Shopping Guide for Science Toys

Shopping Guide for Science Toys

 Whether your child wants to be a future geologist, archeologist, chemist or scientist there are a wide variety of excellent science and discovery toys for them to have fun and learn with. There is an endless array of kits, toys, play sets and devices available to experiment and explore some of which include; animal kits, archaeology and geology toys, astronomy tools and play sets, bugs and insects, chemistry and physics sets, electronic and robotic kits, geography and globes, habitats, microscopes, telescopes and binoculars.

Most children are enchanted by anything to do with animals. There are plenty of fun and exciting habitats and play sets to keep your child entertained for hours. Frog habitats, horse and stable play sets, plastic dinosaur kits, a variety of sea monkey habitats from magic castles to mini aquariums, creature keeper (for catching beetles, butterflies and praying mantis etc.), farm animal play sets, plastic wildlife animals, hermit crab kits, reptile habitats, sea life plastic toy sets, plastic reptile sets, foam t-rex dinosaurs, foam lizards and foam great white sharks to name only a few.

The archaeology and geology sets and educational toys offer wonderful educational experiences for children, allowing them to have fun while enhancing their learning skills. Some of the great toys and ideas for play are; rock polishing kits, metal detectors, wooden dinosaur bone building kits available in different sizes (no glue or hardware needed), volcano making kits, outdoor adventure equipment kits (available with flashlight, compass, working camera, binoculars, digital watch and telescope) and 3D wooden dinosaur puzzles.

For a future aspiring astronomist anything to do with the planets, stars, galaxies and universe causes excitement. Some of the great astronomy items that can be found for children include; telescopes (if this is something your child is very interested in, be sure to find a quality telescope that will last and work properly), rockets (complete with sound effects and vibrations), 3D solar systems that glow in the dark, binoculars, space mission play sets, glow in the dark stars and planet sets, solar system mobiles and hand held star navigators (electronic devices used to locate and identify stars and their constellations).

Bugs and insects are interesting to children and adults alike, there are some excellent kits and observatories great for viewing and keeping critters. Something to note with most kits is the larvae or bugs will only be sent separately once the kit is purchased). Some of the exciting kits available are butterfly gardens (complete with supplies for feeding and observation chamber and informative booklet), ant farms, lady bug gardens, butterfly flowers seeds and net sets, silkworm sets, plastic bug play sets, creature viewer (magnifying scope) and special bug jars. The butterfly kit allows a child to see the complete metamorphosis from larvae to butterfly, both an exciting and wonderful learning experience.

Aspiring chemists and physicists will love the great snap circuit kits which allow your child to build an array of exciting projects from radios to light bulb testing set ups. Other great chemistry and physics kits available include; science kits (color mixing, making soft crystals, or rainbows in test tube), water wizardry kits (allowing children to make snow, gels and rainbows in test tube all with the addition of water), and wonderful chemistry sets complete with microscope, accessories, material and equipment allowing first time scientists to conduct simple and fun chemistry experiments.

The electronics and robotics choices for children come in several exciting devices and kits. Metal detectors are one device that offers children a sort of “treasure hunt” experience through use on a beach or the backyard where they will find all sorts of lost treasures and trinkets. There are great electronic kits which allow children to build everything from clock radios to robots and aliens that will respond to sound. Other fun and educational toys available are walkie-talkie kits, snap circuit kits and moving robot kits for building an endless array of moving vehicles and robots. These wonderful kits teach your child a variety of great skills while proving that learning really can be a lot of fun.

One of the most practical and great learning aids for geography is without question the globe. Globes today come in all sorts of different designs some with raised relief land formations and others with lovely prism designs. Popular electronic globes come with geographical facts, trivia, national anthems and world clock times. There are electronic interactive books available with talking maps giving names of states and capitals offering children excellent and fun learning opportunities. Puzzles are also another popular learning aid made in a variety of designs and sizes. Regardless of the globe you choose for your child it is sure to be of use for years to come.

Lastly there is a vast selection of children’s microscopes, telescopes and binoculars available for viewing bugs, stars and wildlife. Microscopes offer future scientists and biologists a view of the physical world through magnification. While telescopes give a glimpse of the wonderful night sky and binoculars bring wildlife up close. All these devices will change the way your child looks at the world. These toys are made in both plastic sets and higher quality metal sets. Which set you choose will depend on the age of your child and how often they will be using the device. An older child will probably prefer a better quality set that will withstand wear and tear and be more optically correct.

Science and discovery toys, sets and devices should inspire fascination and inquisitiveness in your child helping to encourage a love and desire for learning. All the wonderful toys in this category are sure to provide any child with hours of entertainment while providing an awareness of science and how it works. These toys are sure to open doors and teach skills on a variety of different levels. The endless array of choices can at times be a bit overwhelming, it’s always a good idea to do a bit of research before making your purchase. Reviews and recommendations on toys are a great way to get a bit of an idea on what to expect.