Educational toys & games for children

Expedition Fossil Hunting Kit-Tyrannosaurus

Dig into the past! Excavate, restore, and display the skeleton of Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Ages: 12 years +
Amazon Price: $17.99

Sea Monkeys Ocean of Light

You are about to begin a new amazing hobby that is so fantastic it staggers the imagination! You will create instant life! Single-handedly, you will give rise to the world's only living, breathing, instant pets--live sea monkeys! The instruction book for the Sea Monkeys Ocean Zoo is an entertaining read, packed with enthusiastic revelations about those ubiquitous brine shrimp from your comic-book-reading days. They're fascinating creatures, able to live up to a year or more, reproduce ("dozens of adorable babies!"), even "perform tricks" in their 5.75-inch magnifier-studded "Micro Vue" aquarium. The kit comes with shrimp eggs, food, plasma, a water purifier, and a handbook. Just add pure water. A great set of pets for a smallish domicile, they'd also make a scintillating science project. Plus, they're just plain fun! --Julie Ubben (Amazon Editorial Review)

Ages: 6 years +
Amazon Price: $11.99

Capsela Power Start

The Capsela modular science system provides "hands-on" learning experiences. Young minds come alive as they improve problem-solving and developmental skills. Instead of just reading about energy or forces, kids discover the fun of science in motion as they actually handle batteries, create motors, and see for themselves how energy changes with the help of visible gears and wheels. Children have fun exploring concepts they use and observe for themselves with Capsela. Each kit contains an easy-to-follow activity booklet that introduces basic science concepts. Step-by-step full-color illustrated assembly instructions make it easy for children in grades 2 and up to quickly master basic science principles while they create fascinating motorized projects. And every Capsela product comes with a full two-year warranty! Grades 2 and up.

Ages: 7-12 years
Amazon Price: $19.99

Around the World Game

Learning countries, capitals, and national flags can be boring, but not when you're playing a classic game of concentration. Young readers and students of geography will enjoy matching wits and memory skills to play this competitive learning game. On 24 country cards, boys in national dress stand against a map of their country. On matching capital cards, girls stand against the background scenery most associated with that country. To begin, cards are placed face down. Players pick two at a time, then replace them if they don't match. The key is remembering which cards are where so you can make matches. This game makes an excellent gift for school breaks to keep young minds engaged and excited about learning. --Lee Strucker (Amazon Editorial Review)

Motorized Solar System

The "sun" shines onto the nine planets as they orbit around it. The central tower and planetary support rods are black so that they "disappear" in a darkened room for a spectacular effect! Replace the solar dome with the star dome included to create a spectacular planetarium sky complete with major constellation names. In addition the base features planetary longitude marks so the planets can be set up to their correct positions. The Solar System model is powered either by four C batteries (not included) or by an AC adapter (included).

Ages: 5-10 years
Amazon Price: $39.99

Star Gazer Planetarium

Very, very cool. This home version of a planetarium looks as if it belongs in Captain Picard's quarters on the Enterprise. Looking a bit like a futuristic, oversized camping flashlight, this device allows one to place one of several "star domes" atop a lighted well. A separate half-dome made of white cardboard acts as a curved projection screen. The light shines up from the well through the star dome, casting replicas of different sectors of the night sky onto the screen. The base of the Star Gazer has a cassette player on which one can listen to an enclosed tape that discusses various constellations and other points of interest. A nice bonus is a red filter, which allows one to invert the star domes for outdoor night sky exploration. Otherwise, this is an indoor hobby. An activity guide gives all the details on how to get the most enjoyment and learning from this kit. --Tom Keogh(Amazon Editorial Review)

Ages: 8 years +
Amazon Price: $39.99

My First Activity Kit: Tell a Time

A child learns to read both analog and digital clocks while matching an activity with the correct time in seconds, minutes, and hours.

Capsela Weather Station

The Capsela modular science system provides "hands-on" learning experiences. Young minds come alive as they improve problem-solving and developmental skills. Instead of just reading about energy or forces, kids discover the fun of science in motion as they actually handle batteries, create motors, and see for themselves how energy changes with the help of visible gears and wheels. Children have fun exploring concepts they use and observe for themselves with Capsela. Each kit contains an easy-to-follow activity booklet that introduces basic science concepts. Step-by-step full-color illustrated assembly instructions make it easy for children in grades 2 and up to quickly master basic science principles while they create fascinating motorized projects. And every Capsela product comes with a full two-year warranty! Grades 2 and up.

Ages: 7-12 years
Amazon Price: $19.99

Solar System Science Kit

A winner of the National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval, this educational kit teaches a broad range of lessons about astronomy. Scientifically inclined kids of all ages will enjoy constructing colorful scale models of all nine planets. They're relatively big, with Jupiter, the largest, 5 inches wide. The kit also features a big (36 by 12 inches) poster of the Sun, complete with sunspots. A 64-page solar system science book contains assembly and painting instructions, information about all the planets and their moons, and a score of suggestions for fun and educational science experiments. This kit makes a nifty companion to Educational Design's Our Amazing Planet Earth. --Rebecca Hughes (Amazon Editorial Review)

Ages: 8-12 years
Amazon Price: $24.99

Planet Earth Science Kit

This educational kit teaches a broad range of lessons about geology, vulcanology, gemology, and earth science in general. Scientifically inclined kids of all ages will enjoy constructing two globes, one showing the Earth as it looked 250 million years ago and another in its present incarnation. Earth science flipbook "movies" make our planet's evolution through plate tectonics come alive. With adult supervision, kids can also reenact seven historic volcanic eruptions. They can grow mineral crystals and perform observations with a 15-piece rock and mineral collection. A 128-page earth science book and giant time chart of Earth's history are richly illustrated. This kit is a nifty companion to Educational Design's Our Amazing Solar System. --Rebecca Hughes (Amazon Editorial Review)

Ages: 10-12 years
Amazon Price: $29.99