Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    3. Electronic    4. Math    5. Alphabet   

Editorial Review

With five levels of play, from junior to expert, Railroad RushHour offers a challenge for kids and grownups alike. The puzzle consists of a sturdy plastic grid, 40 puzzle cards (with solutions on the back) for ages 8 and older, 10 junior challenge cards for ages 6 to 8, 17 brightly colored blocking trains, two blocking baggage platforms, a blue-and-white striped travel pouch, and "you," the little red escape locomotive. Trains are placed on the grid as indicated on each puzzle card. The object is to steer your escape locomotive through the freight yard and out the exit gate indicated. You can warm up your problem-solving skills by getting the puzzle out of the box. All aboard for fun! --Alison Golder ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Railroad Rush Hour - new moves, new pieces, great fun!
Like Rush Hour, Railroad Rush Hour has you "escaping" the traffic jam... this time in the railroad yard, where the traffic can include rail cars and cargo.Rearrange the pieces to get the engine out.

40 challanges included; nylon bag stores pieces when not in use.Larger than Rush Hour pieces makes this puzzle easier to handle for eager young solvers.And with the new pieces, the challanges are all new and different, even for Rush Hour lovers!

Teriffic fun, great value
This game really is great.My autistic 11-year-old gets
a good mental challenge and feeling of accomplishment out of it,
and I have fun as well.My only negative comment is regarding
travel.We've taken it on many plane trips, and it's great
because it fits in a small area to play as well as store, but
it has a lot of small parts (duh! :-), and they are easy to lose
track of when travelling.So be vigilant, and find all those
train cars when putting it away! :-)

Railroad rush hour - a great game for all
This is a fabulous game for people of all ages.Even little kids can play the easy cards.The harder ones can be very engrossing for adults.My son started playing it when he was 4 years old. I have also given it to somebody as a present for their 40th birthday.I recommend it for anybody who wants a bit of a mental challenge. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Puzzles    2. 3-D Puzzles    3. Strategy Games    4. Brain Teasers    5. Activity    6. Games    7. Grid Games    8. Brain Games    9. Learning    10. Board Games    11. Family Favorites   

Reviews (51)

Where are the tadpoles???
This was a "must have" bithday gift for my 5 year old daughter. We sent for the 2 tadpoles ($13.99 additional charge) and were supposed to receive them in 3 to 6 weeks. It has been over 8 weeks so I called the company today and it took forever to get thru. When I finally talked to someone I was informed it would be another 4 weeks because the tadpoles were too young to ship. Flimsy product, poor service and additional charges make this a horrible product! Run!!!!

better chance of getting tadpoles from the North Pole
Im just going to let other unsuspecting parents know that i never recieved any tadpoles,thus our children will not receive it.So you have to explain why they dont have the baby frogs and so on.The one thing i did gain out of this whole experince is if i want to get my children some tadpoles we just go to our local pond or swamp and get our own.The most expensive pet i never had.Better chance of getting tadepoles from the north pole.thanks for nothing planet rip off kids

This toy is a rip-off!
I am very disappointed in this toy because it died almost instantly after we bought it, twice! We followed all the instructions correctly and it still died -- twice! It was the worst toy I have ever had!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Animals   

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science   

Editorial Review

You thought Indiana Jones was cool, and then you open this boxto find a flat clay "rock" about 2 inches high and 4.5 inches indiameter... hmmm. But wait! There are no fewer than 10 artifacts buriedin here. Some are fragile (including a real fossil) and some are smalland valuable (including a real precious stone). Can you use theincluded prospector's knife and brush, follow the detailedinstructions, and excavate all 10 treasures undamaged? Can you identifythem? Can you complete the included logbook accurately enough to win aplace as assistant on Indiana's next expedition? Only time and a lot ofpatience will tell. If you do it, there's a plastic display case andlabels for your finds--plus a sealed "Secret Identity Chart" foranything you can't identify. Parent's Choice Foundation Gold Award andNational Parenting Center Seal of Approval winner. --RichardFarr ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Exciting and longlasting toy!
I bought this for my daughter for Christmas. When she unwrapped the package she didn't think much of it but once she learned what it was exactly she became excited. The first time she worked on it she spent an hour and then became bored with it. Then I had an idea to have her use a water spray bottle and since then she has had a blast. Spraying the water helps to soften the clay enough to where they can dig and feel like they are getting somewhere. So far she has unearthed 3 things. Warning for parents: Make certain your child is wearing old clothes and that you have something covering the child's work surface and beneath the chair especially if they are working over a carpeted area.

Prospector's Mystery Rock .
I'm having trouble finding out what these toys do or how are played. There's no explantion about your toys, games,crafts etc. I'm wanting to find things for my grandchildren for christmas. Pictures a lone do not help.

Long Lasting, Fun & Messy
My husband and I got this for our 7 year old daughter as a holiday gift in December 2003.We love it because long after the other holiday gifts have been forgotten about, this one still brings our daughter excitement.She just found the last gem this month (10 months later!).This is a messy gift - when we use it, we lay down newspaper and wear aprons, but nothing ever stained.Looking for the gems does require patience, but I liked that about this gift/toy because it took patience and perseverance in order to obtain the prize - most toys these days are instant gratification.We highly recommend this item. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Geology    4. Archaeology    5. Activity   

Reviews (7)

A Thinking Game
I work with children from preschool to high school, and kids from 3rd grade up LOVE this game.Even when they aren't good at it, it becomes addictive.It is great fun for college and adults, too.You can also play where everyone writes as many words as they can think of and the duplicates don't count (like Scategories).
Let the little kids find 3 letter words, but quickly make the minimum 4 letter words!!

Fast-Paced Fun For All Ages
This game was tons of fun...I purchased it for my 15-year old daughter for a birthday gift. I ordered Smart Mouth from Amazon.com after reading about it in an issue of Real Simple magazine. We opened it up at her party and everyone from my daughter to her 7- and 9-year old nieces to her aunt and myself just loved this game. It was fast-paced and the youngest girl had the quickest answers. Best of all, they had a blast while spelling words!!! A great game, both educational and fun.

adult party game
It's a shame this is lumped in with educational games. Although I can see it has great potential a as a vocabulary builder, it is one of the most fun adult party games I've ever played. It's similar in dynamic to Jenga, but requires a loose tongue instead of steady fingers, so it's a better choice after partaking of adult beverages. You can set the rules however you want--minumum 4 letters, only 3 letters, only place names, pick another language, anything! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Party Games    3. Learning    4. Reading    5. Board Games    6. Word Games    7. Strategy Games    8. Activity    9. Family Favorites   

Reviews (2)

Love this "toy"
I bought this for my 5 year old to occupy him on his long bus ride home. I love it because it clips to his backpack & won't get lost. He loves it because the math games are fun! The space invaders game is his favorite.

Fabulous
My 6 year old son got this for Christmas and would not put it down.He doesn't know all the answers because it goes to 6th grade math, but he is interested in trying to learn it.I highly recommend this.We also got the spelling version, but he likes this one better so far.Very easy to use. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Math   

Reviews (2)

Horses ROCK!!!
This kit looks like it will be soo fun you can paint it anykind you want and you can paint a horse you can always keep and rember!

Horse Painting kit
This Breyer kit is very fun and enjoyable. This kit holds two unpainted Paddock pals models, you can paint them any kind you want. I think it is educational,because it in a way teachs you about the real colors of a horse and even the body parts while you turn the horse around to paint the side. It encourages the younger kids to paint their own models with their very hands like a professinal painter to keep forever and cherish in the child's childhood the first models he/she painted all by himself of herself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts and Crafts    2. Painting    3. Painting Kits    4. Learning    5. Animals    6. Horses   

Reviews (1)

Helping kids learn
I didn't get this set online here, but if they are selling the separate History and Geography books for this price, it is a great deal.I have both books and they are full of information.For the History book, it goes like this:
Pages 2-3 are on Native American Tribes.They list the six regions (Southwest, Plains...) andthe main diet, shelter, clothing and a cool fact for each area.There is also a map of the USA listing 19 tribes with facts and a timeline.Each page has a game on it.

Pages4-5 deal with the Anasazi and Iroquois, comparing the tribes and their lifestyle as they are from different parts of the country.
Pages 6-7 are Spanish Explorers, Sailing into the Unknown.6 explorers are presented, Columbus, Coronado, deSoto, Cardenas, deVaca, deLeon.There is a small map showing their routes to America, a timeline and a description of life on the ships that sailed here.
Pages 8-9 are Early American Settlements.Info on Roanoke, Jamestown, Plymouth and Mass. Bay.A brief description of each time and area.
Pages 10-11 is the 13 Colonies.A map of the 13 with date they settled.A drawing of a cobblestone street with what is was like back then as well as a drawing of a plantation you take a 'tour' on .
Pages 12-13 Greece and Rome, a Blast from the Past.Drawings and a real photo of the Parthenon. Drawn map of area.Sayings from Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.Greek/Roman timeline.Short sayings by Caesar, Caligula and Nero.
Pages 14-15 is Daily Life, Roaming around Rome.Info on gladiators, Roman numerals, how people lived, ate...A drawing map of city with a few things to click on..bath house, chariot...
Pages 16-17 is Greek and Roman Mythology.A drawing of each Greek/Roman god, and their different names (Zeus/Greek=Jupiter/Roman).
Pages 18-19 U.S. Heroes and Legends, Making History.15 people (some fictional) are listed from either 18th, 19th or 20th century.
Pages 20-21 Inventors and Inventions, Master Minds.24 items are drawn, glasses, typewriter, cotton gin, plane....with the inventors name and year under it.
Pages 22-23 is the Adventure Chronicles is drawn like a cartoon strip covering both pages.Like a review.Click on a picture and you hear what is important about that item.There is a totem pole, horse, turkey, Martin Luther King.
Each page comes with a game or interactive tool for the reader to use the pen for.For a child, this book is just right, each page just skims the surface of the subject given. There are plenty of facts and information given so that it is not something that will be read only once, but will take several times for all the information to sink in. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning   

Editorial Review

Created by a volunteer math aide in Ann Arbor, Michigan,Moneywise Kids contains two simple, fun games that will help kidsunderstand how money works, in terms of dollar value and spending power.In the first game, Bill Maker, kids take turns rolling the dice andearning dollars that are commensurate with the numbers that come up:roll a 2 and a 6, for instance, and you get $8. As they accrue wealthwith each turn, players exchange smaller bills for larger ones untilsomeone winds up with $100. In the second game, Bill Breaker, eachplayer starts with $100 and earns more money with each turn, but playersmust also draw "moneywise markers"--bills for such real-life expenses asfood, medical care, and taxes--and make payments along the way. Andwatch out for those hard-luck chips that mean big bills. The player whocollects all six markers and still has $100 in savings is the winner.The game is lively and only lightly competitive, with an accent ongrasping the mysteries of dollars and cents. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Moneywise Kids
I purchased this game for my 5 year old girl.She seems to like it.It is a game that she is willing to play, but it is never her first pick.It does seem to be a good way to introduce money, but if you want your child to understand the value of money I don't think this game will help.Ex: health care is $10 and a place to live is only $30 (I wish!!)

Great game!
We bought this when our son was six.He's now seven.He really enjoys playing this game.The skill of money conversion is obviously something he can take with him into real life.I also use the opportunity while playing the game to have mini discussions with him regarding the expenditures the game approaches - that we actually have those expenditures in real life and that it's important to save money and be able to pay for them.

The name speaks for itself
This is a game our son pulls out and asks us to play with him.And, even better, it is a game we like playing, too.We got Moneywise Kids when our oldest child was a first grader.He could already count money, but this game helped him solidify his skills painlessly.What we really liked was the playing option that teaches money management.Players must plan for clothes, food, transportation, housing, etc.Our son will argue with us over our choices, telling us what is most important to pay for next, such as food or clothing. When he plays with his sisters, we overhear him advising them on their choices, too. In this game children have a decent chance of beating adults, which makes them happy to play again.Moneywise Kids is an enjoyable, quiet game with few pieces. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Board Games    2. Money    3. Math    4. Counting    5. Games    6. Learning    7. Activity   

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Reading   

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    3. Electronic    4. Math    5. Alphabet   

Reviews (2)

Wonderful for Transport
My 6 year old daughter loves this item and it is so easy to take anywhere.She plays with it in the van, during her brother's soccer games and even during church (occasionally).The sound can be turned off and all the games can still be played easily.My daughter is 6 years old and spells at a 5th grade level.I'm not sure that this toy contributed to her spelling ability but it could have only been beneficial.The only negative that I have for this toy is that it takes 3 cell batteries and if your child plays with it as much as mine does this toy can become very expensive very fast.I am now considering the Expert Turbo Twister which takes AA batteries since I really don't want to spend another $10.00 to make the Mindmania operational again.I do recommend it but just be aware of the batteries.

Great for making good use of down time at school
My 7 year old son loves this toy.He takes it to school and plays with it during recess (when its too cold to go outside) and while waiting for the bus and during the ride.He has both the math and spelling versions and brings both to school to share them with his frieds. They are a huge hit in his class and some of the other children have now purchased their own.I would highly recommend this toy.Its much more educational, and almost as much fun as a game boy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Games    3. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    4. Electronic    5. Alphabet   

Reviews (1)

FUN, EDUCATIONAL, DURABLE, WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR
I like science and social studies and all that stuff and I find it hard to find a science toy thats not for 20 year olds or 5 year olds.The Smithsonian Weather Center has changed all that.It delivers accurate info without all the hassle that comes with other science stuff. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science   

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.
• 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

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Activity   

Reviews (3)

3rd grade grammar
Covered many topics that my 3rd grader is covering in school.It makes learning them fun and reinforces some very important skills.

He cheats
On "Let's make a sentence" the subject and predicate are color coded. My son matches the colors and doesn't read them to make a sentence. On level 2 you make a sentence and it is timed. He just hits the colors. On the "Wacky Word Race" the parts of speech are also color coded. He just matches the colors and doesn't read the words. It would be more challenging if they were not color coded. It is not cheat proof.

Nice, but getting the kid to do it...
Getting my child to learn for fun isn't always easy, but if I were a kid, I would find this fun.She has used it and enjoyed it until her attention span ran out.Here is how thebook goes so you can have some more info:

Pages 2-3 are Lets Make a Sentence.Teaches child what a subject and predicate is.Lists 15 of each, i.e. The mermaid/swims upstream.You can make your own funny sentences and they test you on which is which.
Pages 4-5 Putting parts of Speech to Work.Describes Nouns, verbs,adverbs, adjectives.Has a mad lib type of paragraph.You fill in the right forms of speech to make a story.They provide you with about 30 words and you figure out which word is correct to fill in the blanks.
Pages 6-7 is Wacky Word Race.Similar to previous pages, adds the prepositional phrase though.Has 27 cars with a word on them.The two games have you make sentences by touching the cars. Each game has three levels to it.
Pages 8-9 is Daring Word Dig, Making Subjects and Verb agree. Teaches kids to write The Camel Loves Water, and The Camels Love Water.Making singular and plural words agree with eachother.Theres a drawing of Egyptian pyramid with words on the stones.YOu make a story matching noun and verb correctly.
Pages 10-11 is The Verb Tense Time Machine.Explains past, present and future.36 words written in different tenses, with the game you learn which one to use, game such as 'find all the verbs that could take place next Tuesday....".

Pages 12-13 is Capital Letters.Explains what should be Capitalized..holidays, dates, proper nouns, letter endings, letter greetings.The book comes with a write on marker and you are supposed to fill in a personal letter with words they give you to write.
Pages 14-15 is Playing for Pronouns.A game involving Subject Pronouns and Object Pronouns and their placement before or after verbs. 12 pronouns are listed on one page and 15items on the other page.Each has a game to go with it.

Pages 16-17 is Baseball Brain Games, super spelling.This teaches some spelling rules, such as changing the "y" to "i"when writing happy to happiness.Doubling consonants..skip to skipping.Dropping the final "e".Taste to tasting.Making words plural.Itch becomes itches.There are 12 words on a baseball field andyou click on them and they ask you to make a certain ending for it, (make slide into sliding)you then find the -ing in the stadium area.This is also a write on page with a hangman type game, a little confusing I thought.
Pages 18-19 is Super Sentence Studio.Teaches about fragments and run on sentences.Also teaches about using the words, "and,but,or" in sentences.Games have you apply these rules.
Pages 20-21 is Punctuation Planet.Using commas, apostrophes, question marks, quotation marks and exclamation points.This is also a write on page.You fill in a little story with your pen.The voice in the cartridge tells you what words to write in and you supply the correct punctuation.
Pages 22-23 is Hot Topic Heist, Solving the Mystery of Paragraphs.This page has about 26 phrases.With the game you pick out the Topic Sentence, Supporting Sentence or the Ending Sentence depending on what they ask you.
Pages 24-25 is the Review page.It pretty much lists everything you just did.Each section (11 of them, i.e. Contractions, Subject-Verb AGreement) has a rapsong to go with it as a way to help you remember the rules.
I don't know much about the write on pen (which has its own eraser attached) as I don't think my child used it much.I think any wipe off pen would work.I commend them for making each page nice and bright and with a fun theme to it, like the Egyptian theme, Space them, or the mystery story to go along with the 'lessons' on each subject.They aren't just simple boring pages filled with words.Each lesson has a game and there are at least 2 or 3 levels for each game.I think it is nice in all, but I can see I need to sit down when my child does it, otherwise she won't stay with it for long or really comprehend it.I don't regret buying it, it is full of plenty of grammer rules that are in a nice neat package for learning. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Reading   

Editorial Review

Creative, inquisitive kids will actually say 'wow' out loud to this mix of science, puzzle, art, and fantasy, as they work painstakingly to mimic the sharp investigators of the popular crime show, "CSI". This facial reconstruction kit comes with a featureless plastic skull totally stripped of identity. It's secured on a sturdy platform for easy reconstruction, using two pounds of good quality modeling clay and four plastic sculpting tools, all included. There's also a rolling pin and platform for flattening out the clay for certain facial areas. The contours of the face come to life with each dab of clay, and with the addition of removable, plastic brown eyes, a nose, and frames and spaces for ears and lips that will need to be filled in. A detailed CSI instruction manual tells step-by-step how to create the figure, even creating hair and eyebrows. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (1)

LOVE ITTTTTT
I AM A FATHER OF 2 MY SON PATRICK AND DAUGHTER CHANTAL THEY LOVE THIS ITEM I LOVE IT. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning   

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    3. Electronic    4. Alphabet    5. Games    6. Handheld   

Reviews (2)

Homeschool Mom
I bought this for my 14 year old son and was very disappointed.The toy is limiting, due to the size and shape of the templates and the plastic walls.The support pieces for the walls are "chunky" and get in the way of the overall design.A pad of graph paper, plastic templates that are available at office supply stores, a good metal ruler, some paper and tape are a better investment than this.

Awesome! From an 11 year old
This kit is very good for anybody who likes to build. Although there are only 7 pieces of tracing paper to go with it, you can always buy more at an office supply store. It's the best thing ever! Jordan ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Activity    4. Learning   

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Math    3. Reading    4. Science    5. Astronomy    6. Geology    7. Geography    8. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    9. Electronic    10. Alphabet    11. Activity    12. Space