TDmonthly's ToyFair 2006 Preview--Science & Nature Product Category

"Wild Science" Eco System by TREE TOYS CORP.

Children can create their own self-sufficient world and global greenhouse with this product. They can explore closed and open biological systems, learn how life, atmosphere, water and geology are linked in a cycle powered by the sun, grow plants in microhabitats, track temperature changes, create rainstorms and more. ToyOps distributes this toy. This product appeared on Dr. Toy's Spring 2007 Best Products List.
— “There has never been a true Eco System developed for the toy industry, and in today’s changing world of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, we look forward to helping children under[stand] this and how their precious resources can be secured for the future,” Dennis Callaghan of TreeToys Corp. told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2007. 1/5/2007 (Price: $39.95)

Complete Gardens in a Can by GIFTS THAT BLOOM

This complete garden kit in a can only requires water. Kids can then grow one of more than 125 different gardens, from a dinosaur garden to a rainforest garden to 4-leaf clovers. Launch date: May 1, 2007.
— “Very few kids have ever gardened before, and they are fast forgetting about a fun and healthy pastime,” Robert Piller of Gifts that Bloom told TDmonthly. “One thing that stands out from any competitor is the wide assortment of garden kits, including a banana plant, giant sunflower garden, dinosaur tree…and many others.” ( Watch Video) 1/4/2007 (Price: $7.95)

Green Space Sand, 1 lb. by DUNECRAFT INC.

Space Sand is the sand that never gets wet! Create underwater sculptures and formations and watch in wonderment as the sand is completely dry when removed from the water. Space Sand, used in NASA Explorations classroom experiments, is the closest thing to sand from Mars. Space Sand is available in six colors! 12/28/2006 (Price: $7.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Resurrection Plant by DUNECRAFT INC.

Grow the fastest-acting plant on the planet! It is the everlasting evergreen that keeps coming back to life! The Resurrection Plant will transform from a dormant brown ball into a lush fern in a matter of hours! This plant can remain in its dormant stage for up to 50 years without water! The Resurrection Plant is the eternal symbol of hope and rebirth. This kit is all-inclusive and also contains a clear bowl, New Mexico lava rocks, and informative history and growing information. 12/28/2006 (Price: $7.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Prehistoric Fern by DUNECRAFT INC.

Now you can grow your own Asparagus Ferns from seed with this brand new micro-terrarium! Asparagus Ferns are known for their beautiful foliage. In fact, the tall feathery top of this plant is used to make garlands for brides! Asparagus Ferns are easy to grow, thrive in low light, and will last for years! This fern will also bloom white and pink flowers sporadically! Asparagus Ferns germinate readily from seed and make terrific houseplants! 12/27/2006 (Price: $4.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Fairies' Favorite Flower by DUNECRAFT INC.

Grow your own Lobelia flowers from seed with this unique, new micro-terrarium! Lobelia, also known as the Cardinal Flower, has trailing foliage that grows about 5 inches high and produces beautiful, deep blue flowers. This plant is easy to grow and is believed to attract fairies as well as hummingbirds! 12/27/2006 (Price: $4.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Rainforest Rock Garden by DUNECRAFT INC.

Capture the mystique and beauty of the rainforest right on your desk or table with the tropical China Doll plant. This fast-growing plant features small, shiny, intricately patterned leaves that create a soft, delicate, distinctive look. The Rainforest Rock Garden comes complete with a state of the art rock planter, a contoured sprouting dome, deluxe planting mixture, moss ground cover, china doll seeds and more! This tropical rock garden grows easily indoors, and will reach heights of three to five feet! ( Watch Video) 12/27/2006 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Soothing Aloe Rock Garden by DUNECRAFT INC.

Grow one of the most useful and indispensable plants in the world in this brand new handcrafted rock planter! Aloe is known to soothe and heal skin, and is also used to treat cuts, scrapes and burns. It is also one of the only houseplants that releases oxygen at night and removes carbon dioxide in the air. This exciting rock garden is all-inclusive and contains a unique rock planter, a contoured sprouting dome, aloe seeds, natural gravel cover, an informative instructions and care manual, and more! ( Watch Video) 12/27/2006 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Technokit Multi Pack by TOYOPS INC.

This multipack is a combination of three fantastic Timberslot Technokits. Kids can build twin racers with the unique synchronized starting system, a trip wire intruder alarm and also a buzz wire game that tests nerves. 12/11/2006 (Price: $25.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Galactic Ooze by TOYSMITH

Each 3-½" plastic beaker oozes with mysterious color swirls of green, blue, purple, yellow and pink. The product features a “unique blend of distinctive colors and texture,” Debra Ashley of Toysmith told TDmonthly.
— Owner Fred Rosenberg of On the Park in Kingwood, Texas, said in spring 2007 that inexpensive impulse items from Toysmith are best sellers in his store’s “birthday” category. 12/11/2006 (Price: $2.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Smithsonian Weird Science Body Works by NSI INTERNATIONAL INC.

Body Works has all the ingredients required to concoct slimy brains and other yucky stuff, including fingers, eyes, brains, cuts, blood and eyeballs. It allows kids to expose plaque on their teeth, test for saliva digestion, and make an ear wax detector. Children will learn that blisters protect the skin and snot helps keep germs out of the body. 12/11/2006 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Crystal Growing Kit – Sapphire Blue by TOYSMITH

Kids can grow their own crystals with this kit that includes crystal formula, base rock, a growing tray, a magnifying glass, a spatula and easy-to-follow instructions. Rose Pink, Jade Green, Topaz Yellow, Amethyst Purple and White Diamond kits are also available. “Quality materials deliver excellent results,” Debra Ashley of Toysmith told TDmonthly. 12/11/2006 (Price: $7.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Physics Workshop by THAMES & KOSMOS

Through building 36 models and conducting subsequent experiments, kids will learn the fundamental laws of mechanical physics. This hands-on approach is both fun and effective because the principles of physics are demonstrated right in front of children. Projects include building a windmill, making a hammer machine, and experimenting with pulleys and gears. It comes with a 64-page manual. 12/11/2006 (Price: $49.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

GeoSafari Talking Telescope by EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS INC.

Children can get an up-close view of 12 animals and eight space-age phenomena as they hear cool facts or take a fun quiz. The detachable telescope features 3x magnification, automatic shut-off, and two game modes: Facts and Quizspeak. It is designed to develop listening comprehension skills and teach children important scientific concepts. “Children are learning about planets and animals with incredibly beautiful pictures….They can learn interesting facts, then take off the optical piece and use it as a real telescope," Kati Elliott of KEH Communications told TDmonthly. 12/7/2006 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Roly Poly Robot by OWI INC.

Roly Poly Robot will tumble, fumble, stumble but will find a way to right itself up. The moment you turn it on, Roly Poly will speed away on its two cyclonic wheels. The engineering genius behind this well thought-out machine enables it to get on its ‘feet’ whenever it tumbles and then will continue on its new path of exploration. After assembling one worm gear and less than 20 parts, your mechanical marvel is ready to amuse any household pet. Sounds fun eh? Well, can’t let the fun stop here. Let’s personalize our robot friend. You can add your original work of art (drawing), or picture of your favorite person or pet and put it inside the dome. Wow, that’s a great idea!

Discovery and cranial developmental products has enabled OWI to be a premier science kit provider. The kit engages learning about gear structure, battery wiring, switch, and motor principles.

Very easy to assemble, this OWIKIT “JR Science Series” robot is ideal for robotic workshops, after-school programs, special events, gifts, science enrichment camps, classroom activities and promotional products market. 12/5/2006 (Price: $19.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Robotic Arm Training Kit by OWI INC.

The Robotic Arm Trainer teaches the basic robotic sensing and locomotion principles while testing your motor skill as you build and control the arm. You can command this unit with its five switch wired controller with lights to grab, release, lift, lower, rotate wrist, and pivot sideways 350 degrees. After assembly, observe the dynamics of gear mechanisms through the transparent arm. Five motors and five joints allow for flexibility and fun! For educators and home schoolers, you’ll find the robotics technology curriculum and personal computer interface useful tools.

It is honored by being selected by The Institute For Childhood Resources as “100 BEST CHILDREN’S PRODUCT”, and “10 BEST EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS”. Also, Robotic Arm Trainer has received the prestigious International award for “Good Design”.

Five axes of motion
Base to rotate left and right: 350 degrees
Shoulder moving range: 120 degrees
Elbow moving range: 135 degrees
Wrist rotate CW & CCW: 340 degrees
Grimmer open & close: 50 mm (2.2 inches)

Product Dimensions
Maximum length outwards - 360 mm (14.2 inches)
Maximum heights upwards - 510 mm (20.1 inches)
Maximum Lifting Capacity - 130 g (4.6 oz.) 12/5/2006 (Price: $84.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Ultimate Gum Kit by SCIENTIFIC EXPLORER

With this kit, children can mix more than 15 flavor combinations to create their own crazy concoctions and make huge amounts of homemade gum. “This kit contributes to a child’s educational development because it involves a lot of creativity,” Susan Rives of product development for Scientific Explorer told TDmonthly. “Kids are encouraged to come up with their own custom gum flavor….After they’re satisfied with the gum, they can design its packaging.” Launch date: August 2006.
— “Scientific Explorer science kits. [Kids] can make candy, do slime, the bubble gum factory, dino kits,” Denis Hofsetter, owner of The Toy Store in Atlanta, Ga., listed some favorites in his best-selling educational line.
— “In the science and nature category, we sold 45 last month,” Margy Pein, owner of Tree House Toy Shop in Cumberland, Md., told TDmonthly in July 2008.
— Twelve percent of retailers said science kits and related activities account for their top-selling educational products. ( Watch Video) 12/5/2006 (Price: $29.99)

Spa Science by SCIENTIFIC EXPLORER

With this indulgent kit, girls can transform a bath into a frothy fizzing sea of color and fragrance. They can make colorful, fragrant bath soaps, fizzers and oatmeal scrub while learning the science behind gels, fragrance and more. This kit “is not about being a stick figure or a beauty queen, but rather about relaxation and learning….While mixing and matching custom fragrances, kids can learn about the science of smell. While whipping up a fizzy bath ball, kids learn about how acids and bases react,” said Elizabeth Rives of Scientific Explorer, who created the kit for the company while still a college student.  Launch date: February 2003.
— Mary Porter, owner of science center The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly, “Our best-selling toys are our science kits [from Scientific Explorer], especially Spa Science.”
— “Scientific Explorer. Anything at all sells well,” Carolyn Meyer, owner of Blue Turtle Toys in Dayton, Ohio, told TDmonthly. 
— “The line we do best with is Scientific Explorer, because it's a complete kit and it's easy to understand,” said Greg Bonner, owner of Heights Toy Center in Little Rock, Ark.
— Annie Ricks, owner of My Imagination Station in Hattiesburg, Miss., told TDmonthly her best-selling item for tweens is, “Spa Science, by Scientific Explorer.”
— Want this? As of 05/06/2011, this product was available for purchase at Magic Box Toys. 12/5/2006 (Price: $19.99)

Funny Gags and Outrageous Pranks by SCIENTIFIC EXPLORER

This kit contains more than 20 different activities, from concocting a stink bomb to making itching powder from scratch. The kit received iParenting Media’s “2004 Great Holiday Winter” award. It “reveals the secrets behind pranks while encouraging social skills. Kids have a great time laughing while they learn!” Jean Bessette of Scientific Explorer told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2004. 12/5/2006 (Price: $19.99)

Healing Garden by DUNECRAFT INC.

Children and adults can grow their own Healing Garden with three powerful healing plants, aloe, hyssop and eucalyptus, decorative sensory stones, and more. The plants were chosen for their healing properties and aesthetic beauty, as well as for their ease of growth. The Healing Garden is a new addition to DuneCraft’s Windowsill Greenhouse line. The all-inclusive greenhouse contains three color seed packets, a planting and drainage mixture and instructions. 12/5/2006 (Price: $14.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Mini Space Wonder Gyroscope by TOYSMITH

The Mini Space Wonder Gyroscope provides for children the twin benefits of fun and education. It not only intrigues the child with its play value, it cultivates the mind with its physical properties. It's why it comes with a booklet to explain the toy and its operation. It also comes with its own pedestal, so that the gyroscope can keep spinning away. 11/28/2006 (Price: $8.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

After Dinner Science by BE AMAZING!

Kids will become after-dinner science magicians as they uncover the iron in their food, stretch a banana, bend spoons and mix up a batch of quicksand gravy. 11/27/2006 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Soda Pop Science by SCIENTIFIC EXPLORER

Soda Pop Science is a unique kit that lets kids invent their own secret soda formulas, create some fizz, experiment with flavors and colors, conduct taste tests and make wild, fizzy drinks for their friends. “Soda Pop is a very original kit and was the product of a collaboration with early learning experts at the University of California Berkeley GEMS program,” Jean Bessette of Scientific Explorer told TDmonthly. “This kit has won several awards.”
— In a summer 2010 survey, three of 43 specialty retailers named Scientific Explorer kits a top-selling product in the science and nature category. One retailer cited the Soda Pop Science Kit as a favorite.
— “Scientific Explorer is our number-one science line,” Casey Sartain, buyer for Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, Utah, told TDmonthly in August 2010. 11/27/2006 (Price: $19.99)

Folding Microscope by TOYSMITH

Gerri Garniss, owner of Toys That Teach in Bothell, Wash., recommended the Folding Microscope as a stocking stuffer gift idea. “For me, it’s science, including microscopes from Toysmith,” she said. Only 3” long, the Folding Microscope lets growing scientists examine an image magnified 20 times. It comes with an adjustable focusing lens and two shatter-proof slide mounts. It’s an affordable and imaginative way to introduce young kids to the fascinating world of science. 11/27/2006 (Price: $6.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Lab of Luxury Science Kit by BE AMAZING!

The beauty of the Lab of Luxury Kit lies not only in its end product, but also in its educational value for growing minds. “The Lab of Luxury is a science kit that allows girls to create make-up,” Bill Rayment, owner of Toy Crossing in Harbor Beach, Mich., told TDmonthly. Yet it also allows girls to learn the science behind the make-up they wear. This kit provides components such as citric acid and sea salts to make products as various as fizzing bath balls and glittery lip gloss. 11/27/2006 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]