Editorial Review

Designed for children in preschool through second grade, and easily portable, the Leapster multimedia learning system offers educational games, reading exercises, art tools, and interactive videos in one electronic device. Atop an ergonomic silver body sits a 4-inch, 12-bit color backlit display protected by a blue rubber shield. Slide a Leapster cartridge into the slot, and learn letters, sounds, colors, shapes, numbers, and more, using the touch-screen stylus and multi-directional control pad. This unit comes with a bonus cartridge of six learning games; other Leapster cartridges are sold separately. Control knobs let you adjust volume and brightness; there's also a stereo headphone jack. Required are four AA batteries, not included. --Andy Boynton ... Read more

Reviews (293)

Best $$ ever spent-just bought 2nd
I wouldn't be able to praise this toy enough. We gave it to our oldest daughter last Christmas when she was 3 1/2. We were concerned because of the price but compared to a GameBoy we prefered the educational aspect. We have never regreted the purchase. She loves playing with it and has even mastered basic math skills well ahead of time. We had a problem with the screen not responding after about 6 months but it only took a quick email to Leap Frog and they replaced it with our only expense being a few dollars to ship it to them. They have excellent Customer Service. We would have even invested the money to buy a new unit if they hadn't replaced it. <br /> <br /> We have just purchased a unit for our 19 month old daughter because she always wants to share big sister's. I know the age is 4-10 but our little one just loves the characters and even though she doesn't totally understand what to do, she still loves playing. It has helped her to master control of the stylus and she is now much better at coloring too. We have a few extra cartridges and plan on expanding for Christmas. <br /> <br /> We haven't had a problem with battery consumption. This toy definitely hasn't eaten batteries nearly as quickly as others and my older daughter plays with it almost every day. She would play with it more if I would allow it. But we still plan on buying the recharging system too.<br /> <br /> I highly recommend the investment in the carrying case also.<br /> <br /> You just can't go wrong with this toy.

my grandson
I purchased the LeapFrog Leapster for my grandson as a Christmas gift when he was 2 years old. His mom gave it to him when we was 21/2, he absolutely loves it and has learned so much. I like the durability, educational theme and the add ons, it just keeps getting better and better.

Love It
My son was given this on his 4th b-day, he absolutely loves it and so do I! It has taught him alot and the only reason I rated a 4 and not a 5 is because of the battery situation!! Ouch!

Battery Eater!
My son got this toy for his 4th birtday. He truly loves it, but it's a battery eater! I cannot believe how quickly this toy drains 4 AA batteries. Thank goodness they are coming out with a recharging unit soon or we'd go broke!

BEST $ EVER SPENT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've never written a review before, but feel I have to about this product. It is the BEST money spent on my daughter ever!!!! My daughter got this for Christmas when she was 3 1/2 years old. She has played with it every day. At night we read books to her and then let her do her Leapster for a little while. We just purchased The Letter Factory for our last trip....and she already knows ALL the letter phonics....it is just amazing!!!!! We have never had a problem with it in 7 months...and we just put new batteries in it for the first time. I so highly reccomend this toy!!!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Did you know that painted ladies (the butterflies, that is) taste with their feet and have 10,000 eyes? You and your kids will be fascinated by all you learn about these beautiful creatures with the Butterfly Garden from Insect Lore. The kit comes with a relatively easy-to-assemble observation chamber; supplies for feeding the butterflies (you provide only sugar and water); an informative booklet of clear instructions and butterfly facts; and a certificate for three to five free painted lady caterpillars. The metamorphosis from larva to butterfly takes about three weeks from when you receive the caterpillar larvae (which arrive in a small container with all the nutrients they need). Your children can watch the larvae increase dramatically in size, form chrysalides, and finally emerge into full-fledged painted ladies (it's suggested that they release the butterflies after a few days of observation). This would make a wonderfulactivity for families with kids of any age, but younger children will need help assembling the observationchamber and reading the instruction booklet. (Note: The manufacturer recommends that butterflies should not be set free in temperatures lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit.) --Rachel Radway ... Read more

Reviews (62)

So fun I Bought My Own!
I bought one of these last year for my nieces. I also got one for me, and I'm in my 30's. I waited until the spring time to send in my caterpillar certificate. They came in their own little container with just enough food. So you don't need to feed them anything. I tried to put some real food such as leaves from the plants they like to eat in the wild, but they preferred the food that came with them. I think I received 6 caterpillars and they all turned into butterflies. I let them go a day or two after they emerged. Kids are completely fascinated by the process from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. One word of caution, it may not be the best thing to get for Christmas since you may have to wait until spring to get your caterpillars. They will send them in the winter, but I didn't want the butterflies to die on me or freeze to death if I let them go.

Our kids loved this
Our daughters received the Butterfly Garden from their grandfather. The whole family really enjoyed the entire process from catepillar to butterlfy. Very educational for the kids. Unfortunately, though we had three cocoons, only one of the butterflies actually survived. Nevertheless, this is a great gift and one I just bought for my nephew.

Tons of Fun and Educational too!
My daughter received this toy from her cousin. She is 5. At first my son was a little grossed out by the worm looking caterpillars but once they grew and I pinned the paper disc with the attached chrysalides to the netted garden, it was worth it. My 2 kids just sit there and watch. It's better than TV. One caterpillar died but 3 have already emerged. My daughter has named the three butterflies and she loves watching "Crystal" balance herself on the orange wedge that she placed in the hut. I find myself checking on them at least 4 times a day because it is so interesting. We are waiting for the last one to emerge before we set the other three free. My daugher doesn't want the last one to be lonely.

A wonderful combination of fun and education
My daughter had a wonderful time learing about butterflies and watching them emerge. This is a fantastic teaching tool, with clear instructions and easy to use equipment. I can't rave enough about this toy!!!!

WOW! This thing is cool!
I recieved my Butterfly Garden yesterday and boy, was I excited! The pop-up mesh butterfly habita is so neat. I've always wanted one! I sent away for my caterpillars today. If you want to give something or get something GREAT, the Butterfly Garden is a good idea! :) ... Read more

Editorial Review

This award-winning globe could help children become A+ geographystudents. The Explorer Globe II is jam-packed with hundreds of facts, trivia,and useful scholastic information about every aspect of the geographical world.It electronically verbalizes everything from area population, capitolcity/country, state/province, large bodies of water, currencies, high points,distance, and more. Other remarkable features make the Explorer an even moreuseful reference tool. It has a world clock that, once set from your home area,will tell the time in every other part of the world. And any country can beselected to hear a sample its national music (yes, Tahiti does have a nationalanthem). The globe sits on a sturdy base, which features a dashboard full ofinteractive functions and an attached soft-tipped stylus. This stylus is the keyinstrument: use it to touch virtually any point on the surface of the globe toretrieve information. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Best present my kids ever got
I'm not one for electronic toys, normally. But this globe is terrific. The second day after she received it, my 6-year-old had learned all the continents and oceans, and could find each of them within two or three seconds after the globe called them out. She's working on countries now. Her first-grade class had to make a collection of 100 items of their choice. She chose to collect 100 country names, which she patiently copied from the globe while listening to music snippets and basic facts about each one. Last month, we read that geologists believe India was once a seperate island, which eventually crashed into mainland Asia. I asked her what mountain range was made during that crash, and she barely paused before answering the Himilayas. And what's the biggest mountain in the Himilayas? Mt. Everest.

But the best part is when the kids go to bed. Then I get to challenge my wife to Eureka, to see who can find the most countries, cities and continents as they are called out randomly by the globe. She always wins. But I'm improving, and one of these days....

My only complaint (like many of the other reviewers) is that the globe started malfunctioning after several months. In our case, the sensors must have shifted inside the globe so that instead of giving you information for the country you select, it tells you about it's neighbor 2 inches to the left. But the company will replace the globe for free...I just had to ship it back to them at my own cost (no big deal). Many people complain about the Stylus failing. But a replacement stylus is pretty cheap. And if you play with it as much as we do, you can't expect it to last forever, can you?

Pity!! Good toy that doesn't last
This interactive globe is really good at introducing geography to the kids. It's a real pity that the pointer's touch system becomes insensitive after regular use. Toy lasted less than 3 months.

Fun but broke after a few months
Defintely a great concept but the touch pen quit working after about half a year. Now its just a plain globe. Ratings are based on function level after it quit working, since I found many similar sotries on the web. Sad the quality is so LOW. It would be all 5s otherwise

Be Careful Before you Spend Your $100
It's frustrating really. We purchased an explorer globe for our son who loved to play the states game in the Lap Pad book. We used it a total of 4 times in 6 months because once we got it we realized it wasn't quite at his level, (he was just 5). We put it up and when a friend came over whom was interested in purchasing one for her son, I let her try it out. It turned on just fine, but the pen would not work. I changed the batteries but with no luck. It worked randomly for a few times after that but it no longer works at all. We have had it for only a year and it has been used no more then 10 times. Leap Frog only warrants their products for 3 months. Our 3 months were up and their was nothing we could do about. We spent $100 on what was supposed to be a great, long term educational product, unfortunately not even the company that makes it can back it up. Their goes another $100 wasted on this company. We're done spending money on their products. Note: Watch out for Leapster and Leap Pad products as well.

Very educational and fun
I have a son, and he loves it. He always points to different parts of the globe, and I create stories for him. Its a joy to watch him grow and learn, and this toy has helped him do that. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

What a fantastic experience!
Raising butterflies with the Butterfly Pavilion was an experience that my kids and I will never forget. I'm a single parent trying to raise two young kids on my own. I'm busy and don't have much time to take them outside to experience nature. I wanted to give them something that would nurture their respect of nature. Boy did I pick the right item. We mailed our free certificate and about 10 days later, we received our caterpillars. Within about 7 days, they changed into chrysalides. We waited about a week, then suddenly, the butterflies started hatching. In fact, we got to see 4 of them come out within about 30 minutes of each other. It was the most fantastic experience. We kept the butterflies inside the netted habitat for about 5 days, then released them outside. My little 4-year-old girl cried as she had to free her "butterfries", but understood why it was important to do so. We'll never forget this experience and highly recommend the Butterfly Pavilion to everyone.

THE best summer project!!!
The kids have never been so excited about what will happen next. We couldn't wait for the caterpillars to come in the mail...counting the days. They all (10) did what they were supposed to do: eating, growing, spinning web, hanging. One did not turn into a chrysalis, and one chrysalis did not hatch, but we had 8 butterflies. They are easy to care for. They even lay eggs and the eggs hatch into tiny caterpillers. We haven't past the 2nd set caterpillar stage yet, but are hoping...

FUN, EDUCATIONAL AND ENTERTAINING
I AM VERY HAPPY TO SAY THE LEAST. WE GOT THE CATERPILLARS A WEEK AFTER MAILING OUT THE CERTIFICATE. THEY TURNED INTO CHYSALIDES ABOUT 10 DAYS LATER AND IN A WEEK AND A HALF OUR 1ST BUTTERFLY "PENNY" EMERGED. MY 5 YR OLD WAS EXCITED AND ANXIOUS TO SEE HER OTHER BUTTERFLIES. BY THE NEXT DAY THEY WERE ALL OUT. MY 1 YR OLD GOES CRAZY SEEING THEM FLY. WE JUST REALEASED THEM TODAY AND ONE FLEW ON KAELA'S SHOULDER AND SHE WAS DELIGHTED THAT "PENNY" AS SHE SAYS KISSED HER GOODBYE. WE WERE SAD TO HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE BUT LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THEM AROUND. WE HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE THAT WE ARE ORDERING MORE CATERPILLARS. I MUST SAY THAT IT IS SUPER EDUCATIONAL. MY DAUGHTER LEARNED ALOT FROM THE STAGES THEY GO THROUGH TO THE AMOUNT OF EYES THEY HAVE, HOW LONG THEY LIVE,HOW THEY BREATHE...ETC. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO EVERYONE. ESPECIALLY SINCE NOT ONLY DO YOU EXPOSE YOUR KIDS TO NATURE BUT YOU CAN REUSE THE HABITAT OVER & OVER AGAIN. MY CHILDREN LOVED IT AND SO WILL YOURS.

Spendid
Spendid!! Simply, spendid!! Creative,educational-fun!!
(Coin a new word: Educational-fun!!!) As well as affordable
and very cleve!! Good show!!

I enjoyed this as much as my son!!
Both of us being 'nature buffs', my 6 year old son and I had a wonderful time with this.
We sent away for our catarpillars (every day he would say, 'have they come in yet'?) and when they arrived, put them in the habitat.

When I was a little girl, I caught a bunch of catarpillars, put them in a shoebox, with grass, leaves and whatever else I thought they might eat. I punched holes in the shoe box lid and then covered the box, and basically forgot about it until a few days or so, opened it and saw my catarpillars had made cocoons. Before long, they were moths and I remember how excited I was to see them!

With this habitat, you get to WATCH the whole process of metamorphosis and it is truly amazing AND educational!! When they finally transformed into butterflies, my son was so thrilled, altho a little saddened when we had to set them free.

I'm thinking about purchasing this again, one for my son and myself, and also one for his second grade teacher so his whole class can enjoy the experience.

If your child enjoys the wonders of natures and would love to witness the miracle of transformation of catarpillars into butterflies, this is DEFINATELY well worth the money! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

mothers best friend
some kids have favorite toys which they can grow out of, get bored with etc.. The fun with this play set is, no matter how young or old your child is, if they like dinosaurs the fun is endless with this playset.. there is so many different varities of dino's to choose from that its hard to choose your favorite, also, the accessories add the imagination of real life dino atmosphere... They can learn about the different species, what they ate, who could fly, swim, who was bigger, faster.. etc... this is an awsome all round toy..

Great review from the child I bought it for!
I purchased this toy for a dinosaur loving little boy who lives in another state. I figured this was a good buy, to get him something different than the usual Wal-mart gift. (Hoping that I wasn't getting him something that he already had.)

He loved it! He loved the volcanoes.......that was way cool for him. And the fact that it could be packed up got rave reviews from the Mom.

If you've got a dinosaur lover, this is a great gift!

It ROCKS!!!!!
This playset is very reilistic and has lots of dinosaurs! It also has a reilistic mat that you can put your dinosaurs on! Set include my favorite dinosaur, T-rex!! Get this for your kiddos! The'll love it! :)

Great Dinosaurs!
My 4 year old son saw this same set at a neighbor's house and he didn't want to put them down! LITERALLY! (We had to carry him home screaming apologizing profusely for his behavior to everyone) Even days after, he wanted to go over and play with them. But the screaming episode afterward kept bugging me and didn't want to go through that again.

So I asked my neighbor where she got them and logged on to Amazon.com to find them. The local Toys R Us were sold out.
For less then $25- it's a great collection.
With so many dinosaurs in various sizes, trees, rocks, volcanos and a playmat in a great carrying case- I couldn't resist to get them.

We took them to the beach just last week and there were 3 other kids ranging in ages of 2 to 5 and we were amazed how quiet they were playing with them. Only problem was getting them back from them when it was time to come home. It was their turn to scream =)

The names of the dinosaurs are underneath them, so if Mom and Dad can't remember which is which, flip them over and with confidence call out the name. Therefore impressing the kids to the end of the earth. "Mom you are so smart" my son once told me. Hey, it felt good!
And soon you and the kids will be able to recognize their names without peeking.

Great gift for all ages and he continues to play with them months later. ahhh peace and quiet.

GREAT toy set! Great Price!
My 5 year old nephew LOVED this set, he is very into dinosaurs. Even his three year old sister liked to play with it too. The dinosaurs are large, and some have moving parts. This is a must for any child that loves dinosaurs! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Honk! Honk! It's gridlock and the little red car can't move.The player is a traffic cop in the Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle wherethe objective is to get the red car off the road. To play, pick one of40 challenge cards; solutions are printed on the back of each card.Then set up the cars and buses in a specified pattern on the6-inch-square road grid. Move the vehicles one by one (obey those trafficlaws!) until the red car can escape the traffic jam. There are fourlevels of difficulty. Kids can alternate turns with another player orjust "play in traffic" alone. The game from Binary Arts received anational award from Mensa and is used in elementary school mathclasses. The design includes clear instructions printed on the sturdybox, which can be used both as a playing tray and for storage. The gamecards stow away in a drawer in the road grid. This is a 1999 Parents'Choice recommended toy. --Marcie Bovetz ... Read more

Reviews (89)

Hours of Fun Fun Fun
This is a great puzzle. Since it is a game only one can play at a time, my nieces, ages 6 and 8 and my nephew age 11 took turns getting the red car out of the traffic jams. They even enjoyed watching each other find the solution to each "jam". Incidently the 6 year old is almost through solving the "Advanced" puzzles and I am about to buy both additional card packs. Kids and adults will love this game.

Great "toy"
Add us to the host of folks who love this puzzle toy. I generally consult Amazon ratings before purchasing new items and any item that has this many positive ratings always catches my attention. And it lives up to the promise. My almost 7 year-old son is ADHD and I was AMAZED at the way this toy captured his attention. I expected him to become quickly frustrated and give up. But after a few successes, he was hooked. I coached him a little bit at first (and then I was hooked too!) and before I knew it, he was solving puzzles by himself and doing a better job than me! He did the first 20 in one sitting. I was amazed as I watched him begin understanding which cars had to be where in order for him to get the red car out, then he started working out his plan to get there. You have to think ahead to be successful and he was doing it!

His persistence and concentration surprised me, so if your child is having any problems sitting and concentrating on a task, don't be afraid of this toy! But, alas, as with many ADHD kids, he's also been tested as gifted, so he's already run through the first 3 levels and is now nearly done with the expert level - solving puzzles that I can't do! I have to wait until he goes to bed to even get a chance to play! There's 40 cards in the first pack. The beginning levels are pretty easy to remember the solutions, but as you go higher in difficulty, you could probably do the puzzles more than once and still be challenged. But do be prepared to buy the 2, 3, and 4 Gift Pack (a great deal for $12 on Amazon)

I LOVE the fact that you store the cards right in the bottom of the tray. However,I wish that they would put a more permanent kind of cover on the tray. Also, you cannot replace the cover when you are in the middle of a puzzle, the cars have to be in the tray in a certain way in order for the cover to fit properly. But those are extremely minor drawbacks considering the hours of entertainment my son and I have gotten.

grate!!!
I love this game and so do my familly from ages 6 - 35. you will enjoy playing this game alone at home. the greate part is that even once youv memorized this toy and all the levels (wich you will.) you can buy more cards! it is a grate present for anyone not too lazy to think a bit. everyone has their own level. Also other games such as the one croosing the river from this manufacturer are fantastic! really worth the money!

GREAT GIFT IDEA
We just got this game today and we were all instantly addicted! My 7 year old loved the challenge of the game, didn't get frustrated at all, and wouldn't even think of giving up on trying to solve the puzzles! This is a great gift idea for birthday parties, as it's inexpensive and parents will appreciate the educational value of this puzzle game.

Greatest Game Ever!
I am in the Gifted program in school and it is a lot of fun! I play this everyday. It is very challenging but an awesome game! I would reccomend it to anyone! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The ProMedia 2.1 THX-Certified, three-piece computer audio system from Klipsch transforms your desktop into a high-performance audio entertainment center. Two 35-watt satellite speakers deliver full-bodied stereo sound, while a floor-thumping 130-watt subwoofer provides low-end slam from your favorite music, games, and movies, reaching down to an impressive 31 Hz.

The satellites' exclusive Klipsch MicroTractrix horn maximizes clarity and high-frequency dispersion from CDs, MP3s, streaming radio programs, and other audio. The high-output, digital-hybrid-amplifier-driven ProMedia 2.1 offers a convenient headphone jack and dual stereo analog inputs, one for a more or less hard-wired connection from your computer's line or headphone output jack, the second to accommodate a portable audio device such as an MP3 or minidisc player/recorder.

Klipsch operates with a philosophy that demands accuracy in every aspect of sound reproduction, which--in the case of the ProMedia 2.1--has resulted in THX Certification. THX is an exclusive set of standards established by the world-renowned film production company, Lucasfilm Ltd., and products undergo rigorous quality and performance tests in order to receive this certification.

What's in the Box
Two satellite speakers, one subwoofer, two 9.5-foot lengths of speaker cable (22 gauge), a user's manual, and warranty information. ... Read more

Features

• THX-certified, three-piece computer audio system
• Exclusive Klipsch MicroTractrix Horn maximizes digital technologies such as CDs, MP3 downloads, and streaming radio programs
• 200-watt digital hybrid amplifier driven ProMedia 2.1 incorporates a convenient headphone jack as well as a miniplug input
• Compatible with gaming consoles and most portable audio devices
• 31 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response range

Reviews (92)

Great for music listeners!
I just picked up a set of the Promedia 2.1 a few days ago, and they sound great! Prior to buying these, I was using another decent 2.1 system, but I felt that it lacked midrange (especially on male vocals) and an overall full sound. The Klipsch deliver on both. In comparing the two systems side by side in my room, the Klipsch are far superior in sound quality. Of course the Klipsch are a bit more money, but it is well worth it if you plan on listening to a lot of music. They create a nice sound stage, and vocals sound smooth. I'm using a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz soundcard (great card!). The sound quality on the speakers is also great at low volumes, which is where many lesser systems suffer. And of course, they will get as loud as you need but still remain "listenable." Gamers and heavy DVD watchers should consider saving up for the Promedia Ultra 5.1 (assuming you can afford it and have the space).

I do have a few complaints. Like many other reviewers here, I am disappointed with the feeble wires from the satellites to the sub. A slight touch of the wires can cause the sound to crack or stop altogether. As someone else posted, Klipsch sells replacement Monster Cables on their website ($30 plus shipping). I may have to consider them. It would also have been nice to put the power switch on one of the satellites.

All in all, these are terrific speakers. They are the most "musical" speakers I've heard. I would have given them five stars if it weren't for the few shortcomings I mentioned above.

Best of the Best
I have had my Promedia 5.1 speakers since the first day they came out and beleive me they had a waiting list for hundreds of customers. Why such a big fuzz over a computer speaker set you ask? Well the answer is simple, these are not your ordinary computer speakers. Forget about Polk, Creative, Boston, and Altec Lansing, the keyword here is Klipsch. Those other speakers don't even come close to the shear power and fidelity these speakers produce. And if it is bass that you want, Klipsch hands down manufactures the World best Bass. I hooked up my speakers to an Audigy Ex card, that allowed me to hook up my PS2/Xbox and DVD to my system. There are few games with 5.1 capabilities but it does come in handy when you watch DVD's. The sound is simply amazing, and if you dont beleive me just read the other reviews on this page. Still not impressed well just hearing these speakers out once will do the trick.

EXTREMELY CHEAP AND SHORT LIVED BUT BLISS WHILE IT LASTS
The first set I bought on 02-02-07 started going funny after 8 months and then I would'nt dare turn it off in case it would not come back to life and then it died 2 weeks before the end of the warranty. The dealer acknowledged that there was a unreparable problem with the unit and replaced the whole thing brand new and no charge...no wonder. As of today, 04-06-21, the replacement unit just died again and without warning this time. Alas, since the sound of this unit is so incredibly beautiful, I will buy another one but I will gladly pay the extra for a long term warranty since I will have to change the unit every year or so. By the way, the day you don't hear the zipper sound out of the satellites when you turn off the unit, it's shot! Enjoy.

Poor design, mine crapped out
The sound is great at first, but there's a design flaw in this product that made mine useless. The right satellite speaker has the subwoofer and volume dials on it. But it's really cheap construction, and after a while the rubber dials start to vibrate and make a "chirping" sound during play. This occurs even when played at a reasonable volume. I babied these speakers and still had this problem. If you're thinking about buying these, ask yourself one question. Do you feel lucky?

awsome
the speakers are awsome. i have had them for over a year and not 1 problem yet. they are almost as loud as my home theater system. there are two bad things about it. the wires from sub to sat are a bit to short. the power switch is on the sub. i dont even bother too turn my speakers off and no problems so the switch isnt realy a problem unless u are worried about your electrick bill ... Read more

Reviews (8)

no frills robust
I bought this recently and am happy with it. Several points:

1. It arrived promptly, but padding was on three sides of the
box, with one side unpadded, so that shipping wasn't perfect.

2. The box only has a US address, and does not mention
"Made in China" which can be found only on the bottom of
the microscope.

3. There were only five slides, and 2 page handout (manual),
I would have expected a better manual and explanations
if it was meant to be use as a toy by new comers.

4. (...).

5. I consider the electric light a non-essential, since
the table lamp also allows lighting from top for
object not a slide.

6. I realized later, I paid 10% tax + 10% shipping, so a local
store might have been a better deal.

In summary, it is a robust no frills medium power microscope.
But it cut corners on the manual and essential accessories.

I am sure every kid who got this as a present will have
to figure out how to get accessories (and how is he/she
supposed to know which ones are essential?). Unless they
use it as a supplement to school work. I wish there was
more choices in this range (...) on Amazon, since it
is a convienient place to buy, and I reviews for this
product convinced me my money was well spent.

SWEET!
I got a plastic microscope for (...), (...), and it was a piece of junk. It was all plastic and didn't work properly. We returned that one, and saw this one on Amazon with all of the great reviews, and decided to get it.
It has very nice picture quality and is all metal. It isn't all that expensive either considering the quality it is. The only downer is that it doesn't have blank slides. It does have some very nice prepared slides though.

Very Fun!!!
When I recieved this telescope for my Birthday, I was very excited!!!! When I began to use it, I wasn't disapointed at all!!
This so called "toy" I very good for education and fun, it is also very durable.
Before I recieved this I got a cheap one from the "Toys R' Us". It claimed to be very high magnified, and to work well.
I tried it and was very disapointed, there was no metal and when you changed the slide, it didn't change the picture!!
I immediately returned it.
This microscope has worked perfectly. It has perfect focus, and some cool prepared slides. If you are looking for a fun, educational, affordable Microscope, This is for you. On this microscope, there is a ton of magnification and there is almost no plastic!!!
It is perfect for anyone 10+.

Best "Toy" we ever bought!
After pouring over dozens of microscopes to possibly buy our 8-year-old daughter for Christmas, we found this one with the few, but good, reviews on Amazon. We were not disappointed. I know nothing about chemistry and have never used a microscope. We had this out of the box and running smoothly within 10 minutes. The instructions are very simple and the quality is exceptional. I have heard that poor quality plastic microscopes often dissuade children from pursuing science because they are so frustrating and disappointing. This one is great. It comes with five slides that show up really well. They are fascinating to look at and we spent all day gathering other items to look at. Our daughter likes science even more, and now she's anxious to take the microscope to class to show her friends. She's used it many times since Christmas and hasn't grown tired of it. I think she'll enjoy it even more when summer arrives. Some of the slides, such as frog's blood or mosquito head parts, sound gross, but they actually are unexpectedly pretty and colorful. Although it is supposed to be for children age 11 and up, our 8-year-old had no problems with it. The microscope is sturdy, nonfussy, and should hold up fine with any older child that wouldn't knock it off a table. I have never rated a toy higher than this one. Highly recommended!

My 1st Lab Microscope
When I received this microscope, the light bulb was shattered and I had to replace it $3. I think the reason being not enough packing bubble was used. It only surrounded the box on three sides, which left the one side and top and bottom unprotected. I think this is the best microscope for the money, but the packing could have been much better. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Well-designed with lots of terrific detail, Learning Resources' Calculator Cash Register completely satisfies a young child's hunger to play with bills, coins, cash drawers, and big numbers. The chiming cash register features a built-in solar calculator as its keypad, thus allowing kids to act as bankers, shopkeepers, and accountants all at once. A large cash drawer holds life-sized bills in four denominations (1, 5, 10, and 20), and four coin holders make room for embossed plastic pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. There is even a credit card slot that dings when you correctly slide the faux VISA card through it.A suggested-activities booklet is included. Requires a 1.5V button cell battery (included) to make the chiming noise. No assembly required. Winner of awards from Dr. Toy, FamilyFun Magazine, and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

It's the most popular toy at my house!
This cash register is a favorite at my house! We often have children from ages two to six visiting, and this is the first toy that many of them go to. The calculator makes beeping noises that the kids enjoy, and the cash drawer opens and closes with a satisfying click. I've enjoyed teaching my son the value of money and how to use a calculator with this toy.

Can't Live Without It
We were at a friends house last night and she had this toy for her 3 year old son. My 2 year old daughter could not stop playing with it. She simply loved opening the drawer and handing out the money to each person in the room. She would then collect the money and put it back. This activity kept her busy for an hour and it would have been longer except for the fact we needed to leave. I have bought her other cash register toys but none have been as realistic or kept her interest as long as this one did. I am buying one for her now and can only hope that she loves it as much as she did last night.

This is the funniest toy ever
When I got this toy i played with it for such along time and still do. You only spend $29.99 on it and it is money well spent. You make the right choice if you get this toy. The age group i would say is probably 5-whenever. Let me tell you parents what when my mom and dad got this for me i lovedit and it made me happy for so long.Three words for this toy.
MONEY WELL SPENT!!!!!!!!! FUN
so you should get this toy. KNOW dont think twice get it...NOW
dont forget get the scanner and bar codes* that go with it.
*SOLD SEPARTLEY

A preschool favorite
I'm buying this toy for my son's 3rd birthday because he makes a beeline to it everytime we go to our parent-child preschool class. He usually sets up a toy phone nearby, too. I get to be the customer and bring a basket of toy food to him which he "scans" on the notepad area. It's nice when toys leave something to the imagination. He loves the play bills and coins and pretending to make change. I believe that this toy will grow with my child and still be fun for him in a few years.

I figure that if this toy has survived daily use by multiple 2-4 year olds, it will survive around our house. If it doesn't, then I will update this posting!!!

hits money learning right on the head
I bought this for my daughter five years ago when she turned 4... it is still a household favorite. The design is good and it has held up well despite its being knocked around a fair amount.

The display is large and easy to read. The play money, which was one of my primary concerns, is realistically sized and marked. There is plenty of it to play with and make change too. The credit card is a nice touch which slides into a slot with a beep.

The sticky note space isn't as useful or cool as I thought it could have been, but I think sticky notes tend to just get ripped off of the pad and spread across the room by most children.

Now that my daughter is older, she still plays with it as well as putting it to use while running her punch & shaved ice stand in the summer. I feel like this was a good purchase and I would recommend it as a sturdy playset with high educational potential. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This talking book comes with an interactive "magic pen" that works like a hand-held computer mouse pointer. Children can opt to turn the paper pages and listen to the story read with different voices for each character. Or they can interrupt the read-aloud session to play with the magic pen (permanently attached with a wire). They can point the pen tip to any word on a page and hear it pronounced, or touch a picture and hear a sound effect (such as "Strike one!" for the baseball bat). Very similar to the popular Living Books computer games, this 10-by-11-inch book is more portable than a home computer. Stories in this set include Lil's Loose Tooth, Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever, and Winnie the Pooh in A Sweet Good Morning. The set also includes a paper piano keyboard and map and human anatomy games.--Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (365)

Not as great as we thought it'd be...
I got this for my son when he was about 4, and it was a great learning tool before it started falling apart. The quality of it was terrible, and it didn't last more than a year after normal wear and tear. This product was definitely a disappointment, especially after spending a lot of money on books and cartridges shortly before it bit the dust.

fun for all ages
I bought a leap frog for my son when he was 4 and he loved it. He liked the pictures and sounds. It is also great for older kids, the leap frog book that came with his had activities for all ages. It is very educational and a great item to take on trips in the car.

great for my preschooler as well as older childern
I purchased a leappad for my 3 1/2 year old about a 1 1/2 years ago for christmas and it was a hit!! She loved the noises it made and she could write with the pen. The book that comes with the system is broken up into different age groups so the first book didn't have much she could do as for learning, but my older children (then 9 & 11) found a few pages that interested them as well. We soon purchased a couple of addition books that were age appropriate for my daughter and she began to learn numbers, letters and shapes. My sons even got a book to help them in the areas such as bones. My daughter turned 5 yesterday and she still carries her leappad where ever we go. She has moved up to learning sounds and sight words and hasn't even started kindergarden yet. She loves the games and the interaction since it will tell you (or beep/buzz you)when you have made a wrong answer. This product allows my husband & I, as well as other family members, to sit down and spend time with my daughter learning and ITS FUN for us all!! She can even entertain herself when we are unable to sit with her because of how user friendly it is.

We have had NO problems with our leappad and believe me it has been around and used.

I highly recommend it for a child that is eager to learn new things. If I had to find a fault with it, it would be that due to so many different books available, we sometimes misplace the cartridges. I have ordered her a backpack to keep them all together to solve this problem.

Beware Of Leap Frog Products
We are a family of 5. Our 3 children are 6, 3 1/2, and 2. You can imagine how many wonderful Leap Frog products we have in our household. We have a lot. We want to provide our children with a great educational start in life and what better way to do it than with these wonderful Leap Pad products right? Give me a break. Educationally they are great. Durable you ask, no way. Leap Frog only warrants their products for 3 months. We had 2 LeapPads. One still works great, we've had it for almost 4 years. The newer one we bought for our 3 year old stopped working in 4 months. It wasn't product misuse, because my son was only allowed to look at it with an adult. We only used it about 3 or 4 times a month, that's about 12-16 total uses, before the right side of the LeapPad stopped working. Several emails to Leap Frog resulted with no reply from them. They make these products but only warrant them for 3 months. Now I know why. Our Explorer globe flopped out after only 6 months. I will admit that the Leap Frog preschool toys we own have held up great, especially with all the banging around that they get, but their expensive products like LeapPad, Explorer Globe and Leapster have not. I'd look into buying educational products from a company who is willing to stand behind them and has the necessary means to make repair work on expensive products that no longer work. Leap Frog is a company I will no longer spend any more of my hard earned money on.

Fantastic even for age 3
My three-year-old received this leappad for his birthday, which he wanted very badly, and just cannot put it down. He carries it with him throughout the day and it's the first thing he looks for when he gets up in the morning. He saw it at toysrus and just absolutely loved it so he was very excited to get one of his own. He loves learning his abc's and numbers, and loves it when his favorite characters talk back to him. This is such a great tool - if you're trying to decide between this one and the Fisher price one, go for this one. The gal at toys rus said that the fisher price one is just for preschoolers whereas the leappad will grow with the child until age 8. Not bad! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Snot & Toe Jam! OH MY!
Real life bodily functions (almost all of them) and other gross stuff are brought to light in an educational game. Compete with friends, "gross" them out, complete a science experiment and win the game! Though you may not agree that the subject matters are acceptable in polite society, this game is a blast to play. 5 stars for a fun time, educational about snot, vomit, toe jam, ear crud and stuff like that and 5 stars for durability !!

Engaging!
My oldest son, age 10, along with his best friend, 10, started playing this game. Within minutes, they were in hysterics, doing the things the game told them to do and learning all the way. My 8 year old son joined in and he too had a blast. The questions challenged them to think about things differently, to try out new things, and of course, to use science as part of their everyday life. The directions were easy to understand, the board itself a visual delight, the goop an added bonus (as far as they were concerned) and the resulting laughter was worth every penny spent on this game. I recommend it highly--so does my son who wants to purchase it as a birthday present for his other friends! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Likes to tinker
I bought this for my grandson's birthday. He is 10 years old and ADHD. When he would visit me, he always wanted to start tinkering with something, either a clock or an old radio. This gift is perfect for him, it is not in the least frustrating and the outcome is very rewarding for him. He will sit and work with the set for an hour at a time.I have recommended this set to many of my friends.

A Happy Granny in Michigan

Very versatile kits for kids 6+
I got 2 kits - one for my 6 yo and one for my 8 yo. Both boys love the kits and can build the projects. The parts are durable yet easy to configure. The directions for the projects are clear. I highly recommend this toy for kids who like to build and are even marginally interested in science/electronics.

Excellent Excellent Excellent
My 5 year old son has an interest in how things work and likes to "experiment." We go this as a first step toward learning about electricity, and it has not disappointed.

The projects range from fast simple ones (can get a light bulb and a switch going in a minute or so) to more elaborate more interesting ones (we actually built a working AM radio).

There are endless projects in the book with easy to follow directions on how to put them together.

The "snap" mechanism for connecting components is extremely clever -- it eliminates the challenges of bad connections on wiring boards I grew up with. The snaps are a little hard for a 5 year old to push close, so I find myself helping on them -- although the kit is aimed for somewhat older kids anyway.

Only "complaint" I have is that they could have put a couple educational points about how the circuit is working in the book near each circuit -- to spell out the "learnings" of each project.

Overall though, this is definitely one of the best science kits of any type that I've seen, and absolutely worth the investment.

No More Gameboy
My 8 year old son got this toy for Christmas and for the first time in a year, he's put down the Gameboy. It's perfect for his age. And the payoff with flashing lights and sounds is a jackpot for him every time he finishes a project. I really can't tell you much fun and how educational this toy is. I love it too and I'm his 40 year old dad. He has to fight me to see who snaps together the next project.

Great Educational Toy
I bought this for my son(8 yrs old) for X-mas. He hasn't stopped playing with it. He was able to follow the directions/designs on his own. Really a fun educational toy! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Re-create Mother Nature's beautiful designs on the wings of butterflies with this kit from Balitono. It includes 4-inch wooden butterflies that can be used as refrigerator magnets, hanging sculptures, window decorations, and toy treasures. The kit offers three butterflies, nontoxic acrylic paints in five colors, shiny varnish, and a paintbrush. Each figure also comes with a press-on magnet, hanging accessories, a suction cup (for window use), and a small gift tag. An easy-to-follow instruction sheet includes compelling facts about the nature of butterflies. Colorful illustrations on the box show a wide variety of butterflies young artists might like to paint. A coded diagram inside identifies each species by name. Children may want to give these items as gifts, use them to decorate their rooms, or simply use them in creative play. --Joan DeClaire ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Great Memory!!
My 8-year old daughter received this Paint the Wild Butterflies as a birthday gift, when we started the project together, I was surprised that my 5-year son got really into it too. We had a really wonderful time painting, imagining and laughing at the table while doing this project. I have never seen activity kits with actual handcrafted wood and the butterflies actually look life-like as opposed to be machined made. The paints are suprisingly good quality, it dried quickly and we were able to change colors and added stripes and spots. I did wish there was more than 1 paintbrush to do all 3 at the same time. My daughter made it into a eye-catching ornament with gift card for her dad and my son and I each made a magnet. It is most definitely a memorable project and it captured my kids' artistic expressions which I am sure will bring smiles years from now.

Awesome for family fun
I bought this for my daughter for christmas and we made it a family project, we each painted a butterfly and it was alot of fun, gave her a chance to use her imagination as to what she wanted HER butterfly to look like...She attached the magnets and we now have it displayed on our refridgerator. I would definately reccomend this for a child who loves to be creative.

Cheap wood pieces
This kit is a great idea, but the butterflies break apart pretty easily. Need to make them of more durable wood.

Easy craft project for kids
My son at age 7 enjoyed this kit. It comes with 3 wooden butterflies, paint, paintbrush, etc. There is a small pamphlet included with some information about butterflies. We added our own glitter glue and other items to make the butterflies more decorative.

KIDS LOVE BUTTERFLIES!
Ever since I read j.singh's The Butterfly to my kids they've been obsessed with caterpillars and butterflies and just about the entire insect kingdom. So, undoubtedly, I've been cajoled into buying pretty much every butterfly book on the market (i plan to bill Singh!). Now having read all these books I consider myself a sorta self-proclaimed authority whose mission is to save parents time and money. And so here are the winners according to me and my two wonderful children. The gold medal goes to GOOD NIGHT SWEET BUTTERFLIES (for the illustrations color and content); the silver medal to FROM BUTTERFLY TO CATERPILLAR (for content and pictures); and the bronze to WAITING FOR WINGS (for content). There are plenty of others but these are a good place to start. Hope I've been helpful. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

ADHD son loves this
My son has a thousand motors working without this kit, I rarely can slow him down. I bought this and he loves it! He will sit and play with it. This kit stimulates his brain enough that he doesn't have to run around, tearing down the house, chipping the walls, screaching, teasing and peeling paint. Anyone with ADHD kids out there know what I mean? Gotta have something like this, for kids like these!!!

It doesn't contain a huge amount of pieces like a box of blocks and after a few tries with adult help, I would say an eight year old can do this alone. It isn't dangerous. There are a couple of parts that can be torn easily by rough kids but a lot of stuff can still be made any way.

Make lazer sounds, sirens, make songs come out, or fans, a ufo spin off toy (launches in the air),several types of games to play, a doorbell, a couple of computer part thingies, other light blinkie things, even stuff your kid can only dream up. Has lots of noisy sounds that will drive you nuts so send the kid somewhere else. LOL.

Wonderful toy
My son received this for Christmas and has not stopped playing with it. He has asked me to get this for his cousins for their birthdays. One warning, the music chip can be REAL annoying (prefect for kids!).

This is an AWESOME toy
My 7 year old just LOVES this kit. It is so easy to use and so much fun. I would recommend this for any scientist in your house!

Easy, Educational and Entertaining
I bought the regular version - ages 8 - 108 for my 8 year old son. He loves putting together one of the over 200 experiments. He can do it by himself because the pictures show EXACTLY what pieces are needed and where to put them. He is learning how electrical things work without even knowing it. Short explanations of the experiments are included.

An excellent introduction to Electronics.
The best point in favour of this product is that it is lego style toy that does not intimidate a child with intricate electronic components. My 6-1/2 year old daughter started playing with it and was very excited to have completed her first project to light a bulb with a switch. Theories of electricity followed naturally when initially the bulb did not lightup. I showed her the shiny metal strip beneath the connectors and explained conductivity a little.

Another major advantage is that there are mostly no wires, and the components are hidden from view, giving it a very un-complicated look that a child can easily comprehend. This difference makes possible for my daughter to actually play with it.

The only problem seems to be the quality of plastic used. It looks as if it might break if a component was bent while snapping in. Still, I highly recommend this product. ... Read more

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