When today’s parents and grandparents were children, a science toy meant a chemistry set. Luckily for the kids of today, science-related fun is now big business, and caters for all ages and interests.
Science Kits For Kids
It can be difficult to get girls interested in science, especially if they prefer nail polish to polymers. Scientific Explorer’s Spa Science aims to persuade them that chemistry does not have to smell bad. Using the oils, salts and equipment provided, girls can make their own face masks, body scrubs and bath fizzers. Age 10 years and above, price around £10.
For those who prefer a more traditional science toy, the John Adams Chemistry Set contains 100 different experiments and supports the National Curriculum in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, too – the perfect gift for boys and girls to learn and experiment in a fun, safe way. Age 10 years and above. Available from Amazon for £24.95.
Children’s electronics kits are sometimes a disappointment due to weak connections that cause lovingly built circuits to fail. Electro Mag promises fail-safe contacts formed from magnets and steel balls. The set is compatible with other magnetic construction kits, so kids can really let their imagination run wild. Each kit comes with a booklet describing over forty circuits which, when mastered, can be adapted to produce many more. Age 8 years and above. Available from BrightMinds for £29.99.
Science Toys For High Fliers, Star Gazers and Baby Einsteins
Mud Puddle Books has just the thing for budding pilots and astronauts – the Everything Flies Book & Kit. Contents include flying discs, colourful gliders, foam rockets and launchers, and rocket balloons with sound effects. A detailed book gives instructions on how to build a whole fleet of paper planes, from the basic glider to expert level, with lots of paper and stickers included to get young engineers started. Age 8 years and above (unsuitable for young children due to small parts).
Star Theatre 2 from the Science Museum is a projection dome that can turn any room into a 360-degree planetarium filled with stars, constellations, lights and sounds. The accompanying audio CD gives a commentary on what to look for in the night sky. The dome can also be used outside, to help with star spotting at night. Age 8 years and above. RRP £30.
Priddy Books produce an attractive range of activity flash card sets for pre-schoolers. Learn To Write Your Numbers is designed to make learning to count simple and fun. The twenty-six large, double-sided cards are easy for little fingers to hold and are wipe clean, so they can be used over and over again. Pens and a cleaning cloth are included in the set. Age 3 years and above. RRP £7.99.
Exploring the Natural World
Kids can recreate one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena in their own kitchen with the Horrible Science Violent Volcano. This kit promises a “wicked volcano that really blasts”. Using the model volcano in the box, plus the simple chemicals provided, children can create their own eruption – with adult supervision – then learn about the science in the accompanying leaflet. Safety goggles are included. Age 5 years and above (unsuitable for young children). Price around £5.
Future surgeons should enjoy SmartLab’s You Explore It! Human Body, a 30 cm model human containing vital organs, muscles and bones. Using the child-sized forceps and tweezers, kids can learn about the body from the inside out. The realistic “squishy” organs are bound to be a hit with youngsters. The set also includes a book by research physician Lucille M. Kayes. Age 8 years and above (unsuitable for young children due to small parts), price around £15.
For young David Attenboroughs, National Geographic’s Explorer Kit contains everything the junior naturalist needs to investigate his or her own back garden. Contents include a torch, digging tools, a compass, a magnifying glass and spy-scope, a water bottle and a transparent bug viewer. (Remember that children – or anyone else – should never look at the Sun through the magnifying glass or spy-scope.) Age 6 years and above, price around £10.
For Kids of All Ages
Perhaps the only online store to rank its products by mass (in electronvolts), The Particle Zoo sells handmade plush versions of every subatomic particle in the known Universe – and beyond. These cute critters range from individual particles such as the Higgs Boson ($9.75) to the Universe in a Box ($99.75). All particles come with a description of their properties. Not recommended for the under-5s due to small parts.
Science Toys are Fun and Educational
Science-related toys have evolved a long way from the old-fashioned chemistry set. With the range now available, it is not difficult to find something to interest even the most reluctant young scientist.
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