Editorial Review

Here’s a rare indoor toy that’s likely to make kids excited to get outside. The Star Theater II home planetarium can be used inside a darkened room to project a vast panorama of stars on the walls and ceilings. It comes equipped with an audio CD to guide budding astronomers through the learning process as well as a hand held "meteor maker" which allows you to reenact meteors without waiting around for decades to see them. We found the scientific information helpful, accurate, and, best of all, approachable for even novice stargazers. The kit can also be brought outside to illuminate (rather than project) and serve as a map to the heavens. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Star Disappointment
I only wish I had read the other reviews before buying this useless bit of junk for my 8 year old son's birthday.<br /> <br /> Having rushed out in excitement to buy the five batteries required (not supplied - and as AAA's seem to come only in packs of four this was not cheap) the first problem was trying in vain to open the battery compartment on the wand. The screw is so small you need a specialist screwdriver.<br /> <br /> Never mind - we did manage to put the batteries into the Star Theatre itself.... lights off and .....<br /> <br /> ........ Surely we must have done something wrong? Some black blobs and blurred writing in a dark haze. Is that it? The only bright thing in the room was the light in the middle of the projector. Naively perhaps, we had expected to see something resembling stars (even if they were black instead of white).<br /> <br /> Do NOT buy this item unless you are ready for a huge disappointment.<br />

Save your money
I bought the Star Theater as a gift for my son, as he has displayed an interest in the stars and planets.

The directions indicated that the Star Theater would work best in a small room with light colored walls. The truth of the matter is that the room would need to be spherical to get a decent display of the stars. In a square or rectangular room, the projected image is so distorted that it is virtually worthless! To top it off, the light bulb burned out after only a couple of minutes of use. This was the worst gift that I bought all year.

If you have an interest in the stars and planets, I would recommend that you spend your money on a trip to a real planetarium. I have also found a number of web sites with star maps and a lot of interesting information that were free.

This toy was definitely a total waste of money!

Uncle Milton should be ashamed
As if it weren't bad enough that my daughter was in bed with the flu for Christmas but to then open up a complete piece of garbage just made matters worse. She had been learning about the solar system in school and took on a huge interest. Saw the star theater and thought it would be a perfect gift. WRONG! You can't see anything! I held the ball about 4ft away from the ceiling and we could just about make out the words.
Uncle Milton you should be ashamed!
Don't bother in investing in the National Geographic Telescope NG7036 either. Another hunk of junk. Can't see anything.
Left in the dark.

great for older beginners
OK, I bought this because I remembered having a planetarium visit as a child and I wanted to relive that a little. Yes, it does only project "black stars" onto the ceiling but for the price it is really all you could expect. the "stars" are correct and if you have low ceilings it is not so blurry. I was happy with it because I was only curious as to how a planetarium would work. If you want a more professional one you will have to pay maybe $100 more. It provides a good start for getting interested in astronomy. and is handy for taking outside to find stars in your area. I have not listened to the CD yet. (also I did not get mine from AMAZON I bought it localally)

Waste of money
I don't know if I set my expections too high or if this was just a piece of junk! I paid $45US for this else where and I wanted to kick myself in the rear!
Displays shadowy words and stars and the 'handheld comet maker' is even more crap!
(p.s use a palm pilot size screwdriver to open the battery door)
But the bottom line is I was extremely dispointed and unlike the rest of you I cannot return it because I didn't buy it from this site nor do I live in the US. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Thanks to a high-tech cyborg-inspired design, there is noreal secret to playing secret agent with Wild Planet's SpyCamera. But it will still thrill young espionage fans. Theincluded sunglasses (a must-have for spies) are impact-resistant,UV-protected, and have cool mirrored lenses. A tiny, manualadvance camera and an important-looking flip-down viewfinder bothattach to the glasses. Also included is a roll of Kodak 110 colorfilm (12 exposures). Pictures are snapped with a handheld squeezeshutter connected by an air tube to the camera. Subjects willdefinitely hear the camera click, but at least there's no flashto make it even more conspicuous. Parental assistance isrecommended while loading the film, which is best used outside ona sunny day. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Really, really neat toy!!!
This toy is really cool!! It is really easy to put together and then it works great. My only complaint is the film. It has only 12 exposers and the pictures are not to good. Also, for the poeple that want to know, the pictures are in a circle and have the words spy cam at the bottom.

Tip:
Put the cord that you take the picture with down your shirt and into a pocket so you hit your pocket and it takes a picture with out people knowing...

FUN...if you take it apart
First of all, this toy a bit too expensive for the tiny piece of the camera that resulted when I took the thing apart. I see many users are not having lots of fun with this particular toy, SO I suggest a little imagination. Start by unhooking the "tube" that leads to the pump from the camera. Have a parent or someone responsible unscrew the grey part of the camera. From here you can see the annoying Spy Cam border which can be removed. You should be left with a tiny box no bigger than your palm. To take pictures, all you have to do is press the tiny button next to the slider. Make sure after you take a picture (in bright atmospheres) to not wind the slider because it will accidently get pushed in your pocket. (This is from experience) Only wind until you want to take the next picture.
The pictures actually DO come out great if 1) There is good lighting, and 2)you have decently steady hands. Otherwise they come out gross. Without the Spy border, the pics came out considerably big, which is a plus.
Unfortunately, I lost my mini camera so im planning to get it off of someone's hands for a cheaper price.

Anyway, I hope this information helps.

For the "sunglasses", you can just give that to the neighbor kids.

Junk
I bought this for my child and he was so excited....until he tryed it out. He was try to spy on some of his friends and he could not take pictures because when he looked at the picture it was more far away and could not see anything. I said he could use it for normal pictures and he said it is embarrassing but he still used it for nomal pictures......it had been two weeks from when I got that and we went to a birthday party, kids were laughing and the glasses sliped of his face and broke. He was so sad. I think those glasses do look really embarrassing and dont work on spying.

Forgetaboutit.
OK, one of my friends bought this thing last year so I got a chance to mess around with it. The point of it is obviously to spy on people, which is one of my little hobbies, being a nosy person. :-) However, this camera will NOT help you spy on people, for the following reasons:

1. The "sunglasses" are not one-size-fits-all, so they'll look strange on just about anybody. Plus, they're not real sunglasses, just plastic. "Why on earth is this teenager walking down the street with plastic sunglasses that are way too small for him on on?"

2. The "small camera" is bigger than a lens on the sunglasses and sticks out from the camera like a sore thumb. As if there was any doubt that it's fro spying on people, it says "spy cam" in big letters on it. Nice. I know I wasn't expecting cameras straight out of James Bond movies, but come on, they can do better than this.

Also, the photos it takes are shown in a strange circle thing centered on the middle of the photo with the words "Spy Cam" (kind of like a gun sight.) Funny, as there's no sight on the camera. Let's hope the camera was centered on that person! (You need to be careful of this, as the camera takes a picture to the right of your head. So if you're right behind a person, move to the left and take the picture.

Now for the durability. The glasses are OK, I guess, for cheap plastic sunglasses. The trigger switch (bulky pump that goes in your shirt) is HORRIBLE. You need to pump it a few times to make it hit the trigger, and by then the person could ahve walked away. Plus, a few days after my friend got it, the pump completely came off.

It takes 12-exposure 110 film, which is low-quality film. You're not going to get this processed in 24 hours, because most development places don't have the equipment, so they'll need to send it on to a bigger one. Plus, no flash = better take pictures outside on a sunny day.

All in all, I think this is a pretty stupid item for anyone who's serious about spying or even just out to have fun like I am. A regular small camera *WILL* work better than this one for both snooping around and regular pictures. Buy it for your "future detective" little brother and get yourself a cheaper and better camera.

(BTW, I'm not actually 12, but my parents don't want me giving out my username or info, so I have to use the kids review page.)

Pictures didn't turn out
I got this toy for my 7 year old son. When we went to get the film developed, not a single picture came out. The developer told us that in her experience, the only pictures that come out using that camera are the ones taken outdoors. My son was very disappointed. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Young photographers won't have to tell their subjects tosmile--the Real Camera does it for them. This colorful, plastic camera usesregular 35mm film (one roll is included) and is so easy to operate thateven little fingers can make it work. About 6 by 5 inches in size, thecamera has a smiling face up front, to provoke grins fromportrait-sitters, and a large handle to help steady the camera. The controlsare simple, focusing is done with an easily gripped knob, and there's alarge button for snapping the shutter. Waiting for the pictures todevelop might be the only frustrating part, because even a one-hourphoto shop seems to take too long for kids. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Lost Memories
My son received this camera as a gift at a "big brother" party / shower so he could take pictures of his new baby brother. He took pictures at the hospital when our new addition arrived and then took it on school field trips. His teacher allowed him to use it on his birthday at school to capture some of his birthday memories. When we took the 3 rolls of film to be developed, not one picture came out. My son was devistated. He has since given it to his baby brother so he can "push the bottons". I overheard him telling his little brother "not to put film in it though because it doesn't work!" Now if a 5 year old can figure out it doesn't work, why didn't someone at the Chicco company wise up and do something about it?!?!

My Son Loves It!!!!
My son has so much fun with this camera. He loves taking pictures - we've already developed some pictures and he gets such a kick out of what he's done. This is a great way to express himself artistically.

DOES NOT WORK, DO NOT BUY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Flash did not work, went through 2 roles of film and got no pictures. DO NOT BUY !!!!!!!!!!!

Smile!
I bought this camera for my young son who sees me using my camera all the time. I thought he'd get a kick out of tagging along and taking his own photos. I was right. He loves it. He's only 2 1/2, so I haven't even bothered loading film in the camera. He's just happy clicking away. The camera is wonderful. Absolutely worth the money.

DO NOT BUY!!!!!
My Mother-in-law bought two of these pieces of junk for grand children for Christmas, and neither camerad worked. The film did not advance correctly, the sprockets tore the film and the shutter release did not work on either of them. Both are completely useless, and the kids are heartbroken. AVOID THIS TOY... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A cute product
This camera is cute and my daughter absolutely loves it. However, it's not the easiest thing to load and the film rewind lever keeps falling out. Doesn't seem all that durable if it were to get dropped. Guess it's what you get for $10.

A GREAT GIFT
Bought this camera last week and my 4 year old daughter is in love with it. It's an inexpensive item that would put a memorable smile on your child's face. It's also a great way for your child to learn how to operate a camera since it's durable. Every daughter should have their first camera and this is the perfect one. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gift for Granddaughter that did not work
I bought the Off the Map Zoom Cam for my granddaughter for her graduation from pre-school. When it was opened, my son tried to load the film in the camera and it would not take the film. Her other grandfather, a trained photographer, could not get it to work either. I am returning it to the store here in Savannah and hope another one will work. I was extrememly disappointed. Guess it goes to show, when you do not buy a name brand item with a proven track record, this is what can happen. Not Toys R Us'fault. It is faulty merchandise from Wild Planet.

Fun camera!
this is cool! it dose not magnify things that much, but it magnifys more than a normal camera, but for the price it's good. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The colorful Hoberman Mini Sphere comes out of the box looking like a futuristic Christmas-tree ornament. It's a cross between a ball and a star, and measures 5.5 inches across. But pick it up by any one of its dozens of plastic points and this amazing little feat of engineering, or imagineering, expands neatly into a lattice-like globe that's 12 inches in diameter. The inventor calls it a trapezoidal icosatetrahedron; you could also call it aBucky Ball, but either way, it's a fascinating exercise in complex simplicity. The structure is rigid enough to roll and throw, yet if touched in the right way, it will suddenly collapse again, curling in on itself like a defensive hedgehog. An enclosed pamphlet describes various tricks you can do--if you're prepared to practice. And it's so aesthetically pleasing that Mom or Dad may swipe it for a desk ornament. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Not really that interesting
After all of the things I had heard about this, and other reviews, I expected a really great office toy. But it's not. Ok, that it expands is cool -- but it doesn't expand very much, so there is no real "Wow!" kind of surprise. There is some fun in opening and closing it -- but no more (and maybe a bit less) than with a Slinky(tm).

So, it's a bit of fun but not a whole lot. Best as a decoration that you will rarely pick up and use.

Simply Amazing!
After seeing this toy in the mall, I just had to order it from Amazon for my daughter. It's like a toy you can't put down and figuer out. It's simply amazing how he designed and fit all the pieces together. An architects dream, a childs wonder! After 6 months, we still enjoy picking it up, rolling it and watching it collaps and expand.

Not strong enough for my house
We have 4 kids in our house and every time we saw this in a toy store, they played with it. I gave it to them on a Friday and by Monday night, it wouldn't collapse any more. They did have fun pulling on it and rolling it around, but it is not made to handle the tug of war games my 3 and 4 year olds put it through. It's fairly expensive for a toy that just opens and closes and isn't very durable. I don't see how people can say it's educational except to teach colors. It's like saying a ball or a slinky is educational. I wouldn't recommend this toy to a family with active children.

A generational toy - with improvements
As a kid I had a metal collapsable ball with foldable edges and plastic beads, which could be compressed into an amazing assortment of shapes, also into a ball of about 12" in diameter, or, for that matter, a 12" pancake. It was one of my favorites, and I wanted to find something similar for my children. I missed out on them, but was delighted to find the Hoberman toys for my grandkids. The larger ones (and obviously the most fun) are far beyond my budget, but this mini is perfect for my 11 year old. Thanks, Hoberman, you have saved the day, and given me something to swipe on occasion.
Judy Gilson, Boise, Idaho (overgrown child, or compulsive Peter Pan Complex)

Not good to play with!!
My sister got this toy for her birthday and she really doesn't like it. I think the same way. All this thing does, is open and close. The design is nice but we didn't feel like looking at it all day. We tried to play catch with it but the thing just broke apart. We put it back together and tried to do different things with it, but it just kept coming apart. Now it is sitting in our closet and hasn't been touched since. If you want this toy just for it to sit there, then I guess you could buy it. If you expect to play with it at all, DON'T BUY IT. IT WILL JUST BE A WASTE OF MONEY!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This geometrically fascinating puzzle magically expands from nine and a half inches to an astounding 30 inches (yes, that's changing in volume almost thirty times) revealing six great intertwined circles.Once expanded, the structure is rigid enough to roll and throw, it's big enough to wear and climb through or even hang as a kinetic mobile.However, at the slightest wrong touch, it will suddenly collapse again, curling in on itself like a defensive hedgehog.Equipped with a pulley, hardware and instructions to hang as a mobile; an educational booklet about the geometry of the Sphere; and"21 Cool Things to Do" activity sheet,this irresistibly addictive and fascinating exercise in complex simplicity is a Parents Choice Gold Award winner, perfectly illustrating the union of art and engineering. --Deb Oroszlan ... Read more