Reviews (3)

Beep Beep Vaarrrrommmm rat-tat-tat-tat
Those are the noises my nephew, with some help from his father, was making with this kit after just a few minutes. We gave it to him for his 7th birthday and, though a bit young to go it alone at first, he is learning a lot and it is a great activity for him to enjoy with his parents, grandparents, etc.
It's a great toy AND educational tool.
He is at a stage where he wants to really figure out how things work and LOVES the kit and the oportunities for experimenting it offers.
While I was driving home from his birthday party he called my cell phone to let me listen as he talked into it and his voice came out on the radio.
It's a hit.

Excellent Introduction to Electronics
We purchased this for our daughter (8 yrs) and she loves it. It does a good job of explaining electronic concepts and allows for varying levels of experience to enjoy the projects. Everything you'll need is included and the experiments are flexible, progressive and "really cool".

The right toys can make all the difference
Experimenter's kits are something of a dying breed. Electronics & hobbyists shops used to be almost everywhere it seemed, and carried educational kits like these. God, all the fun we had as kids playing with stuff like this. Every child should be exposed to these toys at as early of an age as possible imho. Helping a child get a head start on life, and sparking his or her imagination/desire to learn, is always a good thing. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The iQuest handheld provides a customized learning experience that revolutionizes the way students study for tests and quizzes--by making the process fun, fast, and effective. iQuest is the hip handheld that prepares students for tests in math, science, and social studies with study questions based on their textbooks. Small enough to fit in the front of a backpack, the iQuest also keeps students organized with a scheduler, address book, dictionary, and calculator. Use the Mind Station connector (sold separately) to download textbook chapter outlines and audio quiz questions onto a cartridge. Then insert that cartridge into the iQuest to learn chapter materials through two game modes: Pop Quiz, the fun beat-the-clock mode, and Chapter Challenge, a thorough review of textbook material. iQuest comes with instructions, a 4 MB reusable cartridge with 1,000 questions, and a snap-on cover/faceplate. Four AA batteries are required but not included. ... Read more

Reviews (58)

THE COOLEST STRUDY GUIDE THERE IS AND WILL EVER BE!!!
The Iquest Handheld and the new edition are the coolest things ever made!!! I got the older edition when I was is 6th grade. Im now in 8th. I LOVED IT! Now with the new edition its not as big and bulky and it has a cool look that you can personalize with nameplates! <br /> The Iquest gave me a reason to study and I didnt have to read all those long tedious chapters I once did.<br /> PARENTS THE IQUEST IS GREAT AND WORTH ALL THE MONEY! I GUARENTEE THAT IF YOUR CHILD DOESNT LIKE TO STUDY, HE/SHE WILL AFTER JUST LOOKING AT THE IQUEST! ITS A GREAT X-MAS PRESENT TOO!

Great for Middle Schoolers
My kids and their love the iquest. They can sit for hours learning and having fun. We tried it with the online downloads atfirst. My son's were available while he was in middle school and that worked really well. I found that I had to disable all the other palm pilots and devices for the downloads to work but then it went real easy. If you are going to download the materials I would definitly suggest buying the bigger cartridge and if you have more than one child using it I would get one cartridge for each child. My daughter has different textbooks than my son did and they weren't available so we substituted other books from the website list and she studied from them, it worked pretty well but was more work. We still use the iquest but we buy the cartridges instead of downloading. I am amazed at how much it still gets used! My daughter has her address book filled in with all her friends' phone numbers and she uses the dictionary quite a bit as well.

iQuest
I think this is a wonderful learning toy. It is very easy to use. One of the features the iQuest has is a built in Marriam-Webster 75,000 word dictoinary. My favorite thing to do on the iQuest is the chapter challenge. The iQuest comes with a cartrige for the levels 5-8 grades. You can pick which level you want after you select the game you would like. I also find the iQuest to be very convenient because there is a calender and a schedule were you can put the time in and what you need to do, there is an address book, and any time you need to look up someting in the dictionary, you can just type the word in and you can adjust the volume to 0 to 100. Additional features are pop quiz, notepad options and setup, and calculater. I think this would also be helfull to adults. I really enjoyed this toy, and I think you will to. I rated this item 5 stars for durablity because I think this toy will last a long time if you take care of it. The iQuest takes 4 AA batteries.

Absolutely wonderful!
I got one of these for my son last year, and it has been an amazing tool for him both to study with, and to look up words with. It doesn't completely replace a good dictionary but it's very portable and easy for him to use. The only problem I've had with it is that my 8 year old is more interested in her big brother's iQuest then in his gameboy, and tends to bother him incessantly when studying! I guess I need to get her one of her own. Great product.
I also find it incredibly amusing that the bad review I read about it used the word knot instead of not.

the greatest toy ever
I got this for an early christmas present and I loved it. I improved a lot in math,science, and social studies. I reccomend this toy for anyone who needs inprovement in school or whoever likes to learn. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

I Hate this toy!!!
This is the worst 23 dollars I've ever spent!! When I tried to set the date, it always said, May 33rd! I can't beleive they actually try to sell this. The company who made this thing probably will go out of business. Whatever you do, don't buy this toy. All you're going to do is return it. Just avoid it completely from the start!

worst toy ever
This toy is a waste of money. I bought it for my 7 year old. The voice is with an english accent and you can't understand half of what she says. When we finnally managed to get the password to accept, after closing the journal we couldn't get back in because it didn't recognize the password. We are from South Carolina so it couldn't understand what we were telling it to do. Very frustrating! Forget about setting the time and date. What a rip off!

Older brother can't open it
I bought the journal for my seven year old grand daughter. She loves it.She found that using her name as the password, saying it very firmly worked best, it only opens to her voice. My daughter will be buying this journal to give as gifts.How about a boy's version?

Tara Sadr's Review
Warnning: Do not buy this toy!
I was looking for a diary and I tought a password journal is a good one. But it's not.This is why:
1. It only has 30 small pages.
2. If someone knows the password and speaks into it, it atoumaticly opens
3. Setting the time and date was hard. If you are setting the date, it says: Febuary 58!
This is the lesson I learned:
Always check other peoples reviwes and see what they think before you get something.
Luckey I could return it or I would have spended $23.00 for nothing.(Plus batteries and tax).
p.s: I wish I could put none stars for this thing.

No Comprende
Im pretty convinced that this toy does not speak english.It was neary impossible to set the time and date - even to the point of frustration.I must have spoken the date into it 15 to 20 tines and it never got it 100% correct.And the process for date/time setting is pretty exhausting.However, my daughter thinks it is fun so what the heck. ... Read more

Reviews (58)

THE COOLEST STRUDY GUIDE THERE IS AND WILL EVER BE!!!
The Iquest Handheld and the new edition are the coolest things ever made!!! I got the older edition when I was is 6th grade. Im now in 8th. I LOVED IT! Now with the new edition its not as big and bulky and it has a cool look that you can personalize with nameplates! <br /> The Iquest gave me a reason to study and I didnt have to read all those long tedious chapters I once did.<br /> PARENTS THE IQUEST IS GREAT AND WORTH ALL THE MONEY! I GUARENTEE THAT IF YOUR CHILD DOESNT LIKE TO STUDY, HE/SHE WILL AFTER JUST LOOKING AT THE IQUEST! ITS A GREAT X-MAS PRESENT TOO!

Great for Middle Schoolers
My kids and their love the iquest. They can sit for hours learning and having fun. We tried it with the online downloads atfirst. My son's were available while he was in middle school and that worked really well. I found that I had to disable all the other palm pilots and devices for the downloads to work but then it went real easy. If you are going to download the materials I would definitly suggest buying the bigger cartridge and if you have more than one child using it I would get one cartridge for each child. My daughter has different textbooks than my son did and they weren't available so we substituted other books from the website list and she studied from them, it worked pretty well but was more work. We still use the iquest but we buy the cartridges instead of downloading. I am amazed at how much it still gets used! My daughter has her address book filled in with all her friends' phone numbers and she uses the dictionary quite a bit as well.

iQuest
I think this is a wonderful learning toy. It is very easy to use. One of the features the iQuest has is a built in Marriam-Webster 75,000 word dictoinary. My favorite thing to do on the iQuest is the chapter challenge. The iQuest comes with a cartrige for the levels 5-8 grades. You can pick which level you want after you select the game you would like. I also find the iQuest to be very convenient because there is a calender and a schedule were you can put the time in and what you need to do, there is an address book, and any time you need to look up someting in the dictionary, you can just type the word in and you can adjust the volume to 0 to 100. Additional features are pop quiz, notepad options and setup, and calculater. I think this would also be helfull to adults. I really enjoyed this toy, and I think you will to. I rated this item 5 stars for durablity because I think this toy will last a long time if you take care of it. The iQuest takes 4 AA batteries.

Absolutely wonderful!
I got one of these for my son last year, and it has been an amazing tool for him both to study with, and to look up words with. It doesn't completely replace a good dictionary but it's very portable and easy for him to use. The only problem I've had with it is that my 8 year old is more interested in her big brother's iQuest then in his gameboy, and tends to bother him incessantly when studying! I guess I need to get her one of her own. Great product.
I also find it incredibly amusing that the bad review I read about it used the word knot instead of not.

the greatest toy ever
I got this for an early christmas present and I loved it. I improved a lot in math,science, and social studies. I reccomend this toy for anyone who needs inprovement in school or whoever likes to learn. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

dont buy this laptop!!!!
This toy is a waist of money, dont bother with it. When I seen it I walked away. It dont play games, and it is Not a colored screen. This toy is miss leading & this biggest waist of money!!!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Educational Insights brings a terrific idea to life in Math Shark, a combination skill-building tool and calculator. The shape, colors, flashing lights, and beeps--all reminiscent of a hand-held electronic game--will appeal to kids who may not otherwise be interested in practicing math. (Parents: the sound is unobtrusive, but can be turned off.) Math Shark offers eight different skill levels and seven skill groupings: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, fractions, and percentages. After every question a red or green flashing light and a corresponding beep let you know whether or not you answered correctly. If you get one wrong, the right answer flashes, and the question keeps appearing, along with any others answered incorrectly, until you get it right. After each set an encouraging comment--"You did it!" or "Way to go!"--comes up on the screen. The sets are timed, and your score, based on how long it took to answer all the questions correctly, appears at the end. When practice is done for the day, Math Shark becomes a handy calculator. Requires two AA batteries, not included. --Rachel Radway ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Pleased Teacher
I ordered 5 math sharks for my inner city classroom. My students were having motivational issues and this really helped. I used it in centers and during indoor recess. You can turn the sound off if your student/child is using it during a quiet time. It tells the student what their score is at the end so they can keep track. My students were at different ability levels and they could choose something that was challenging for them. I did find that by the end of the year, the display was not as clear.

Great to keep in the minivan....
Our 6 yr old is enjoying this product. She needs help with getting quicker at drilling addition and subtraction and this is helping. She likes when the green light lights up to tell her she is correct. The levels are very good since my niece (8 yrs), nephew (10 yrs) and the adults have all tried it. If it's durable enough, it should last her for years as she gets to multiplication etc. She doesn't think it's FUN though - it's just something to do when she is bored. For this reason we keep it in the van. Our plan is working though because she climbs into her seat and immediately turns it on. We had it in our home for awhile but there were too many other FUN things to do besides Math! If your child enjoys challenging math facts, they will think it's fun though - our 8 yr old niece did and so do myself and my husband.

Good toy for practising math
I bought this for my 5-year old daughter. She really enjoyed using it and actually enjoyed the challenge of having to figure out the answers in the shortest time possible. The different levels of difficulty are useful so she can keep using it over the years.

Perfect - and fun - for kids
I bought Math Shark for my 3rd grader. You cannot imagine how quickly her math skills improved! The ability to pick different math functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) and different skill levels has allowed her to be successful as she continually challenges herself. The timing feature is especially fun because she sees it as a game and works hard to beat her previous time. With Math Shark, my child has gone from being behind in math, to now being at the top level - and enjoying it!

EXCITING FOR THE KIDDIES
I'M A COLLEGE STUDENT IN MY EARLY THIRTIES WHO IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH PRE-ALGEBRA. I JUST RECEIVED MY MATH SHARK TODAY AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT REALLY GIVEN IT A CHANCE, SO FAR I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IT IS NOT VERY CHALLENGING FOR ADULTS, BUT SHOULD BE A WONDERFUL PRACTICE TOOL FOR YOUNGER KIDS AND TEENAGERS. I DO RECOMMEND THE MATH SHARK TO KIDDIES WHO ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH BASIC MATH SKILLS. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Wouldn't it be great to have a personal tutor, helping you study, challenging you to excel in school, even keeping you organized? Well, say "how do you do" to your new tutor and personal assistant: the IQuest handheld! This nifty little device allows students in 5th through 8th grade to prepare for tests--and have a good time while they're at it! The expandable study system, in partnership with the Princeton Review, includes questions (and answers) based on over 260 most commonly used textbooks. Kids can quiz themselves on math, science, and social studies, look up words in the dictionary, do basic calculations with the calculator, and keep on top of their school, sports, and social agenda with address book, schedule, and notepad. There's even an anagram game! The IQuest comes with three faceplates and one 1,000-question cartridge, but additional cartridges can be purchased separately for a truly expandable learning experience. Four "AAA" batteries required (not included). --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (58)

THE COOLEST STRUDY GUIDE THERE IS AND WILL EVER BE!!!
The Iquest Handheld and the new edition are the coolest things ever made!!! I got the older edition when I was is 6th grade. Im now in 8th. I LOVED IT! Now with the new edition its not as big and bulky and it has a cool look that you can personalize with nameplates! <br /> The Iquest gave me a reason to study and I didnt have to read all those long tedious chapters I once did.<br /> PARENTS THE IQUEST IS GREAT AND WORTH ALL THE MONEY! I GUARENTEE THAT IF YOUR CHILD DOESNT LIKE TO STUDY, HE/SHE WILL AFTER JUST LOOKING AT THE IQUEST! ITS A GREAT X-MAS PRESENT TOO!

Great for Middle Schoolers
My kids and their love the iquest. They can sit for hours learning and having fun. We tried it with the online downloads atfirst. My son's were available while he was in middle school and that worked really well. I found that I had to disable all the other palm pilots and devices for the downloads to work but then it went real easy. If you are going to download the materials I would definitly suggest buying the bigger cartridge and if you have more than one child using it I would get one cartridge for each child. My daughter has different textbooks than my son did and they weren't available so we substituted other books from the website list and she studied from them, it worked pretty well but was more work. We still use the iquest but we buy the cartridges instead of downloading. I am amazed at how much it still gets used! My daughter has her address book filled in with all her friends' phone numbers and she uses the dictionary quite a bit as well.

iQuest
I think this is a wonderful learning toy. It is very easy to use. One of the features the iQuest has is a built in Marriam-Webster 75,000 word dictoinary. My favorite thing to do on the iQuest is the chapter challenge. The iQuest comes with a cartrige for the levels 5-8 grades. You can pick which level you want after you select the game you would like. I also find the iQuest to be very convenient because there is a calender and a schedule were you can put the time in and what you need to do, there is an address book, and any time you need to look up someting in the dictionary, you can just type the word in and you can adjust the volume to 0 to 100. Additional features are pop quiz, notepad options and setup, and calculater. I think this would also be helfull to adults. I really enjoyed this toy, and I think you will to. I rated this item 5 stars for durablity because I think this toy will last a long time if you take care of it. The iQuest takes 4 AA batteries.

Absolutely wonderful!
I got one of these for my son last year, and it has been an amazing tool for him both to study with, and to look up words with. It doesn't completely replace a good dictionary but it's very portable and easy for him to use. The only problem I've had with it is that my 8 year old is more interested in her big brother's iQuest then in his gameboy, and tends to bother him incessantly when studying! I guess I need to get her one of her own. Great product.
I also find it incredibly amusing that the bad review I read about it used the word knot instead of not.

the greatest toy ever
I got this for an early christmas present and I loved it. I improved a lot in math,science, and social studies. I reccomend this toy for anyone who needs inprovement in school or whoever likes to learn. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Password Journal 3 combines technology and secret-keeping, making it of interest to girls who like neat gadgets ... and privacy (and what girl doesn’t?). In addition to functions for setting important dates, times, and other data, the journal has a secret compartment inside for treasured belongings: promise rings, phone numbers, photos, etc. A night-light allows for transactions that can be made only under the cover of darkness. Unlike past versions of the Password Journal, this one lets you custom decorate the cover by placing photos under the removable vinyl cover. The coolest feature, though, is undoubtedly the voice-coded access--once the password is entered via the built-in microphone, the machine opens only at the voice of its owner. We found it a bit tricky to get this to work the first time, and had better luck whispering our code word than speaking it. Low batteries (three AAs) may cause the security functions to behave erratically. --Amazon.com Toy Reviewers ... Read more

Reviews (65)

boys
I think there should be a boys verson of it.

this secret journal roxx!
i think that this secret journal rocks, i cant stand how good it is, it keeps your secrets safe and no one else can read it except you
you gotta get it
it is the best

frustrated
my daughter wanted this toy so bad. her best friend bought it for her birthday and from the time she programmed it she couldnt open. we are taking it back it was a big dissappointment.

A disappointment. . .
I'll give the thing 5 stars for educational value because journal writing is a great exercise. . . However, aside from joining the many others who have complained about the voice recognition (HA!) software (we had more success with a single letter - like "p" - than a word or phrase), I have to say that it's not much of a journal. The "journal" is a tablet of paper that is glued down to the machine itself. What are you supposed to do when it's used? You can't easily attach another. And the "secret compartment" isn't even accessible because the tablet of paper is glued over the top of it! My daughter had to have this for her birthday, and she's hardly been able to use it between us resetting the password and feeding it batteries.

My daughter cannot make the journal open!
She spent her (...) birthday money on this frustrating toy. We have to take the batteries out and reset the password every time she wants to use it. It is a great idea, but the password use is pitiful. Who wants to enter a password 18-20 times each time you want to open it? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Disappointing
Well, the price is right for what we were looking for: a simple interactive keyboard coupled with light-weight training software. However, as is so depressingly often the case with kid-oriented software, the usability of the system leaves a LOT to be desired.

First, if your child can't read and you're not prepared to help them through all the little "games" included, forget it - "Help" instructions are for the most part print-only. The included games have somewhat complicated mechanics, but there's not much of a point to any of them. Also - and this seems quite odd - the games aren't all centered on using the keyboard!

In fact the lack of "purity" in the software with respect to the little piano keyboard is probably the biggest flaw. The mouse is really required to actually get through the user interface, and that's a logistical issue for me (where do I put it, once I've used up the desk with the keyboard?).

The "Lesson" section is extremely basic, and again requires the mouse for quite a bit of it (!!).

The software is annoying in its responsiveness, often insisting on completing a little cut scene before allowing any interaction. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Fun Way To Learn - Better than Gameboy
I bought this for my daughter as a present for doing well on a math test. She just loves it. Everyday, she reviews her addition, subtraction, multiplication and division tables. She is only in second grade and is able to teach herself material which has not even been covered in school.<br /> <br /> She tells me its more fun than playing with her Gameboy Advance and she will often play with it for hours. It is really a fun learning tool that surpasses traditional "Flash Cards."<br /> <br /> I plan on buying the Spelling Version of Mind Mania.

Fabulous
My 6 year old son got this for Christmas and would not put it down. He doesn't know all the answers because it goes to 6th grade math, but he is interested in trying to learn it. I highly recommend this. We also got the spelling version, but he likes this one better so far. Very easy to use. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Marvelous learning toy
I purchased the spelling clip for my 6 year-old nephew who lives in Santiago, Chile. He's enrolled in an English school and his mother says it has really helped him grasp spelling in another language. I highly recommend this product.

Great for making good use of down time at school
My 7 year old son loves this toy. He takes it to school and plays with it during recess (when its too cold to go outside) and while waiting for the bus and during the ride. He has both the math and spelling versions and brings both to school to share them with his frieds. They are a huge hit in his class and some of the other children have now purchased their own. I would highly recommend this toy. Its much more educational, and almost as much fun as a game boy. ... Read more