May 2010 Notable Toys — Science & Nature

The Discovery Channel's Mythbusters find the truth behind urban legends using the scientific method and plenty of curiosity and ingenuity. Their unique, offbeat and often-explosive approach to science comes to a science kit that helps kids discover the powers of air pressure.

Using this kit, aspiring Mythbusters will have a gas with 'the deadly belch' and other air-powered experiments. They'll discover that although they might not even notice the air around them, it packs a powerful punch, while finding mythbusting answers to these questions:

• Can air cause your stomach to explode?
• Will air help your bones predict the weather?
• If you get the air free, can you save your house during a tornado?

The Hydroponics Lab gives a 360 degree view of growing plants, revealing the hidden magic of plant roots with no soil required. This set of three growing tubes is a mess-free way to explore hydroponics. Transparent seed baskets provide a few seedlings growing both up and down.

The 44 pieces in this kit from Elenco Electronics include a miniature motor and a working solar panel. Children can assemble six different machines and watch their creations come to life while learning how the energy in sunlight converts to powerful electricity. A detailed instruction manual is included with the kit.
― “I can't keep those in stock,” remarked Casey Sartain, buyer for Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, Utah, of Elenco's 6-in-1 Solar Kit. Sartain listed the 6-in-1 Solar Kit as his best-selling activity kit during an April 2010 survey of 48 storeowners.
— In a Fall 2013 survey, Kim Emigh, manager of e-commerce at Growing Tree Toys in State College, Pa., told TDmonthly that this solar kit is one of their best-selling science toys.

This inflatable 16"-diameter "reality globe" is made with thousands of digital images of the world from space. Visually authentic, the EarthBall also features accurate glow-in-the-dark cities and atmospheric conditions as seen from space. The ball is easy to inflate and suspend from the North Pole in a classroom, office or a bedroom. "This inflatable globe is photo-realistic, offering a beautiful, fun and important global perspective," Sole Proprietor Didier Gincig told TDmonthly.

These robotic creatures behave like real bugs. Kids can go online to register and track their Nano collections. Additional bugs, track, habitats, carrying cases and more are available separately.
— Five of 40 retailers told TDmonthly in June 2010 that the Hexbug is a top-selling product. In July 2010, 11 percent of 38 retailers named Hexbugs an overall top seller.
— In a June 2010 survey, two of 40 retailers told TDmonthly Hexbugs are a top-selling gift for boys ages 4 to 12.

Build your own electric vehicles and machines, and then power them up with a hand-crank generator. Assemble 11 models including a racecar, “flying” car, radar car, satellite car, propeller airplane, drilling car, bulldozer, space station, well-digging machine, and portable camping torch. Experiment with your electric generator and your models: Alter the crank-time and the crank-frequency and see how these variables affect the performance of your cars and machines. The 36-page color instruction book included in this kit illustrates the step-by-step assembly of each model and related principles so that children learn through playing. The 122 building pieces included in this set are compatible with those in all Thames & Kosmos Construction Series kits, Physics Series kits, Wind Power, and Hydropower kits.

Build wind-powered generators to energize your electric vehicles and charge your rechargeable batteries! The wind spins the turbine, which turns an electric generator, which in turn charges your rechargeable AA batteries (not included). You can then use those wind-charged batteries to power the model vehicles you build. The six models include a glider, sail car, jet car, tractor, racecar, and tricycle. This kit includes two styles of wind turbine blades and a gearbox with three different gear ratios for experimenting. You can adjust the angle and number of wind turbine blades to make best use of wind, to make the LED light up brightly, and to charge the rechargeable battery as fast as possible. Explore this amazing, free source of renewable energy and store the electricity you generate for use in practical applications. Included also is a 40-page color instruction book with illustrated step-by-step instructions for assembling two windmills and six model vehicles, and conducting various experiments. The 133 building pieces included in this set are compatible with those in all Thames & Kosmos Construction Series kits, Physics Series kits, Wind Power, and Hydropower kits.

Pneumatic-Hydraulic Engines. Build your own models powered by air and water pressure to learn about the laws of physics. This unique kit allows you to build two different air-and-water-powered systems: water-jet propelled cars and hydro-pneumo (which simply means air pressure and water pressure) powered engines. The hydro-pneumo system uses a self-contained air-and-water turbine system as a motor. Construct 15 models including a truck, excavator, radar car, tank, antique car, helicopter, motorbike, backhoe, rocket car, forklift, roadster, propeller plane, grinder, and cutting machine. The water-jet propelled cars are a fun outdoor activity, while the self-contained hydro-pneumo powered models are fun both indoors and out. The 48-page color instruction book included in this kit illustrates the step-by-step assembly of each model and related principles so that children learn through playing. The 165 building pieces included in this set are compatible with those in all Thames & Kosmos Construction Series kits, Physics Series kits, Wind Power, and Hydropower kits.

Featuring a guide for parents and kids with tips on how to be green, this DVD includes an adaptation of the beloved folk song "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." It is illustrated by Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Kadir Nelson and sung by Crystal Taliefero. This DVD features an hour of colorfully animated storytelling for a new generation of eco-conscious kids. Launch date: April 20, 2010.

Turn your body's natural static charge into useful light with this human-powered light bulb.

Make soda pop, then make it change colors. Pull tasty jelly things from a solution. Make Polymer Pudding. Learn about solutions, formulas, acids, bases, neutralization reaction, carbonation, indicators, pH chemistry of anthocyanins (red cabbagge pigments), gels, and polymers.

Cup your hand around the base of this glass sculpture and the liquid inside shoots up the curved glass straw into the upper bulb, where it begins to boil! Also called a "love meter" because its reaction intensifies with higher body temperatures. Available in the colors and shapes pictured; we'll choose for you.

Secret messages, invisible to unaided eye, are revealed under special light. Blister pack includes pen and light.

Sunprint kits encourage an interest in the photographic process using only sun, water, and a bit of imagination.

A handy spinal cord on a roll. Use this tape to seal and stick with endless sacral style. 25 meters of 2” wide packing tape.

Now you can brew cola just like a caveman. With all natural ingredients and some recycled soda bottles, a little chemistry magic happens and Voilà! Yummy fresh soda! Kit includes Cola extract, yeast, a funnel, labels and instructions.

Mixing the ingredients in this kit produces a large tube of minty fresh toothpaste for sparkling teeth. Making toothpaste really involves youngsters in brushing their teeth. After filling the tube, you can start brushing immediately with the enclosed tooth brush. Tube can be customized and decorated. Kit instructions contain a brief history of toothpaste and instructions on the proper way to brush.

At least half a dozen classic mind-benders, take-aparts, and other conundrums to keep the puzzler bemused, busy, and happy. Part of our growing new line DIY: Happy activities.

A Bloom Ball, aka seedball, is a seed delivery pod that is encased in a protective (clay) and nutrient rich (organic compost) shell. Toss and leave to grow - these contain more than 20 types of wildflower seed selected to thrive in the USA. Peggable card.

See the phenomenal secret power of this humble rock. Create a lovely snowy white rock garden in days. Part of the growing Compact Curiosity Line. Made in the USA

In researching this Glux, I came upon a word for blue: “Hoovaloo,” meaning an intelligent blue. This GLUX is just full of intelligent blues as well a spectrum of other colors. It’s quite beautiful to look at and satisfying to smush and stretch. Made in the USA.

Biloid is an educational robot kit with which one can build various robots including the autonomous exploration robot, quadruped puppy robot, hexapod spider robot, dinosaur robot, and bipedal humanoid robot. Launch date: 2010.

OLLO is a reconfigurable kit targeted at younger children to get interested in science & technology and show their creativity. Simple Rivet Connection helps add life to the robots so they're easy to construct and play with. OLLO is an educational introductory robotics toy for children and is also ideal for robot camps, science festivals and after school curriculum. Launch date: 2010.

The 4D Vision Dolphin Anatomy Kit from Tedco Inc. includes 18 detachable parts, display platform and illustrated guidebook. A transparent cutaway design shows the inner details of the dolphin's anatomy. Launch date: 2010.