and kids when birds are feeding. The one-way glass lets kids see the birds without the birds seeing them. The feeding totem pole and water bowls are easy to fill, and suction cups simply attach the feeder to any window.

This cool habitat provides a place for kids to observe the insects they have caught on their outside adventure. The habitat includes a waterfall, vegetation and a play hut so bugs can “hang out.” Also included is a small hill for bugs to race up and down. The removable magnifier allows kids to get up close for details. The entire clear plastic dome opens completely for easy cleaning.

A Zooquarium with its own mini-searchlight (Sea Monkeys always head towards light), it comes with everything one needs to start a Sea Monkey preserve. Easy to raise (if you let the water dry out, the Sea Monkeys go dormant — add water, and voila: back in business), this is a fascinating toy for families on the go.

This frog habitat is a place where children can watch live tadpoles magically transform into frogs, then swim in their own pond and explore the surrounding rain forest habitat. Kids learn why frogs play an important role in the environment and the world in which we live. It is a science project in a box.

This clear, sturdy hard plastic dome makes it tough for budding biologists to go “hands-on.” Like the Butterfly Garden, it includes mail-sent larvae.

This net habitat (almost like a Chinese lantern) encloses caterpillars, food and the setting for a caterpillar’s eventual metamorphosis. It requires mail-sent larvae. “The Butterfly Garden not only shows actual insect metamorphosis, but it does so in just three weeks' time. Many other animal habitats can take up to six months for any changes to occur. This makes it a perfect item for kids who have short attention spans and is an ideal science project for any classroom,” John White, marketing director of Insect Lore, told TDmonthly.
— Fred Rosenberg of On the Park in Kingwood, Texas, named this as his No. 1 seller in May 2008, with sales of 50 to 60 units monthly. “I just can't keep them in stock right now,” he told TDmonthly. “We have a display on our counter with the real butterflies so people can see it go through the process,” said Kim Emigh, VP of e-commerce at Growing Tree Toys in State College, Pa.
— 25% of 64 retailers surveyed in August 2008 named this as their top-selling nature toy, reporting average sales of 12 per month. Five of 38 retailers named Insect Lore’s butterfly habitats as best-selling science and nature products in late summer 2009. In an August 2010 survey, 21 percent of 43 specialty retailers said Insect Lore is a top-selling science and nature brand. Five retailers specifically cited Butterfly Garden as a best seller.
— As of 5/21/2012, the Butterfly Garden had spent more than 1,600 days in the top-100 best-selling toys and games at Amazon.com and has 4.4 out of 5 stars from 461 reviews.
AWARDS: 2010 TDmonthly Top Seller

Kids listen to a nation´s statistical information, including its population size, music and currency, by touching the globe with an interactive pen. Students can compare information between two countries. The Explorer Globe includes a game that challenges players to find various spots on earth.

Bring nature inside and witness the wonder of the butterfly life cycle with this amazing experience. The roomy 2-foot-tall Butterfly Pavilion habitat "pops-up" easily, looking like a Chinese lantern. Hang it from a string or set it on a tabletop for best display. The breathable see-through mesh and zippered entry allows easy access for care and feeding. The Butterfly Pavilion is a 2004 Teacher´s Choice Award winner.

The world’s first gravity-powered car uses gravity to overcome – gravity! Without batteries, motors or fuel, the car still manages to climb hills from a standing start. Kids can change weights, rear-end ratio, payload, etc. to optimize distance, speed and acceleration while learning about the basic laws of physics that govern the car´s mobility.