November 2008 Notable Toys — Science & Nature

This interactive cloth wall chart helps children learn about a subject that fascinates them — the human body. The hanging activity center comes with 16 soft, stuffed, self-sticking organs, and 15 embroidered labels, for hours of science fun. Children love to play with the beautifully detailed, self-checking pieces as they learn about the organs and where they are located in the body. It includes a giant cloth charge (38.5” x 19.5”) with grommets, 16 self-stick organs, 15 self-stick labels and an activity guide. Launch date: January 31, 2008.

The Fossils Collection includes nine different fossils in a handy storage tray, an informational guide, a four-color insert card of photographed fossils, and a die-cut sheet of circle labels for the fossils. Fossils included are brachiopod, bryozoa, crinoid stem, gastropod, colony coral, ammonite, shark's tooth, fossil fern and petrified wood. Launch date: January 31, 2008.

Marko the Pencil shows students how easy it can be to understand and remember science concepts. They can learn about the solar system, weather, water cycle, geology, properties of minerals, volcanoes, plate tectonics, weathering, topography, erosion, energy resources and energy conservation. The approximately 58-minute DVD is an excellent preparation tool for any earth science tests and meets National Science Education Standards. Launch date: October 2008.

With this DVD, kids can learn important facts and get ready for any physical science test. Marko the Pencil takes learners on a journey to his Super Science Station where it’s easy to grasp science concepts. This DVD covers lab safety, scientific method, atoms and their parts, molecules, states of matter, physical and chemical changes, mixtures versus pure substances, electricity, magnetism, motion, gravity, light and energy. It meets National Science Education Standards, and is designed for grades 5 and up. Approx. 55 min. Launch date: September 2008.

Ms. Frizzle and her students take Young Scientists diving into slime, gel and goop with fabulous experiments. Young Scientists discover oobleck, produce glue from milk, grow jiggly marbles, make snow from super-absorbent crystals, form a bouncy ball, create slime, expand super-absorbent gel crystals, melt fake snow, learn about polymers, and much, much more. This polymeric kit includes extra super-absorbent crystals, gels and marbles to repeat the fun. "This series has won multiple awards, has been on TV shows, and has appeared in many articles. This great exposure makes this series a great addition to any specialty retail store," CEO Esther Novis of The Young Scientists Club told TDmonthly. February 2, 2009.

Inspired by the unique combination of literacy and science in Jeffrey Bennett's series of Science Adventures with Max the Dog, the Summit School District (Colorado) created a district-wide "Make Your Own Max Science Adventure" contest for their first annual "Summit Writes Celebration." More than 100 third and fourth graders submitted entries. Series creator Jeffrey Bennett was so impressed with Logan Weinman's winning entry that he decided to help Logan publish it as Max's Ice Age Adventure. Logan both wrote and illustrated Max's Ice Age Adventure, a story in which Max and Tori travel back in time to the last ice age, where they encounter a saber-tooth tiger and other adventures. Jeffrey Bennett then added science Q&A boxes to address common questions that children might ask as they read the story.

Max Goes to The Moon tells the story of how Max the dog and a young girl named Tori undertake a quest to make the first trip to the Moon since the Apollo era. Their trip proves so inspiring to people back on Earth that the nations of the world join together to build a great Moon colony, complete with a university and an astronomical observatory. The colony, with its beautiful views of Earth hanging in the lunar sky, helps inspire everyone with a message of unlimited human potential and the importance of respecting our home planet.

Max Goes to Mars begins where Max Goes to the Moon left off, with Max getting ready to go on the first human mission to Mars. This time, the trip is too long for his human friend Tori to go along, but she helps him prepare. On Mars, Max makes one of the most important discoveries of all time. After returning home, Max and Tori reflect on the beauty and fragility of our own planet Earth.

This combo garden and playset gives girls the opportunity to grow a Lilly Bloom and Jasmine Fern while also utilizing the main flower as an enchanting doll house. The set comes with two dolls, two seed packets and 20 accessories.

This kit includes ingredients to make flavored lip balm that has an SPF of 15.

From the Simple Machines Series, this natural wood cherry-picker mimics the principles used to work the real thing, but uses water in place of hydraulic fluid. It teaches kids about levels and parallel linkages and is easy to construct (glue included).

Hyperspace, the final frontier. Think of this as a mental spaceship that will help you project your consciousness straight into the fourth dimension.  The first Hyperdo ever built took over two years to construct. Measuring 14" (35cm) in diameter, this 120-cell model will take a lot less time, but you still won't want to take it apart.

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.

Watch in amazement as this extraordinary plant sprouts, grows, flowers and produces seeds of its own within two months. The leaves of these fast-growing plants are edible. Within weeks, a flourish of yellow flowers will appear and delight. Rocket Plants have both medicinal and culinary value that were useful in the past and persist into the present. This set comes complete with everything needed to grow Rocket Plants, including a 3.25” four-color printed planter, sprouting dome, germination medium and seeds. "This product is all inclusive and contains a character from a top-rated children's show," said Alicia Borley, PR manager for DuneCraft. Launch date: February 2008.

Catnip plants sprout quickly and are easy to grow for great fun for kids and their cats. Fresh catnip causes a stronger reaction among cats. Catnip was originally native to Europe and Asia and can grow to 3 feet high. If you crush the foliage of this herb, it releases oil that attracts cats. In fact, cats will rub up against the foliage themselves to bruise it and release the scent. Fresh catnip leaves are used in tea, which is said to relieve head colds, and can also be added to salads, stews, and sauces. Catnip is also said to attract good luck. Safe for ages 4 and up. "We pack a lot of eye-catching fun into a small package with our Micro Terrarium Line," noted Alicia Borley, PR manager for DuneCraft. Launch date: February 1, 2008.

Fairy Dust is the trail of sparkling material that follows pixies and fairies. This enchanted dust is said to have magical powers of its own. Fairy Dust is a precious thing that can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary and make fairy tale dreams come true! "DuneCraft products have an exciting secret! In addition to being fun, engaging, and unique, all of our items are educational! Ignite a love of learning and of the world around us," said Alicia Borley, PR manager for DuneCraft. Launch date: February 2008.

One of many species indigenous only to Madagascar, Madagascar Palms are one of its most breathtaking prizes. These fascinating plants will sprout in less than a week and will form into unusual seedlings that resemble an artistic rendering of a full-grown palm in miniature. Although this plant forms leaves at its top like a palm, it is actually a unique succulent with a thick, spiny grey trunk that stores water, and will reach heights of 15 feet in nature. This kit comes complete with a state of the art terrarium, natural sand and stones, a custom plant stake, and more. "It is educational, unique, 100% American made, and includes a plant that was chosen based on its special characteristics, longevity, and ease of germination," said Alicia Borley, PR manager for DuneCraft. Launch date: February 2008.

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.