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 (65)

DEAD BUGS
I purchased this for my 7 year old daughter for christmas. I was guarenteed 3 live larve.They are all dead and I can not get ahold of the company. I would rate this a big Zero

Butterfly Garden
My sister gave this to my 8 year old daughter for her birthday.I also have a 4 year old daughter.This is one of the best gifts my children have ever received!From the start, both of my children were enthralled with the metamorposis from caterpillar to butterfly.The bonus is that there is very little that is required of parents except to make sure the instructions are followed.The caterpillars come in a plastic container that has all the food they require to grow and change.Even though one of the chrysalides fell off the paper disc under the lid, it still was able to continue metamorphosis at the bottom of the butterfly observatory.We just released our three beautiful painted lady butterflies yesterday after three weeks of wonder and excitement.Luckily my daughter's birthday is in July so we could release our butterflies when the weather is warm and the flowers are in full bloom.I recommend that you keep your butterflies safe in their observation chamber for at least two days.Two butterflies emerged before the third one did and I was afraid they weren't eating the food I provided (sugar water).Not wanting the first two to starve, I had my daughters release all of them less than a day after the third butterfly emerged.That third butterfly didn't seem ready to fly off yet and stayed in the garden on a post unmoving for a long while. I watched it to make sure it was unharmed and breathed a sigh of relief when it finally flew off.I couldn't have asked for a more fun and educational gift!

Excellent
I purchased this for my daughter's 4th birthday. The caterpillars arrived on her birthday, which she loved even more. They are now in chrysalide form and she is so excited because she can see them grow and grow every day. This is an awesome toy and have reccomended it to everyone with and with out kids. I also bought a book called "From Caterpillar to Butterfly" and it describes the metaphorsis excellently to her. 2 thumbs up. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Learning    3. Science    4. Bugs    5. Butterflies   

Reviews (20)

GREAT Butterfly Kit!
I have been rasing butterflies for 5 years and I LOVE this kit! It's so cool to see them chow down on their nutrient and then change into a chrysalis. I have a suggestion:DO NOT move your caterpillars around a lot, they are delicate and when moved too much, it kills them. Keep them in a quiet, warm place and watch and learn! I have chrysalids right now and they are almost ready to hatch! Tip: mist your chrysalids every other day. This increses the chance that they'll emerge healthy!

Wonderful--Raise generations of butterflies!
My son (age 5) got this from his grandparents for Christmas and it has been terrific fun for all of us.The first set of ten caterpillars grew visibly day-by-day, then pupated and emerged as butterflies in a few weeks.There is a lot of great information about painted lady and other butterfly species online and having this project got my son very interested in how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly so soon I found myself showing him multi-colored pictures of imaginal discs (the larval structures that produce the butterfly wing, leg etc. during metamorphosis) online at websites I found--a great way to get him interested in developmental biology.The first time we talked about this he decided they were actually "magical discs", given what these groups of cells can do...the whole process has been very entertaining for the whole family....It is also really fun to have butterflies flitting around and caterpillars growing in the pavilion in the kitchen when it is gray and wintery outside.

How to raise more than one generation of critters inside:
Since we sent our coupon for larvae out immediately after Christmas, we had butterflies dancing around the pavilion and mating in February when there were no plants outside to collect for the next generation of caterpillars to eat.Anticipating this, I ordered a mallow plant and some additional larval food from Carolina Biological Supply Company at about the time when our caterpillars turned into chrysalises:there is an online store and the stuff to get is the L918 culture medium (144040).This will feed about 80 larvae.(Unfortunately the Insect Lore company, which makes the Pavilion, only sells caterpillar food in small quantities along with additional larvae, which we certainly didn't need).

How to do it:We set the mallow plant in the pavilion and the butterflies laid their eggs on the leaves where we could watch them darken and emerge as very tiny 1mm long new caterpillars.After 4-5 days of watching the caterpillars eat the mallow plant (making little tracks on the leaves) we prepared them new homes in caterpillar media.To do this, you can use either the original plastic containers that the first generation larvae are shipped in (clean them out and dish wash them) or use another small clear-sided plastic or glass jar with a lid.Clean the containers well (I wiped the inside with a paper towel with isopropyl alcohol on it after dishwashing to kill bacteria, which will contaminate the food and make the larvae sick).The food will come in two plastic containers (nearly full).One of these can be frozen for subsequent generations.Transfer the contents of one container to a covered microwaveable container and heat on medium in the microwave (swirling every 10-30 seconds to mix and avoid overheating) until it is a solution.Pour media into the bottoms of the larvae containers to a depth of about a quarter inch (this will make 4-5 new containers).If there is a lot of condensation on the sides after the media has hardened, you can wipe this away with a paper towel--I did this, but then again alcohol-wiped the inside solid surfaces and lid above the media.Cover the containers loosely (leave the lid slightly ajar) and put them somewhere to dry.I laid a clean paper towel over the collection of covered jars to keep dust/dirt from drifting in given the activity level of the children here.After a couple days of drying, these were ready for larvae.If necessary (ie., if not using the previously shipped containers) make very, very small air holes in the lid.Then use a toothpick or matchstick to collect each 2-4 mm long larva off of the mallow plant leaves and tap to drop them into the new container.Put a clean paper towel over the top of the container (under the lid) and re-cap the jar--now the paper will serve as a scaffold for new chrysalises to hang from and will allow air in while preventing the tiny caterpillars from escaping.Try to be relatively aseptic about this.

It appears that we're going to get about 20-30 new caterpillars from the first generation, which I should be able to accommodate with the larvae cups made above...hopefully by the time we've run out of this food and been through a couple more generations it will be summer and warm enough to release all of the butterflies we have outside.The pavilion is well made and sturdy enough that it should accommodate many other projects involving insects.All in all, we've been entirely pleased with this--a great gift that's had my son on the phone describing his butterflies' recent development to grandma and grandpa several times!

One more tip:the adult butterflies seem to become upended on the floor of the pavillion at times while they are flapping around and have trouble gaining traction to right themselves on the slick nylon surface.This shortened the lives of several of ours until I saw it happening and put some packing material (like easter straw) in there for them to stand on.

Wonderful for child and parent
My two daughters, ages 5 and 8, each received one of these as a Christmas present.We sent away for the caterpillars and they arrived in one week.I have to admit that even I, as an adult, really enjoyed watching the progress of the caterpillars as they transformed into beautiful butterflies.My only compaint is that we weren't prepared when two of the butterflies became entangled in the webbing surrounding the cocoon.There was nothing in the instructions about what to do so we had to watch the butterflies suffer until they finally died from exhaustion.We told the kids that it was simply part of nature.Other than that, what a great experience! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Bugs   

Editorial Review

Sibling to the award-winning Explorer Globe, this junior version can help children become interested in geography before they even start school. The Junior Explorer Globe is jam-packed with fun facts, trivia, and useful information about every aspect of the geographical world. It has four modes of interactive play, ranging from having kids search for certain pictures on the globe to playing regional music from each continent. The globe sits on a sturdy base, which features a dial to the four play functions, an on/off switch, volume control, and the attached penlike stylus. This stylus is the key instrument: kids use it to touch virtually any point on the surface of the globe to hear information and answer questions. --Pam Lauer ... Read more

Features

• Four modes include Explore, Music, Search the World & Adventure Raps
• Kids will learn about our oceans, continents, animals and landmarks
• Offers a taste of regional music and foreign phrases
• Volume control
• On/off switch

Reviews (13)

great learning and entertaining toy
My 4 years old LOVES to play with this globe and has been learning a lot from it. Yes, it doesn't say much about countries but let's not forget this is the JR version. I think it is great that they give emphasis in animals since kids like them. Also, all different languages and typical music that it includes. I think it is great that kids learn the continents at least they are aware that USA is not in this world alone. PULEASE... they didn't pay for someone's furniture to be cleaned... Don't get me wrong but this person must go around the world a bit. People have to know how to take care of themselves for a change instead of blaming someone else everytime. Gosh!
I recommend this toy. This is not a Geography professor substitue just a way to get kids interested in other areas and cultures. I suppose the more advanced version may bring the countries. I don't know. I am sure there is only so much they can fit inside this toy and as parents we can't expect to relay on a toy to teach our kids everything they need to know. We think this toy is awesome.

Watch out for stains on furniture
The toy has little rubber feet on the bottom which will leave little purple circle shaped stains on wood furniture.My son's brand new furniture was damaged and Leap Frog will not pay to have it cleaned.They were aware of the situation, however, they did not issue a recall.They simply changed the rubber feet on the toy for the new production runs, but they left all of the old ones on the store shelves.So which one will you get - the new or the old?This toy isn't worth the trouble.Leap Frogs' customer (dis)service is horrible.I will never buy another leap frog toy again.Watch out for this company - all they care about is making a buck.

BETTER THEN I THOUGHT
When my brother bought this for my 3 year old daughter I thought he had wasted his money, there was no way my daughter was going to pay attention to this globe. I was wrong! My daughter loves it and within 5 minutes she was telling me about the Statue of Liberty and the Great Wall of China. She and I love it so much that I am buying one for my neice's birthday present. ... Read more

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

Reviews (14)

GEOGRAPHY
THE SCHOOLS MAY HAVE REMOVED GEOGRAPHY FROM THE CLASSROOMS, BUT THEY CAN'T TAKE IT AWAY FROM THOSE WHO LEARNED IT MANY YEARS AGO.PRESUMEABLY THOSE OF US WHO WOULD BUY THIS ITEM.TAKE A LOOK AT THE PUZZLE OF OUR GREAT UNITED STATES.NOW, WISCONSIN MAYBE WANTS THAT PART OF MICHIGAN, BUT IT OPERATES UNDER MICHIGAN LAW AND IS CALLED UPPER MICHIGAN OR THE UPPER PENNINSULA OF MICHIGAN.NO WHERE IS IT CALLED WISCONSIN.I WAS RATHER CONFUSED RIGHT AWAY WHEN THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PUZZLE SAID THERE ARE 44 PUZZLE PIECES. THE LAST I KNEW, THERE ARE 50 STATES AND 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES. THE IDEA OF THIS TALKING MAP IS GREAT, BUT LET'S GET IT CORRECT FOLKS.

GRANDPARENT LIVING IN MICHIGAN

A great way for kids to learn their states
This is the best learning aid I have seen so far for getting kids to learn the fifty states. My six-year-old son has been able to memorize them all, and he started with this map when he was three. Now my younger son, age three, is starting to learn with the same map, and my older son is beginning to work on state capitals.

The map's audio identifies each state when pushed, also gives the state's nickname, and its capital. The board also has permanently affixed buttons that play the Pledge of Allegiance and the song America the Beautiful. The map pieces can be lifted out of the board and presented as a puzzle challenge. This really helps children identify states by their shapes. Many competing map puzzles just stick together six or seven states into a simple puzzle piece. Only the tiniest states in New England and the Atlantic Coast are joined into single pieces on the map, so most states are the shape of their puzzle piece.

If I had a nitpick about this map, it's that it would be nice to have a locking feature that can prevent the pieces from falling out once the puzzle is assembled, because young children will scatter and lose the state pieces. It was more important to my kids to build the name and location recognition than to solve the puzzle challenge, so our temporary solution was to take clear packaging tape (the wide rolls) and gently tape over the whole map, to hold all the puzzle pieces in place. Now that the kids are much more responsible about cleaning up, we've removed the tape.

Fun and Educational!
This toy was purchased for my 4 yr old daughter and 2 yr old son.They both absolutely LOVE putting it together and within 1 day learned The Pledge of Allegiance.It is so amazing to see my daughter recognize some of the states before putting it together!

This really is a wonderful educational toy and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in teaching their children a little about geography. ... Read more

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

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

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Learning    3. Geography    4. Science   

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 (64)

Disappointed on Christmas
The only toy our 5 year old wanted was a t-rex with batteries. How disappointing when we turned it on and nothing happened. We sent "Roarie" back to the "North Pole" aka amazon, for replacement. when the new one arrived, Joy was immediately replaced by tears when the new one stopped functioning after less than 2 minutes! This toy is fragile to say the most.

HORRIBLE TOY!!!
CONSUMER BEWARE!My five-year old son received this for Christmas.It was great while it worked, a whole two days!What a huge upset!I didn't see any educational value to it, except the education of disappointment from a fragile toy. We didn't have any trouble putting batteries in.Although the feel and look of the dinosaur is real and unique, a stuffed animal would have been more educational and less disappointing!I guess it will become a figurine on a shelf!I'm late in writing this review, because I just wouldn't give up hope, until now!

Fantasticasaurus!
This was a Christmas gift for my just about 4yo son who is very much intrigued with dinosaurs, his favorite being T-Rex!I was very impressed, as was he, at it's "realness".Very life like when it gets "ROARING" and stomping around!Great gift for a dino lover..just keep batteries handy. There is a switch on the dinosaur that you must turn "off" and you must close up the hand held remote as well....try explaining that to a 4yo! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Tyrannosaurus Rex    2. Dinosaurs    3. Moving    4. Electronic    5. Preschool    6. Learning    7. Science    8. Vehicles   

Reviews (2)

great idea, but...
The Get-Up Roaring Dinosaur looks like a pretty cool toy, and my 3 year old nephew fell in love with it when he first put it on; however, the fun was short lived.He immediately took on his adorable, little dinosaur persona and he loved the great sound effects, but the costume was simply too hot for him to wear for long, especially while tromping around.Also, the sound effects didn't always fit his imagined scenario.After just a few minutes, the whole thing ended up another discarded, temporary toy.Although he still likes to pretend he's a dinosaur, he does so sans costume.

This may work as a great halloween costume, but it will not be the source of hours of fun for energetic 3-6 year olds.On the other hand, I'd like to know when they come out with an adult-sized version!

One of the most inventive toys on the market
This toy is really one of the coolest I've seen. Unfortunately these Get-ups were not around when I was little but I get excited just watching my little brother and my little cousins play in their Get-ups for hours. Depending on which animal the child chooses they can slip into furry slippers and a stuffed-animal-like head piece that makes realistic noises in relation to the childs movement. Each tilt of the head makes a completely different kind of roar or snarle (the slippers make sound too!). But the animal sounds are extremely realistic which allows kids to really explore their imagination while wearing this interactive costume. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Animals    3. Wacky    4. Activity    5. Dinosaurs    6. Pretend Play    7. Costumes   

Reviews (5)

Dino-mite
The activity Dino made my newborn smile and helped him to learn to sit up.Even now that he is older, he will see it laying on the back of the couch and will crawl to it and crinkle some of the fabric or will just smile at the colors or when I squeeze the nose to make a roaring sound.I highly recommend it, especially for the 0-4 month age group.

Makes a great gift
I think this is a great product. It supports my son when he is sitting up and he loves to play with it. I have noticed older children like to curl up with it while watching television. I think this would make a nice gift because it is unique. Unlike most baby toys and products, we will get years of use out of the Activity Dino.

Expensive rubbish - waste of money !
We recently ordered Dino for our 6 month old son, thinking we could use it initially to help him sit up and then later as a fun rough-and-tumble toy. What arrived was a small overstuffed sock with a few "crinkly" spines. The quality of the material was cheap and nasty and the construction is appauling. As for the "roar" of the nose - we could barely hear a squeak. Needless to say, we returned this "toy" immediately. Don't waste your money - a pillow with a decorative face would be just as good and at least the cover would be washable ! AWFUL !!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baby and Infant    2. Learning    3. Science    4. Archaeology    5. Geology    6. Stuffed Animals    7. Animals    8. Dinosaurs    9. Toddler    10. Activity    11. Stuffed Toys   

Reviews (4)

fun game - with some reservations!
my three year old got this for christmas and loves the sound effects and fun designs - but he gets frustrated by the joystick. it is difficult to "fly" to the right spot when prompted by the "find the" questions and requires better motor skills than most three year olds have - i often have to help him guide the joystick onto the right animal or place. my five year old can navigate without difficulty. however she becomes bored after 5 mins as there is a limited number of questions and games - which is fine for a three year old but not enough info for the five and above age range. in all - i'd say great concept and a fun way for kids to learn about the world but the makers should either simplify the joystickfor younger kids or expand the knowledge for older kids.

best gift ever!!!
My son received this for his fourth birthday.Loves it, loves it, loves it!He has since developed an interest in, and knowledge of geography!!He will turn five next week, and still plays with his "Earth".My three year old daughter has recently gotten the hang of it, as well.I would recommend this one to anyone.

so-so
my 3- and 4- yr olds liked this globe quite a bit before they became discouraged with the difficulty in understanding the voice commands and with the tracker pole not going all the way up to the top.now they refer to it as "the globe we liked but doesn't work".i'd spend a little more (the kids seem to love the concept) and get one that functions more smoothly (it is difficult to stop, start, and generally maneuver). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Geography    3. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    4. Electronic    5. Math    6. Preschool   

Reviews (18)

Soooooooo COOL!
This looks so cool that Im gonna order some as soon as I get enough money for it!!!!!!I love this!!

Not a bad product
We got this over two years ago for my daughter when she was 6 months old.We were looking for a mobile that wasn't "traditional."She still loves it and so does her baby sis.Yes, there isn't a sun, but if you look at the proportions, you would need a beach ball for the sun!We hung the planets from differ lengths of fishing line.Our only problem was Jupiter was too low and we kept hitting it.That was easy to fix.Don't forget to put the star stickers on the star tacks.If a tack fall out of the ceiling, you can use a flashlight at night to locate it quickly!

Excellent choice
My son recently finished a study of the solar system in his preschool class and was very excited about what he had learned. I searched for several items that I could purchase to both educated him further and that would add a decorative touch to his room. This item did both.I was rather put off by most reviews on the ease, or in most cases lack of ease, of installation.It took me 10 minutes to string up the planets, afix the fish line to the little star tacks and place them in my ceiling. . . a breeze.If the planets are near a light source they glow brightly and into the night. Infact we awoke this morning and they were still faintly glowing. Impressive.As for the stickers, well they are what they are...tiny. I used them on some left over spiderweb from halloween to create the milky way around the planets and the paper mache sun we created and they work fine.I didn't even need a tweezer. Great product!


Tip for installation - tie the string to the planet first in a knot, then tie a loop knot at the other end. Take that and slip it around the nail of the tack and tighten.The star head will keep the knot from sliding off the nail and it will be secure to hold the planets up. If you actually try to tie the fish line around/across the star head it will take hours and will make for a frustrating installation... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Arts and Crafts    4. Craft Kits    5. Astronomy    6. Activity    7. Space   

Reviews (2)

An Awesome T-Rex
My four year old grandson has had this puzzle for two years and has probably assembled it over 100 times!He still loves it more than any other puzzle we've given him, probably because it's in the shape of a T-Rex.I highly recommend it for any dinosaur loving child.

dinosaur shaped large floor puzzle, very good quality
Typical of this manufacturer, the cardboard pieces are strong and durable. The graphics are a high quality printing. Without abnormal abuse this puzzle will last for many years.

The puzzle is shaped like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It is large. Will be loved by dinosaur fanatics like my son!

I highly recommend all carboard and wooden peg puzzles by Lights, Camera, Interaction for their durability and high quality. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Puzzles    3. Floor Puzzles    4. Wood    5. Pegged    6. Learning    7. Activity   

Editorial Review

This Star Explosion kit allows children to create a universe intheir own bedrooms. With over 500 glow-in-the-dark adhesive pieces tochoose from (including stars of all sizes, comets, asteroids, and spiralgalaxies), junior astronomers can create star displays, black-holeeffects, and, with the aid of the included star map, actualconstellations. There are 364 small (.25-inch to 1.5-inch) star stickersand about 200 larger (1.5-inch to 5.5-inch) plastic shapes that adhereto walls and ceilings with the putty that comes with the set (it's safeto use on most surfaces). The stickers and plastic shapes are made ofGlominite, a safety-tested product that stores light. Each time theGlominite shapes are exposed to light, they recharge--so that theglowing keeps on going. --Kathryn Gustafson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

WE TURNED THE BEDROOM INTO A GALAXY
I had a lot of fun with my granchildren transforming their bedroom into a glowing galaxy.There was more than enough stars to make a bunch of constellations on their ceiling.These are easy to use and weren't messy at all.The kids love staring at the stars and pointing out the names of constellation before they go to bed at night.I was surprised when they started pointing out the real ones once we were outside one evening.
The experience really turned them on to learning about the constellations. We even ended up buying a real telescope and book about stars.What a fun way to learn for all of us. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Stickers    3. Space    4. Astronomy    5. Glow-in-the-Dark    6. Science    7. Wacky    8. Arts and Crafts    9. Craft Kits    10. Activity   

Reviews (5)

Bad product, yet turned out good...
I agree with all the reviews here - the good AND the bad.The set is cheap, chintzy, and NOT worth the money for the materials.The magnifying glass is...well, I wouldn't even call it cheap plastic.Just impossible to see anything through it.The droppers are cheap and I am sure will not hold up to repeated use.The plastic cups are the kind they use to give you 2 pills in the hospital - disposable plastic.

The entire kit is based solely on color mixing using Crayola tub tints!I almost had a fit - I have a jar of 50 of them in the bathroom!Color mixing is all you get here.

That being said - my 4 1/2 year old loved it.Felt like a real scientist with her dropper and what-not.So, was it worth the twenty dollars?Not from a materials stand point.But for watching my daughter learn and discover and become jazzed about experiments even more than she was (if that's possible), then yes, it was worth it.

It was definitely worth Mom learning a lesson on buying good quality materials and borrowing experiment idea books from the library!

You don't need this to do the science
I cannot believe that other reviewers gave this cheesy so-called science kit 5 stars.I gave it to my almost 5 yr. old grandson for Christmas.His mom & I decided that one does not need the junky things included in this set to do these experiments.For instance the little plastic food coloring bottles available at the grocery store are perfectly suited for mixing colors either on paper towels or in custurd cups.The chrystal making stuff is what is used in baby diapers and for $.26 (the cost of one diaper) you can make chrystals easily.The magnifying glass is so chintzy--very small and hard to see through the murky plastic.
Get your child an inexpensive real magnifying glass. No more packaged so-called science kits for us.Most kids really interested in science would find little inspiration in this kit.

My 2 Sons Love it!!!
This is a great way to kill an afternoon with actual learning!!!!My boys loved mixing colors and watching their crystals grow!!I just wish for the money, there were more of the color tabs so the experiments can be repeated. But maybe I can find them at a craft store.......... Overall, a great product for kids! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Chemistry    4. Activity   

Reviews (3)

But the toy for the look - not the sounds
My little daughter loves horses. When I saw this item on Amazon's features I bought it. It is a fun toy that two months later she still plays with. My only complaint is that the feet stopped making sounds after the first day of use. I changed the batteries (which are round photo-type batteries) but it did not help. It looks to me as though the feet can't take the beating of a four year old. Other than that it is a good product.

Tip for Out of Stock
I got the horse and the dinosaur.They are great toys!Well made and the sound effects are incredible.These are for Christmas gifts and we cannot wait to give them to our daughter and her little neighbor friend!Noticed they are out of stock.Still available on Walmart.com.No, I don't own stock there.Just know how it is when you need THAT gift.Good luck!

Yee Haw
after my daughter got the fairy version, we got the horse getup for our 4 yr old son.he runs in it, walks in it, sleeps with it.he is having a blast pretending to be race horse.the sounds, especially the clip clop feet, are realistic and really get him excited to play.it is one of his friends favorite toys, too.the other day, we were having friends for dinner, and he pretended to be a horse for about an hour.of course, we have a lot of fairy and horse (often at the same time) play around the house now. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Animals    3. Wacky    4. Activity    5. Horses    6. Pretend Play    7. Costumes   

Editorial Review

Animal Planet brings the underwater world to your home with this sea life play set. There are 10 ocean animals (octopus, shark, killer whale, sea lion, seal, dolphin, porpoise, sting ray, king crab, and marlin) along with a marine biologist and his equipment to play out underwater study. All the animals are soft plastic so you can bring these toys right into the bath. The boat and rubber raft float and the cage that comes along can be used to observe the animals or for collecting them. The package box even provides some information on the animals so kids can learn while playing. --Chip Quinn ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Sea Life Lover
My son was just 3 when he recieved this set for Christmas.He could not wait to get it out of the package on Christmas morning.At first he played with the animals, cage and man in the tub (since it is not made for the bath the boat sinks).A few weeks ago we got them out of the tub and they are ALL he ever plays with.He takes them everywhere we go and he even sleeps with them.The sharks eat the "Little People" characters we have.The boat is not of much interest to him at this time, but it may be in a few months.I recomend any of the animal planet toys.We have the dinosaur set too, but they are smaller and at this time he really likes the larger sets.I plan on getting him the larger foam shark for Easter.Enjoy....

For sea life lovers...
I bought this for my 3 yr old nephew for christmas. He absolutely loved it!! He is crazy about ocean animals.
As for the durability, I cannot comment, as it went home
with him so I just don't know.

Our boat floats
Another reviewer said the boat did not float but we have the same boat and my son uses it in the bath tub all the time.And he loves the shark cage which he always sees on documentaries about sea life.I think it's well worth the under $20 price. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

AWESOME!!!
What a neat kit!!!I am a mother of a six year old who loves arts and crafts and experiments....I am somewhat lazy when it comes to things where my daughter and I need to work together on anything complicated or that takes a long time.this is so easy and it's really interesting too.Also there is not really any mess!!!I highly recommend this kit!!!!

Nice kit
Basically the whole kit is build around some powder which absorbs water and grows like a gel. It's obviosly safe, fun and not messy. My 5 year old daughter loves it. I do recommend!

A Good Chemistry Starter Kit
A great price for educational experiments. My 6 yr-old and 4 yr-old both enjoyed making snow and playing with gooey polymers. I was amazed as well, especially by the easy-to-understand instructions and interesting science facts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Chemistry    4. Activity   

Reviews (4)

Great Leap Pad Book
I bought this for my 5 year old son. This is by far the best leap pad book he has received. He has played with it almost daily for over a month now. The cards make it extra fun for him and they are easy to keep track of if you keep the book/disc and cards in the package.

Dinosaur cards add something special to this LeapPad book
I bought "Leap and the Lost Dinosaur" for my kindergartner and he absolutely LOVES it. His favorite part is the page at the end which includes several clear plastic pockets in which he inserts the included dinosaur cards to hear how certain dinosaurs might have interacted if they came in contact. I gave my son a snack-size resealable bag to store his cards in so they're less likely to become "extinct"! The folks at LeapPad thoughtfully included a "wild card" that can function as any of the dinosaurs in the collection in case one (or more) of the cards should happen to go missing. I am completely satisfied with this addition to our growing LeapPad library.

Please read the books you review
All but two pages of the book will work just fine even if all of the cards are missing .
It might be best if reviews were based on actual experience and not assumptions made by people who "almost bought the book" ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    3. Electronic   

Reviews (1)

Great Fun and Learning!!
These Creature Peepers are wonderful!!Our 4-year-old just loves his!Before we had this, he was always bringing his newly-found "friends" into the house.Yuck!!Since buying the Creature Peeper, he still brings his 6 and 8-legged "friends" into the house- but now I am much calmer about it!He loves to catch all sorts of bugs and study them through the magnifying scopes in the top and bottom of this toy.Great fun for curious children!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Bugs   

Editorial Review

With this complete set of prehistoric creatures, kids can turn their imaginative play area into a kingdom of dinosaurs. The outstanding details and realistic painting of the set allow them to develop their own beneficial storytelling play. The durable and high-quality solid plastic material could survive years of play. The whole set is sold in a colorful handy plastic carry case . ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great value!
I got this set for my son for Christmas.It has by far his favorite toy, he plays with it constantly, day in and day out.I would get more of these sets, they are a great entertainment value. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Animals   

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Geography    4. Activity