3 Toys to Get Kids Excited About Science

To the point – science toys should be entertaining, attention-grabbing, imaginative, and educational, which are challenging attributes to find when you are searching through hundreds of toys per day. However, I have stumbled across 3 – a proverbial triple-threat of awesome science-oriented knickknacks that are guaranteed to have your youngsters jumping for joy about their next science experiments and learning projects.

These toys offer a creative outlet for kids, as well as a way for them to learn about the awesome things that can occur when things are combined, blended, and created. Plus, these toys can be used anywhere – at home, in a home classroom for home-schooled kids, in a public classroom for public-schooled kiddos, or truly anywhere.

And those 3 magical, super-cool picks among the best kids' science toys are:

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Uncle Milton Moon In My Room

Named appropriately the “moon in my room,” this set brings the beauty of the moon to your home. Instead of heading outside to try to see through the clusters of clouds on a rainy evening, kids can explore the craters of our moon by simply pressing a button. This moon cycles through a dozen phases, and the glow is luminous, realistic, and perfect for use a bedtime nightlight. Truth be told, I have definitely added this to my personal wish list for the holidays!

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Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden

A personal favorite – the Butterfly Garden gives children (and kids-at-heart) the opportunity to nurture and nourish baby caterpillars into flourishing, beautiful butterflies. The habitat is made from collapsible mesh, and it can be reused over and over again with numerous caterpillar-to-butterfly projects. There are mail-in order forms that snag kids their caterpillars, and food for those crawly, furry insects are included. They snack over a period of days, grow, cocoon, and morph into lovely butterflies that you can set free in your own backyard.

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4M Crystal Mining Kit

Exploring caves and caverns is one of the great wonders of our lifetimes because those underground holes hold so much grandeur and awe-inspiring beauty, especially when it comes to their natural crystals and gems. This set allows science-minded cuties to explore the wonders of caves from the safety of their homes. No spelunking required! Included in each set are 8 crystals and gemstones, encased in crack-open plaster that children have to whittle down with plastic picks. When they have dug through the “dirt” like true archeologists, they can admire their treasures like true geologists.

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Sa-weet!  And - here is a cool "top 5" list of the best science toys for kids in 2014:

 

Insect Toys For Science-Loving Kids

Children, more often than not, are fascinated by bugs! Or they're so disgusted that they're curious as long as the scuttling critters are at a distance. Either way, curiosity and insect discovery go hand-in-hand, as bugs make up some of the best science toys for kids, representing the circle of life on a smaller scale.

With the numerous reactions of both the excited and grossed out in mind, I've compiled a short-list of insect toys for the science-loving kids who can't seem to learn enough about creepy crawlies:


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Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden

This is a popular favorite among entire families because the life cycle of a butterfly never ceases to be amazing. Included in this kit are a PVC fabric shell, food and feeder for the caterpillars, and a certificate to send-off and attain 5 butterfly larvae. In a few short weeks, children can experience the whole process of metamorphosis. They'll watch as the hungry caterpillars eat and grown, eventually traveling to the feeder lid to make their cocoons. Then, the magic really begins! Butterflies with dazzling wings are born in a matter of days, allowing children to enjoy nature at it's most brilliant.

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Fascinations AntWorks Illuminated Blue

There's nothing cooler than getting to see the tunneling capabilities of ants! All working as one, they'll create a colony of twists and turns with multiple chambers to serve as burrowing rooms. Lit with a cool LED light from the bottom, this device comes with a couple handfuls of gel (also the ant's food) and a tunnel starting mechanism. There's also a voucher for ants to be sent in the mail, allowing kids to prepare the habitat in a matter of 6 weeks. Adults and children alike will enjoy watching the insects' mandibles go to work as they create amazing caverns and miniature caves within their jelly environment.

Science Toys For Kids - Brainiacs To Be

Does your little boy think of himself as the next Dr. Victor Frankenstein? Does he constantly pretend to "shock" things into existence with his fingertips - all the while yelling, "It's alive!" or requesting Igor's assistance? If your son has become enamored with thoughts of regeneration, exploration, and the universe, it might be time to invest in a few science toys for kids. Does your little girl collect bugs with the ambition of examining them later? Give her something from the below list of scientific toys, designed specifically to entertain and amaze your braniac to be.




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Mind Blowing Science Kit

Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit

This set is basically an entire scientific lab in a box. While parental guidance is suggested, there's no rule that says anyone has to be an expert scientist to operate the materials in this set. Instead, a thorough instruction manual will take parents and their future geniuses through creating a volcano that erupts color-changing foam, jiggling crystals that resemble something from a cave wall, and so much more. You'll mix, measure, theorize, and discuss for hours!

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Magic Science for Wizards Only

Scientific Explorer's Magic Science for Wizards Only

If Harry Potter has your kids hyped up on magic, this set is packed with 11 mystical activities to soothe their inner witch or wizard. First, your child can make their own personalized wand before learning nifty magic tricks to baffle their audience. From casting color-changing spells to mixing up potions in their text tube lab, this set put science at their fingertips.



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Squishy You Explore It Human Body

Smart Lab Squishy You Explore It Human Body

For all those future Biology majors, this set takes the scientist-to-be through the human body from the skin to the bones. Showing what it looks like when a bite of pizza travels through the human body, kids will be able to take a tour from the inside out, dissecting and examining as they go.



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Video - here is one of the most entertaining science toys of the year - Smart Lab Squishy You Explore It Human Body:

For more info on the top science toys of the year for kids, visit:

http://www.squidoo.com/top-10-science-toys-for-kids

Top 5 Science Toys for Kids 2010

Based on information from the Top 10 Science Toys for Kids this year, the top 5 science toys are - at least in my estimation - wonderful.  =)  It's too bad that many-a-kid (and their parents) are not aware of these toys, having become accustomed to looking only for the latest and greatest in "the most popular" - these toys are a real blast!

Without further adieu, here are the 5 best science toys this year, based on overall consumer popularity in this category:

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1. Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden

Ages: For kids age 4 to 14
Retail Price: About $25
Merchant Discount: Yes
Merchant: Buy.com
eBay: Find it on eBay.com

The Live Butterfly Garden is a very special toy for kids. Kids can grow butterflies from caterpillars and watch the changes taking place, then set them free. A good hands-on learning experience for kids!

Merchant Info: Observe caterpillars transform into butterflies right before your very eyes! Bring the color and wonder of live butterflies right into the home or classroom in a beautiful, reusable, and collapsible habitat. Watch nature at work as caterpillars turn into colorful Painted Lady butterflies. After watching the caterpillars grow and transform into beautiful butterflies, your child can experience the excitement of lifting the butterfly garden cover and releasing the creatures into their natural habitat.

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2. Snap Circuits Jr (100 Experiments)

Ages: For kids 8 to 12 years old
Retail Price: About $30
Merchant Discount: Yes
Merchant: Buy.com
eBay: Find it on eBay.com

The Snap Circuits Jr set is the basic "Snap Circuits" set for kids. This one has 100 experiments that kids can do, all having to do with electronics.  This toy has been one of the best science toys for kids in terms of popularity for some time now.

Merchant Info: We are fully charged up about this outstanding educational set! Electronic Snap Circuits Jr. contains 30 different and clearly identified electronic components, such as switches, integrated circuits, snap wires, resistors, and more. The accompanying book is very clearly written and illustrated, and will guide you safely through the completion of up to 101 different projects! Learn about how electronics work as you construct a sound-activated switch, a ’space war’ alarm, a blinking flashlight, and dozens more. The pieces easily disassemble for reuse as you work your way through building and rebuilding these fascinating gadgets.

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3. Scientific Explorer Mind Blowing Science Kit

Ages: For kids 4 to 8 years old
Retail Price: About $20
Merchant Discount: Yes
Merchant: Kazoo Toys
eBay: Find it on eBay.com

Oooh and aaaah - here are some "ooey gooey" and extremely fun experiments for kids. Make magic fizzers, erupting volcanoes and more.

Merchant Info: Adult supervision required. Packed with hair-raising experiments! Colors go wild before your eyes! Erupt a color changing volcano! Boost your brain! Make a crystal sunset in a test tube. Mix magic fizzing powders! Make an underwater volcanos! Write secret messages to your friends! Mind blowing experiments to delight and educate young scientists! Erupt a color changing volcano. Mix up magic ooze with a mind of its own. Mix safe chemicals and watch colors change before your eyes. You’ll amaze yourself and your friends as you explore the science behind these truly remarkable reactions. Great for family fun, birthday parties, and science fairs. Contents: red cabbage powder, tub tints, citric acid, baking soda, cooking oil, corn starch, goldenrod paper, cotton swabs, crosslinked polyacrylamide, test tubes and caps, plastic cups, pipette, stir sticks, measuring scoops, science guide.

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4. Be Amazing Lab In A Bag Test Tube Wonders

Ages: For kids 8 years of age and up
Retail Price: About $20
Merchant Discount: Yes
Merchant: Kazoo Toys
eBay: Find it on eBay.com

Here are some fun and safe experiments that kids can do with test tubes - use solar energy to change colors of objects, check out waterproof sand and more.

Merchant Info: Test Tube Wonders Science Kit by Be Amazing Toys comes as a Lab in a Bag. Make up a pile of instant snow. Experiment with water-proof sand. Use the sun to make beads change color. Grow a Test Tube Dinosaur and many other science kit activities.Test Tube Wonders Science Kit by Be Amazing Toys includes: Bag, Test Tube Rack, Giant Plastic Test Tubes with Lids, Insta-Snow Powder, Magic Sand, Energy Beads, Super absorbent Crystals and Instructions. Bag size 8 3/4 X 7 X 2 3/4...

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5. Snap Circuits SC-300

Ages: For kids 8 years old and up
Retail Price: About $60
Merchant Discount: Yes
Merchant: Buy.com (good price!)
eBay: Find it on eBay.com

Here is the second "phase" of the Snap Circuits toys - the SC-300. This kit has more than 300 experiments that kids can do - and have some real fun learning about and using electronics to create some fun gadgets. =)

Merchant Info: Elenco’s new Snap Circuits makes learning electronics easy and fun! Just follow the colorful pictures in our manual and build exciting projects such as AM radios, burglar alarms, doorbells and much more! You can even play electronic games with your friends. All parts are mounted on plastic modules and snap together with ease. Enjoy hours of educational fun while learning about electronics. No tools required. Uses 4 “AA” batteries.

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Being a home schooling mom, I have a particular personal interest in the top 5 science toys for kids this year - I am already planning out what we will be doing with ours!  Fun stuff for kids, with the added benefit of learning and taking a special interest in doing so.

Recommended Resource:

• Science Toys for Kids - 2010 Top 10 Picks @ Squidoo Parenting and Kids

Discovery Science Toys for Kids

Discovery Science Toys for Kids is one of the most entertaining subjects for me - both as a mother and as someone who spends quite a bit of time looking over and informing people about kids toys!

This is actually an extensive subject! There are quite a number of Discovery Science Toys these days - too many to list out here. I did some "looking into" regarding which of the toys in the collection had the highest number of sales, which ones received the best consumer reviews - here is a brief list of the "best" in this lineup of fun and educational toys for kids:

• Remote Control Moon in my Room - there is a photo of this toy top left. This is a wall-mountable mini-moon that automatically senses when it's getting dark and softly lights up a child's room. It comes with a moon phases calendar as well.

• Sky and Land Telescope from Discovery (a Discovery Exclusive toy) - This is shown right, and is one of the most used telescopes not only for kids, but for entire families to use together. It has "kid friendly" parts that make it easy and safe for kids to use, and is a high quality telescope that can be used with excellent, clear night-time viewing of the sky, or daytime use for land viewing. Excellent choice for kids and their parents too!

• Chem-X 1000 Science Lab for Kids - shown left. This is a great way for kids to learn about chemical changes with safe experiments such as with water, food and making fun mixtures and solids. Comes complete with test tubes and chemicals. Note: This toy has received some negative reviews from people who have purchased it for very young kids who found it too difficult due to more advanced instructions. My suggestion is to purchase this for a child that is around 8, 9 or older - they will get a lot of good out of it - it's a fun type of activity for parents to participate in as well.

Shopping for Discovery Science Toys for Kids - There are two places to look - first is Amazon.com Toys, the other is the DiscoveryChannelStore.com. Both of these resources have a nice selection of these toys available and are comparable in price.

All for today -

Tonya B.

Related Posts:

Discovery Exclusive Toy Collection
Kids Telescopes from Discovery
Discovery Video Games
Discovery Kids Games 2009