December 2008 Notable Toys — Science & Nature

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.

Each Slooh Kids activity book includes 14 celestial objects located in the northern and/or southern Hemisphere. It’s easy to launch, explore, and learn with the whole family. Kids can learn about space, then go see it LIVE using the Slooh mission card via Internet access on a Mac or PC. Kids can connect to three observatory site locations, learn how to plan missions, remotely control the telescopes, and take and print pictures, then paste them in the book. Access includes Live SkyGuide Audio. "Slooh is revolutionizing the way we explore the night sky," Patrick Paolucci, president of BlueStorm Productions, Inc., told TDmonthly. Slooh mission cards won a 2006 NAPPA Gold Award Honor award. Launch date: July 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.

With this 63-piece kit, kids can build all five Simple Machines at the same time. Students can construct, examine, and explain simple machines to develop a deeper understanding of how they make work easier. The set contains enough pieces to build a lever, pulley, inclined plane, wheel and axle, and wedge. Children can modify the machines with four included weights (two 5g and two 10g) and eight included rubber bands to explore effort, force, load, motion and distance. The labeled pieces assemble easily and separate to store. An Activity Guide is included. Launch date: January 31, 2008.

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).

Kids can use this kit to build a working wind turbine to harness power out of thin air. Wind is one of the most promising sources of clean, renewable energy available today. During the experiments, kids will learn the physics of force and motion as it applies to wind power technology. The kit includes a full-color, 32-page experiment manual that offers illustrated instructions for 20 experiments and scientific information. Kids will build a working wind turbine, harnes mechanical energy to lift weights and more.
— “I’m featuring science kits that teach kids about the environment or renewable energy, such as the Thames and Kosmos Wind Power and the Fuel Cell X7,” said Michelle Smith of Piccolo Mondo Toys in Portland, Ore., of this good seller in her store.

A simple introduction to the complex and fascinating world of magnetism, Dowling Magnets’ Assorted Magnet Box contains a variety of basic magnets in different shapes and colors, a shoelace, and a handbook with magnet information and fun facts. 
— “We have a huge homeschooling community, and kids are fascinated by magnets,” observed Jacque Flagg, owner of Jacques Inc. in Bryan, Texas, when discussing best-selling science products in August 2008.
— Of 64 retailers polled in Summer 2008, 4 percent listed magnets as their top-selling science item.

This Sea Monkeys kit comes with everything one needs to get started raising these living, swimming ”micro-crustaceans.” After treatment with the included water purifier, sprinkle the pouch of dormant Sea Monkey eggs into the tank, and watch the new pets appear and grow. It comes with a “growth guarantee.”
— “Another thing that sells really well is the Sea Monkeys. We sell a lot of those, and we had one of those on display,” Pat Cooley, owner of Cooleykatz Toys Livermore, Calif., told TDmonthly in August 2008 when discussing popular science and nature toys.
— “Kids still get so excited about those little kits,” said Janet Gregory, owner of Over the Rainbow Toys in Anchorage, Alaska. “A lot of adults seem to be drawn to them, too, because of the nostalgia factor.”
― As of 9.23.2010, this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 9 reviews on ToysRUs.com and was listed No. 10 in best-selling science and nature toys. PROS: Entertaining, educational, interactive and easy to use.