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

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 (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

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

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 (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

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)

Teacher and Parent
I bought this for my son's third birthday. He's already an avid entomologist. The larvae arrived just as expected already shedding its skin, which each one did multiple times. It was fascinating for my husband and me as well. The three of us found ourselves glued together watching these amazing creatures as the larvae shed it's final skin and entered the pupa stage. Several days after the fully-formed ladybugs emerged (they were yellow at first), we set them free into our back yard. They have a distinct appearance which is slightly different than the ladybugs we're accustomed to seeing around here. Therefore we have been able to easily identify them when we come across them in our yard.

We received about 14 or 15 ladybug larvae and all survived to become ladybugs except for one, which I consider to be pretty impressive. The container was especially effective because my son was not able (or tempted) to manhandle to ladybugs, yet it was easy to keep the water filled with the specially designed lid and water tube. We had an excellent view of all the events taking place inside. I would recommend purchasing books to go along with this. We had four different simple books relying upon excellent photographs and easy-to-understand descriptions. This heightened my son's (and our) anticipation and helped us to better understand what was happening.

I can honestly say that this has been well-worth the price we paid for it. Soon we're going to get a refill kit of ladybug larvae and begin anew.

A ladybug lover's dream
My 3-year old absolutely LOVES ladybugs, and this item was a big hit with her. We kept it on the kitchen counter, near where we eat, and the ladybugs and their activities were always a popular dinner conversation topic! When the weather turned warm enough, we released the ladybugs in our yard and watched each and every one of them spread their wings and fly away. I am sure we will order additional larvae and do it all over again. The product is sturdy (we just had to remind our daughter not to jostle or try to lift the dome) and makes it easy to achieve successful results. A very fun and experience for the entire family!!

A neat learning experience...
My 4 year old daughter is a ladybug nut. We got this for Christmas and sent away for our larvae which come in a tube in the mail with all the food they need. Even the adults were fascinated watching the larvae turn to pupa and then to ladybugs. The customer service was very helpful when we called because our bugs stopped doing anything. They told us the bugs were "dormant" because it was too cold in my daughters room. We moved them to a warmer spot and within 30 minutes had ladybugs!! Definitely worth the cost. It is clean and sturdy thank goodness! Although the inside does get slightly messy (of course). We loved it. ... Read more

Features

• Hours of hands-on experiments designed by a team of Harvard graduates, scientists, educators, and parents.
• Award-winning winning science kits designed for children between the ages of 5 and 12.
• Each set contains a 8 1/2" x 11" instruction booklet with dual instructions, one for adults and one for young scientists.
• Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products, National Parenting Seal of Approval, Teacher's Choice Award
• National Parenting Publications Honors Award, Learning Research Institute Outstanding Resource Award

Reviews (1)

Young Scientist Kit
Doing science doesn't get any easier than this!As a homeschooling mom I was looking for a way to make science interesting and educational at the same time.This kit does both.It was also a tremendous help to have supplies included in the kit. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Dinosaur devotees will be roaring over this radio-controlledTyrannosaurus Rex as he growls and roars, moves his head, thrashes histail, and even blinks his beady yellow eyes. He can also turnrealistically and walk forward a few steps on a hard surface, growlingand roaring at the same time, if you choose. T-Rex is 11 inches tall and21 inches from nose to tail, with textured, flexible brown rubber skinthat bends and moves. The controller is shaped like a stone with twobone-shaped joysticks to control the dinosaur's walking and turning.Buttons on the side of the controller make T-Rex move his head and frontfeet, snap his jaws, roar, and blink his eyes. The controller slidesopen in the middle for use, and you have to be careful not to pinch yourfingers when you snap it shut. T-Rex requires a total of six AAbatteries, two for the controller and four inside the dinosaur, and thebattery compartment inside the T-Rex is rather difficult to access.Despite these small drawbacks, this dino is one cool dude that willthrill any kid in the midst of the inevitable dinosaur phase. -- Marcie Bovetz ... Read more

Reviews (51)

This toy is the best! Worth your money!
My favorite dinosaur is the Tyrannosaurus Rex, so i bought it. The toy is completely reilistic! It has everything you wish for in a R/C toy! It's head is very great and reilistic and it's sounds are too! But be careful. After about 3 or 2 years, i was playing with the toy when suddenly it's ankle snapped in half. My mom can't get it back together again. So be careful about bagnning this toy around like a doll. If you do it's going to breck soon. But if you don't, it lasts for about 3 or 4 years. But since my birthday's coming up in 3 weeks, my mom is going to buy another one! I thank Jesus for this wonderful toy! :)

T-Rex is pretty cool, but winds up in the closet anyway.
I had high expectations for this bad boy, but let me give you the pros and cons:

Pros:

Mobility, coupled with an array of growls, roars and twitches, will keep your attention for a short while. I do give the creators credit for a sincere effort at realism, however...

Cons:

The clawlike arms are not mechanized, and just hang there.
There is a loud clicking sound (gears?) as he moves his head.
Although the legs move, the tail is stiff and non-functional (tags along on non-powered wheels protruding from below).
The big guy has trouble negotiating anything other than smooth, flat surfaces.

Basically, I think the problem with toys such as this, is simply the lack of child interaction. After a short time, the novelty wears off, and junior goes scurrying back to the lego blocks. I also purchased a very well-conceived E.T. figure for my 5-yr. old son (4 at the time). The vocal effects were excellent, but like Mr. T-Rex, he was soon gathering dust in a box in the closet.

Bottom-line: Child interaction is priority #1. A good jigsaw puzzle will beat the heck out of fancy, mechanized toys. Fool me twice - shame on me.

Very poor quality, cheap mechanical parts, VERY disappointed
I orded this toy for my son's main Christmas present. I put the batteries in and tried it out. Half of the functions didn't even work. I returned it for a replacement. (Very easy and convienent return policy!) When I got the 2nd one a few days later, all of the buttons worked, but the gears and mechanics where of HORRIBLE quality and very cheaply put together. The gears would miss and get stuck on some of the funtions and it would just jerk around. The gears are incredibly LOUD! It constantly made a VERY loud high pitched screeching noise as it's head moved around. This toy is a neat idea, but just too cheaply made. After trying out 2 separate dinos, I recomend you pass this one up and find a different toy for your kiddos.

Battery waste
This toy eats batteries. If you leave the dinosaur on, which is relatively easy to do, when you are not using this toy, the batteries run down. Over night! The first one we got of this toy broke within 24 hours and was replaced. The second one got played with a few times and then left in a closet. My son is not too interested in it because every time he takes it out to play with it, the batteries are, inevitably, dead. Not very child friendly.

does not live up to expectations
I gave this item to my nephew for his birthday. He played with it once. It did not do half of the stuff it was supposed to be able to do. It had new batteries and the things that did work, quit working while he was playing with it. I was very dissatisfied with this product... ... Read more

Reviews (3)

12" Raised Relief Explorer Globe
It's amazing how much a child learns by having access. We are an American family living in Germany and felt my 5 year old would have a greater understanding of where we live and where our extended family lives.

There should be one in every house!
What a great, inexpensive globe. It's fascinating to watch a child spin a globe - even if they don't seem like they are learning anything, at least they are getting a general idea of the immense size of our world! Since getting this globe, my 5 year old son has learned about the continents and the oceans, found Australia on his own and pointed out that Antarctica is bigger than the USA. It seems that the globe gets loose from it's stand somewhat easily, but it is easily tightened. All in all, a great buy with terrific educational value.

poorly designed stand
The globe itself is ok and has a lot of educational value for kids starting out in geography, but the stand is so poorly designed that when you rotate the globe on its axis, the stand easily detaches from the globe. The whole point is to be able to rotate it, so in effect it's not very usable if you have to keep fixing the stand again and again. A heavier stand that would not move when rotating the globe would probably work better. The attaching mechanism needs redesign too -- right now it's just a screw in the base. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

U. Milton's Ant Farm a fun way to learn about Toil & Death
Uncle Milton's Giant Ant Farm is a fun, interactive way to teach children ages 5 and up about unceasing, backbreaking toil and the cold, inescapable reality of death. My little ones had a front-row seat as worker ants labored, day in and day out, until they inevitably died of exhaustion, their futile efforts all for naught. The ant farm, complete with stackable tiny ant barns, see-through 'Antway' travel tubes, and connecting 'Antports,' is a child's window into the years of thankless, grueling labor that await them as worker drones in our post-industrial society. It's the fun way to teach your kids to accept their miserable fate stoically. The ants, which come separately from the farm, are bred in New Mexico and mailed directly to your home. Within days of arriving, a majority of the ants die at the hands of the small children responsible for regulating the temperature, humidity, and food supply in their delicate pseudo-ecosystem. Even under optimum conditions the ants survive no more than 20 weeks in the farm. As a result, children are assured the chance to contemplate the inescapability of their own mortality and the whole family will be reminded that the spectre of death hangs over every creature on this Earth. The lesson that the ants' labor is all in vain becomes clearer as time passes. During the first two to three weeks, the exclusively female worker ants are extremely productive, building an elaborate system of tunnels and hills amongst the miniature green trees and red plastic houses dotting the interior of the plastic dome. However, because neither male ants nor a fertile queen is provided with Uncle Milton's Giant Ant Farm, making reproduction impossible, the farm is doomed to extinction from day one. You'll learn such fascinating things about the natural world, like the fact that the social structure of an ant colony is extremely complex, with individual members occupying such castes as soldier, messenger, and larvae attendant. At some point, Uncle Milton's ants become cognizant that their hierarchical structure has been stripped away, rendering their already near-meaningless existence totally futile. There seems to be a breaking point at about the 22-day mark when the dejected ants begin to die off en masse. At this point the ant farm enters what is known as the "death-pile phase." A spot is chosen by the worker ants to deposit their dead, and the burial mound steadily grows as the few remaining ants devote more of their time to gathering and burying others. Yes, with Uncle Milton's Giant Ant Farm, arbeit macht fun!

Extremely Interesting
Really neat to see ants run through tunnels, have meetings, and dig. They can really work hard! Very durable, but carefull not to scratch it. All in all, a fun pet.

It's just an ant farm
You guys are creeping me out - especially the angst or guilt ridden one who feels that ant farms teach children the futility of life in general. My god!! I can only hope that you did this tongue in cheek, otherwise - I feel sorry for your kids and I think you need to take some Prozac!! Thanks for all this helpful information (and yes, I'm being sarcastic!!)

Whats up with the liberal
Boy you Liberals need to take it easy and have some fun. Warning, your child will also become a LIBERAL if: 1]You don't buy him a BB gun 2]you don't get him a mini bike 3]you don't buy him a hatchet and chop a tree down (a tree is a renewable resorce) and 4]Make sure he has been spanked when disciplined, this will make him aggressive, last thing you need is an uncompetitive whimpy, whiny, LIBERAL as a son. OH, and buy him an ant farm, even let him kill the ants himself.

Great concept, mediocre implementation
The Ant Farm is a wonderful educational toy, but the quality is disappointing as other reviewers have said. The plastic has rough, unattractive edges from manufacture, and the bottom is not perfectly flat, so it can wobble a little bit. None of this will matter to my nephews, but certainly the manufacturer should do a better job. ... Read more

Editorial Review

It may be a grind to wait nearly 30 days to create polished rockjewelry with the Rolling Stones Rock Tumbler. But, as the makerswrite, "you are grinding in days what it takes nature thousands of yearsto do in a stream, river, or ocean." So, find a clean, remote area with aproperly wired outlet where the constant tumblingwon't disturb others (and where curious little hands won't wreak havoc), and start rolling. The first step involves assembling and lubricating thetumbler itself. Once the two-cup, plastic barrel rolls easily atop its10-inch-long and 6-inch-high plastic base, it's time to open the smallbag of gritty stones that comes with the kit. Constant maintenance and much patiencewill reward the owner with shiny stones in about one month. A smallsampling of jewelry settings and findings is provided, along with orderforms for gold-tinted accessories. --Liane Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Thumbs up on the Tumbler!!!!
I bought NSI's Rock Tumbler, for my grandson, the budding geologist. While there are many different tumblers out there with a wide range of prices, I chose to buy NSI's brand because of its high quality and low noise. I'm familiar with NSI as I initially purchased the Rock Tumbler for my own son several years ago. My son used it so much, I was afraid he'd burn the motor out of it, but he never did! I only wish I'd kept it to give to my grandson, otherwise I wouldn't have had to buy a new one! The set includes everything you need to do your first batch of stones: an electrically operated tumbler, barrel, grit and polish, rough semi-precious stones, a jewelry kit, and instructions. Unlike many of todays toys which give children instant gratification, polishing rocks is a good lesson in patience as it takes several weeks to see the result. After using the tumbler himself, my grandson reported that it was his favorite present as he enjoyed the anticipation and suspense building up to opening the tumbler. He never knew what magical surprise awaited him. Even though it's been a few years since I gave my grandson the tumbler, he still collects rocks and transforms them into treasures that he often makes into gifts for others, such as necklaces and key chains. I definitely got my money's worth with this purchase. If you have a rock lover or jewelry maker at your home, you can't go wrong with NSI's Rock Tumbler as a gift!

Middle School Science Class Usede This Tumbler!!!
My 8th Grade Middle School Science Classes used this Rock Tumbler Machine and achieved great success and , I hope, knowledge. For the unit on rocks and minerals we did a science experiment with 1/2 of a rock sample for the Variable in a tumbler and 1/2 for a Control not in the tumbler. Students ran the entire lab for the month. The final results were great both as a science lab and an enjoyable activity. The use of the diatomaceous earth becomes another lesson. I recommend that you keep some of the same types of rock out of the tumbler just to compare after the tumbling is done even if you are not doing it as a lab in a classroom.
There is a lot of noise connected with this piece of equipment. I could leave it in a storage room. Also I recommend that you tape it onto a board or on the table as the vibrations may cause it to move. Make sure that the seal is tight so no water leaks out. This is noticed at the very beginning if it should occur and can be easily fixed.
Some students went ahead and ordered their own Rock Tumbler. I warned the parents about the noise!!!

A Little Patience Never Hurt Anyone!
My 8 yr. old daughter bought this item herself and loves it! She understood from the beginning that it would take a long time since it was doing nature's job of "thousands of years" in just one month. In a world of toys that offer instant gratification for our youth, this one teaches them that nature just doesn't work that way! Yes, it's noisy (we put ours under a styrofoam cooler & put a rock on top & that helped A LOT), yes, it's takes time, and yes, it is a bit messy, but look what you get in the end. Through all three steps, your child (and probably you too) learn the process and see how nature can turn a seemingly ugly rock into a beautiful gem. If you don't like noise, waiting or a little mess, this isn't for you. If you do like cause and effect, you will love this product. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day!!
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Waste of noise
It was really noisy the whole time and the rocks never changed.

It is a very loud toy. It goes for about 30 days non-stop.
just make sure to put in a place that the sound can't bug you ... Read more