Editorial Review

You are about to begin a new amazing hobby that is sofantastic it staggers the imagination! You will create instant life!Single-handedly, you will give rise to the world's only living,breathing, instant pets--live sea monkeys! The instruction book for theSea Monkeys Ocean Zoo is an entertaining read, packed with enthusiasticrevelations about those ubiquitous brine shrimp from yourcomic-book-reading days. They're fascinating creatures, able to live up to a yearor more, reproduce ("dozens of adorable babies!"), even "performtricks" in their 5.75-inch magnifier-studded "Micro Vue" aquarium. Thekit comes with shrimp eggs, food, plasma, a water purifier, and ahandbook. Just add pure water. A great set of pets for a smallishdomicile, they'd also make a scintillating science project. Plus,they're just plain fun! --Julie Ubben ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Low maintenance, fun pet that lasts forever, unless...
My friend gave me this toy approx. a year ago. I thought the toy would be neat for a little while, but I never thought I would grow to love it. The sea-monkeys are born instantly the minute you put the eggs in the water. After that, they require very little care; the packet of food included in the kit lasted me for almost a year now. They are always fun to watch. Over the past year, I think I have approximately 3 to 4 generations of sea-monkeys. The very last batch I have, even though they were young adults and still have at least a few more months lifespan, unfortunately all died this week (7/12/99) because of an unusually hot day. Everyday, I put them out in the sun because they love it. I never thought an extremely hot day would kill them. Since I am addicted to them now, I will mail order more eggs (or the manual says I can just let the water evaporate naturally, and when I add water again, more would be born. It's very educational. Try it.)

Everyone should have Sea-Monkeys!
I am 14 years old, and I have had Sea-Monkeys 2 or 3 times. They are an excellent "toy". Although I personally haven't seen them the instant the eggs are put in, I have always seen them the next day. They are very tiny at first, but they get pretty big. They are extremely low maintenance, and very easy to care for. Just feed them every 3 days (I believe that's what the book says), and they will entertain you for hours and hours! The book also provides information on the scientific aspect of Sea-Monkeys, such as molting, breeding, and what they really are (brine shrimp).

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to keep my Sea-Monkeys for very long, because my little brother would always spill them over. That's why I didn't give it a full durability rating. Although they live a long time, their tank can easily be spilled or knocked over. Because of my little brother, I haven't been able to get Sea-Monkeys for a while. Now he's older, and I can't wait to get more.

They can do "tricks", and the book tells you how to "teach" those tricks to your pets. There are also many accessories and stuff that you can get for your pets, such as a billow to aerate their water, and little "Sea Diamonds" that they will play with. They have pens, watches, and a necklace that you can put your Sea-Monkeys in for a while. THEY EVEN HAVE A LIFE INSURANCE POLICY! My advice to everyone is if you're looking for cheap, low maintenance pets (I can guarantee you'll have more than one!), get Sea-Monkeys!

Sea Monkeys - The Secret to Life
Sea Monkeys are not just a toy, but will teach children of all ages how life is created. From the confines of your Aquatic Zoo you will see spring forth to life some of the most fantastic creatures ever to behold your eyes. These are the Amazing Sea Monkeys. Some folks will say, "oh those are just brine shrimp." No, these are the real deal - Sea Monkeys. Straight from their magic origins these little sea creatures will bring you hours upon hours of joy. Yes, you can keep Sea Monkeys for years, and boy they can get big as well. I've heard it rumoured that some can even get as big as large mice or even hamsters, though they won't when you keep them within their included habitat. I expect that one day I'll come home to see one of my monkeys sitting at my desk working the computer. No doubt surfing the web looking for more Sea Monkey information at sea-monkeys.com. Get it, grow it, live it, and experience the breathtaking life of Sea Monkeys - oh how those Sea Monkeys will bring you joy.

The Greatest toy ever
this is a 5 star toy and very educational. I hope you will buy it for your children!!!

overrated and boring
Oh come on! I believed all the glowing reviews (are you guys serious?) and the advertising hype and bought some of these.

What you get is a small, cheap plastic container that you grow these "sea monkeys" in. You would be better off getting a glass jar and finding some stagnant water and growing mosquito larvea.
Or go down to your local pet shop and buy some brine shrimp.

These things are not pets or "sea monkeys" but rather pond scum. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"Dear Pen Pal, Konnichi wa! We've been to see Mt. Fuji. Name my country! Sayonara, Michiko." Challenge your group with this fast-paced geography game, created in 1992 by Educational Insights, Inc. Everyone begins at the post office. Players twirl a finely printed spinner (built into the game board itself) to select one of 60 countries. If the player can correctly identify the country's location on the board's numbered map, he or she may advance along the path to the finish. Bonus moves are won by landing on "postcard" spaces, listening to the clues on one of the 40 postcards, and correctly identifying the pen pal's country. (The sample postcard above came from Japan.) A more challenging game can be achieved by requiring players to name the country's capital; answers are provided. --Liane Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Great Game - BEWARE SHIPPING
This is a great educational family game.
However, please be aware that Amazon ships this game wrapped in a plastic bag with no padding. Another game of the same order was received was crushed and torn on one corner. Amazon promptly arranged a pickup and replacement. This game arrive with crushed edges, but I decided to keep it rather than deal with another return. I figured it could have been worse; imagine a small unprotected board game competing with other shipments in a UPS truck. Amazon used to pack items in a box with packing material. This is no longer the case. Beware.

Better for younger children, but needs improvements
Great idea for a board game with lots of learning potential for younger children, however children 10+ years may soon find this formula a little unchallenging. Several improvements could make this a better product; notably, heavier paper for the frequently handled question cards, and a much larger map on the game board. Some of the countries appear too small for grandparents and children with poor eyesight. Also, the spinner is labeled with text that should be larger. With just a few design changes and the opportunity to purchase additional question card packs, perhaps geared towards different age groups, we could recommend this game more enthusiastically.

My daughter's favorite
This game really puts the world at your child's fingertips. My daughter begs to play even after her dad and I are pooped. And at eight years old, she knows more about geography than I did when I was much older. I'm getting her "Name That State" for her birthday and expect the same reaction.

My 4-year old has not stopped playing for 1 month now.
I bought this for my 4-year old son who can already read. He has not stopped playing it for one month now even though he already knows each of the 60 countries and capitals. Because of this game, he has been reading the Atlas and books about children in other countries. I gave this game as a gift to my friends' kids who are between 4 to 8 years old; and they too love the game. I'm sure the game will quickly become boring; but it has done its job of opening up an aspect of learning and an area of interest besides reading, writing and math.

great learning with a little tweaking to the game.
This game teaches the players to recognize and learn the names of about 50 countries by looking at them on a map. Good for grade K - adult. Young grade schoolers need a good "reader" to play with them to read some "bonus cards". I think after playing the game 10 or 20 times that most children will learn the country names. You can enhance the game however to make it better! Use a marker to number the countries that this game ignores and instead of using their []spinner create little cardboard numbers that the kids pick one at a time (instead of spinning). Instead of only having 50 countries in play, you can have hundreds... I immediately made my own "cardboard numbers". Be a little creative and this little game can teach a lot. It's fun to play and kids like it..especially after they've played it a few times and are learning the country names. A great introduction to world geography. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great Game - BEWARE SHIPPING
This is a great educational family game.
However, please be aware that Amazon ships this game wrapped in a plastic bag with no padding. The first one received was crushed and torn on one corner. Amazon promptly arranged a pickup and replacement. The replacement arrived also wrapped in a plastic bag and was crushed on one edge. I decided to keep it rather than deal with another return. I figured it could have been worse; imagine a small unprotected board game competing with other shipments in a UPS truck. Amazon used to pack items in a box with packing material. This is no longer the case. Beware.

Should be fun, and yet...
We just bought this game for our five year old son. He loves maps and could name some of the more recognizable states already, so we figured he would love it. However...

The gameplay is nonexistent. There really is no game. It's rote learning of the states and their capitals cloaked in "an exciting geography game". But it's NOT exciting. After your child learns the states (which might take a week or so, game or no game) then even that element of enjoyment is gone from this game.

The factoid postcards are not that interesting, restricting themselves to well-known landmarks and not delving into many historic or demographic details. The cards themselves are printed on cheap paper stock rather than glossy card stock, so they get bent very easily.

The spinner is on a flimsy cardboard insert that isn't flat, so the spinner doesn't spin all that consistently.

We've had this one for a week, and it's already on the shelf. The game says it's for kids Grade 3 and up...I can't imagine how older kids would enjoy this game if it can't hold a five year old's attention.

My Son Loves This Game!!
I homeschool my kids and we have a ton of games to help them learn. This is one of their most favorites. My son is eager to play this game. It has helped him learn interesting facts about the states, where they are located and what their capitals are. He will even study outside the game in hopes to beat me at the game.

First you start off by spinning the spinner and finding the state number that it landed on. To continue with your turn, you must correctly name the capital of that state. If you can't, your turn ends. If you do get the capital correct you then roll the dice and move the appropriate spaces. If you land on a space where you must draw a card, you must name the state by the hint left on the card. Most of the time it is land marks or tourist spots.

I definitely think that every parents should buy this game. It does not matter if your child attends public school, private school or home school. This game will make learning the states fun for your child and the whole family.

Play this game and learn about the U.S. at the same time!
Too many citizens of the U.S. can't tell the difference between Colorado and Wyoming. Play this fun game and learn about the 50 states. My husband and I play this with our children to help them learn. To make it more challenging, the adults have to name the capital cities as well the the states. Sometimes the spinner seems to land on the same numbers, so we've altered the game so that a new number must be spun each turn.

The best educational game that is fun and easy for all ages.
This game is so much fun, your children won't think they are learning and they'll want to play it all the time. Because it's repetitive and easy, children learn fast. I would recomend this game to all parents ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Magic Castle Aquarium is small enough to hold in your hand, but large enough to provideshelter for a village of sea-monkeys. It all starts with a packet of dehydrated sea-monkey eggs. Once ahome has been prepared, stir in the eggs and watch them hatch right before your eyes. Their home isactually an underwater castle at the base of a clear container to which you add pure bottled or boiled water.Air holes at the rim of the container keep the water oxygenated. The set also comes with a water purifier,sea-monkey food, Amazing Plasma III (no one knows quite what that is), a measuring spoon, a largedroplet for agitating the water, a magnifying lid, and more. These sea-monkeys are guaranteed to live atleast two years, if properly cared for. The set is supplemented with a detailed instruction pamphlet and anorder form for the 32-page Official Sea-Monkey Handbook on the box. For children under 8 yearsof age, this kit will likely require parental assistance to set up. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Great Fun and A Jolly Time
My boyfriend and I remembered sea monkeys from when we were little, so we decided to purchase a Magic Castle set and what fun it is. I plan to get one for my desk at work. It is fun to watch them, they are really funny (even though they don't realize it) We put them on the bathroom window sill every morning to expose them to the morning air and the sun (not direct sunlight though). I love it and I recommend everyone to get some!

They are o.k.
I got some sea monkeys and was really excited to see them hatch and grow. They did grow and develop and they grew pretty big but they were kind of boring to watch. I wasn't really satisfied though. I knew and did take care of them as much as I could but the tank got really nasty and it was too gross and dirty to look at. I wasn't very satisfied and didn't get what I expected.

I am SO a sea monkey breeder now!
I LOVE sea monkeys now, and it's thanks to this set that I do. I've even got babies now! It is so much fun, and not a big deal to take care of. Some people might say, "Sea monkeys? Why? They're just dumb little fish! A total waste of money!" NNNOOOOTTT! Sea monkeys are brine SHRIMP, and they are extrememly active from the minute that they're born. (Lots of fun to watch)

a fun project for kids and adults
I bought my 5 year old daughter the "Sea-Monkys Magic Castle" for a reward. She has had so much fun watching them hatch and grow from tiny specs into full grown shrimp. She loves the fact that there is a castle in the tank. I like this product because it is small and compact, about the size of a snow globe. We followed the directions exactly, except we used tap water instead of bottled water. They still hatched!!!!! They are still growing and seem to be thriving. We aerate the tank everyday to give them some oxygen. My daughter liked her Sea-Monkeys so much we decided to buy some for her nana to have on her desk at work. If you want an inexpensive, low maintainance pet; Sea Monkeys are the way to go!!!!!

Very Impressive
Compared to other tanks with a higher price tag, the Magic Castle is a good choice for the beginner/enthusiest. The detail in the tank is intricate, and the kit includes multiple intruction manuals for the tank. This kit also includes Plasma III, which helps Sea Monkeys live a longer and happier life. The tank, being a cylinder, is harder to knock over than others, but a good "accidental" shove will send it to the floor. Overall, a good kit. ... Read more