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Science Gifts For Kids?
beernutmark writes "I have two science-loving kids ages 7 and 9. My youngest knew Neil deGrasse Tyson's name at age 4. With the holidays coming up, I am looking to get them some quality science-related tools. Two items on the list are a quality microscope and/or a real rock-hounding kit. I am looking for any other gift suggestions for this year or future years (or even for younger kids for other readers) and hints on good sources."
Think Geek
If they Dig astronomy that is
they have some cool kits.
Maybe they'll grow up to be Quantum Physicists.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Try
Think Geek
American Science and surplus.
HobbyTron(Ramsey)
Some gifts
Lego
Mind Storms.
Any thing with gears and wheels.
Lincoln logs
Erector Sets
I'd suggest some large caliber firearms, but I don't think you'll go for that. How about a real chemistry set? Add some extras that don't come with the kit. Or an electronics kit. Or do they still make those? Bah, just buy them guns. They'll be better off when the zombies come.
legos are good for modular design, infinite re-use--but you might stay away from the technical or specialty sets, as they tend to be more problematic and less re-usable; capsuela is good for basic gears and so on, and modularity; We also played with BASIC a bit at that age, IIRC. Oh, and Rocky's boots. You must get rocky's boots. Digital Logic for kids.
Some of these may have modern equivalents...
-- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!
Think Geek has a bacteria science kit that I thought looked fun. More for the >12 group. Particularly good if you are trying to get them to wash up more.
excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
You can buy it here
You could help them build a processing plant to purify it and then eventually have your own little nuclear reactor. All the other kids in the neighborhood will be soooo jealous!
I was always a fan of the sciences. I remember my first science experiment kit, complete with book showing how to set up various experiments and explaining why they were important.
But the one thing I always wanted was a telescope. What is more cool than observing the heavens? And kids don't necessarily need to look at stars when we have the moon right there for easy observations. Not to mention, its a tool that everyone can use together... think of it as another thing to use on a family night!
I'd never heard of him, but apparently his name is actually "Neil deGrasse Tyson".
And knowing the names of scientists is more to do with history than actual science.
[/complaining]
which is totally what she said
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3814337#
Just the word "science" is very very broad. If you want actual usable suggestion, I suggest you let us know what areas of science your kids actually like? Plants (botony)? Stars (astronomy)? Meth-labs (chemistry)? etc ... get the point?
A crystal radio kit. A Radio Shack 101 experiments in one. A basic Stamp kit. Mindstorms. A chemistry set. Magnets. Rocket kit.
Even something more technical that a parent or grandparent would enjoy doing as a project together with the kid. I've got fond memories of designing circuits with my father, building things with my grandfather, etc.
A witty saying proves you are wittier than the next guy.
Chemistry Kits:
http://www.makershed.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=89
Electronics Kits
http://www.makershed.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=49
Sorry to make it look like spam, but I'm a fan of the "Make" site.
This isn't exactly astronomy related like Niel deGrass Tyson's stuff, but when I was a kid I got an electronics set, complete with a bread-board, several LED's, a rheostat, heaps and heaps of resistors and capacitors, and several other things having to do with digital and analog circuitry. That was one of the best Christmas presents I ever got, and still from time to time wish I had it to pull out and tinker with. I remember one time I probably could have burned the house down had I not smelled the melting plastic on the set. What happened was that I had learned at school how to make an electromagnet out of a battery, a coil of wire, and a nail. Well, I did the same thing with the set when I got home, but then left it on for about an hour. As you well may know, connecting the two terminals of a battery without any resistor can cause the batteries to overheat, and most likely rupture. I think I probably caught the thing just before the batteries broke, because they were very hot. Anyway, I'm rambling, but you get the idea: I learned to love tinkering with electronics as a kid, and now am majoring in Computer Science.
The only way to tell the difference between a hamster and a gerbil is that the hamster has more white meat.
Get one of them a pan balance. learn about mass, density, gravity. Compare quantities of things. I'll bet it gets a fair amount of use.
Nullius in verba
and challenge them to make a working breeder reactor. I hear they do that sort of thing in the boy scouts.
Teaching the reproductive system is one of the most enjoyable experiences not to forget learning experiences. I know I enjoyed learning about the vagina and what my penis could do. ;)
The Galileoscope is a high-quality, low-cost telescope kit developed for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 by a team of leading astronomers, optical engineers, and science educators. No matter where you live, with this easy-to-assemble, 50-mm (2-inch) diameter, 25- to 50-power achromatic refractor, you can see the celestial wonders that Galileo Galilei first glimpsed 400 years ago
priced at U.S. $20 each plus shipping
https://www.galileoscope.org/
Didn't you know, you can't have a real chemistry set anymore. Only terrorists would want to buy them. Are you trying to raise terrorists?
If you give them electronics, you're obviously trying to raise evil hackers.
If you give them a popular science biology book and some fruit flies to play with, obviously you're equipping them for making biological weapons.
Instead, you should get them a Nintendo and sit them in front of the TV like the good little sheep they should become.
http://scitoys.com/
Get them self defense classes.
A chronometer (stopwatch), Rangefinder (meter stick), and mass balance (scale) can help you do practically any laboratory for Newtonian Physics.
Snap Circuit Kits make good introductions to electronics. Think circuitry LEGOs.
http://www.elenco.com/snapcircuits.html
Fools ignore complexity; pragmatists suffer it; experts avoid it; geniuses remove it. ~A. Perlis
Maybe they'll grow up to be Quantum Physicists.
Goddammit, the deadness of a dead cat can be determined classically. Like with a stick, say.
Way to kill the kids' dreams.
Actually, the way physics has gotten so fucking esoteric, Schrodinger's cat is passe. What you do is get them a box with no cat in it. Then they can argue about whether there is a parallel box in the next county that does have a cat in it, or whether there is currently a dark, unobservable cat in the box. Or whether there is actually a box at all, or if we've invented the whole thing.
Before you know it, they'll come up with something so dumb they'll be offered tenure.
Instead, you should get them a Nintendo and sit them in front of the TV like the good little sheep they should become.
Get them a Nintendo console and you may turn them into copyright infringers. Eventually, they'll want to cheat at the games, which leads to homebrew, which (in the console makers' opinion) leads to piracy.
Because I had one of those Radio Shack 150-in-one project kits and I played with that for years. I can't claim that it helped me in my digital logic and system design class, but still...
I've had good luck and good service from http://www.hometrainingtools.com/ Home Science Tools. I got presents for my nephews there this year, they have all sorts of fun kits and things, (including a very nice rockhound kit) and the prices seemed pretty competitive. Even ordering last week I got the stuff pretty quickly.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way, just a satisfied customer.
In Soviet Russia jokes are formulaic and decidedly non-humorous.
Some of my favs, in no particular order:
1) Chemistry set
2) Electronics set
3) Rocket kit (build and launch)
4) RC Plane kit (build and fly)
5) One really cool gift was a big kit with a toolbox, various wood, paint, and a book of all the different things you can build. Things like a wooden clock (it included the electronics part, you just built the face and painted it). A bird house.
Check out http://scientificsonline.com/ for more ideas
The Mythbusters exerpiment sets look like fun to me, but if your kids already know NdGT, the sets might be a little below their level.
Whatever you do, find something where there's real teaching and interactivity and creative thinking going on -- not just polishing some rocks or a step-by-step Lego project. And furthermore, interacting with your child while they're using whatever science gift you pick is also extremely valuable.
Ages 7 and 9 may be a bit young... but we know that 11-year olds do well with getting introduced to electronics and programming, and the interaction that it offers with the physical world through various sensors and actuators. In our experience at NerdKits electronics kits, our youngest customers tend to learn the fastest, because they are the most fearless! They're able to try building something, get something wrong, but just keep working at it until they succeed. Our various free video tutorials help teach various electronics and programming concepts as well.
Here's an 11-year-old's NerdKits "Kid Review" in Make Magazine, or a reading by the author of the review.
Challenge them a bit -- with a bit of guidance, they're capable of taking on more than you might think!
Give them what I'm giving my kids this year, a slide rule. They'l love it!
Great for engineering and then for programming. There are also a number of cool books that can go along with the set.
http://www.sciplus.com/
Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.
If you spent time explaining the history and mathematics behind certain concepts, something as simple as... - Wooden Tower of Hanoi - Rubik's Cube - Pegopolis - Sudoku, Kakuro, ... puzzle books
A decent microscope that you plug into your TV. The kids have had theirs for a year and still play with it all the time.
I Am My Own Worst Enemy
Why are you asking Slashdot? Have you tried, like, asking THEM? I know you're nerds and all, but geez.
Mod this up - I completely agree.
Even if they are too young to grasp the idea of programming, getting them going with electric motors and such circuitry you find in various toys, (Lego Technic comes to mind) will go a long way in leading them down pretty useful skills in the future.
Swiss army knife
Magnifying glass.
Soldering iron.
I too had one of those as a kid -- the ones where you follow the book to connect the various spring terminals! While I might be able to go back and learn some more from it now, I can't really say I learned much from it at the time. It was very much focused on just following the step-by-step directions, with little emphasis on creativity / customization / concepts. So after finishing my Masters in EECS from MIT, I decided to build my own electronics kits for the "digital generation", with a tremendous focus on creativity / customization / concepts. Check us out :-)
Until you look.
Don't fall for anything made of plastic that says "Educational!" on the package. Science toys don't teach kids anything. Parents do! Look for something that you can do and learn together. Steer towards gifts that have wider applications, e.g. don't get a telescope, get binoculars! Don't get a microscope, get a hand magnifying glass! Don't get a nature DVD, get a bird book!
If they're interested in electronics, those 120-in-1 kits that they used to sell at radio shack (and now sell at jameco and digikey) are invaluable.
Seriously you are asking this question after Thanksgiving?
All the good stuff is sold out already.
They sure do, but they're much nicer now. My 9- and 8-year-old kids get the kit out, unprompted, to build stuff pretty often.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
You should check out They Might Be Giants' newest album "Here Comes Science" (a CD/DVD combo, available at Amazon for $13).
And if things don't work out in the science field, they can use it to weigh their drugs.
Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
http://www.charliesplayhouse.com/
Like this old-fashioned one!
There are some cheap and solid sets around to help them begin setting up their first chemistry lab. It should provide a lot of fun, and it will spare your kitchen from basic scientific shenanigans.
It sparked my interest in all things electronic.
A microscope is a good gift but be prepared to spend $250 to $300 for a real student model. When I was a kid I had a metal toy microscope that was made in Germany. It really worked but they don't make those any more. The plastic things sold in toy stores are junk. Plastic wiggles too much. Mine even came with a mechanical slide stage, a necessity if you want to chase Paramecium around the slide. One of those will cost $40.
http://scitoys.com/ lots of great activities and kits here
A 7 year old should enjoy classic bits like gyroscope, prism, and magnets. The Levitron and ROMP (random oscillating magnetic pendulum) are inexpensive and fun.
Let's give all 12 year olds 1 lb of sodium metal, plus a short book explaining it.
The average IQ of our country's kids would double in one week!
subscription to slashdot ? that science enough for ya ?
that way they will have at least one friend
You can still get a reasonable chemistry set on e-bay. Any new ones don't have much more than litmus paper, baking powder, and other non-toxic stuff. You can find cooler stuff just digging around under the kitchen sink!
Engage the mind and the rest will follow. I loved Omni Magazine when I was a kid, but not sure if anything now comes quite close...maybe Popular Science or Wired, which might be a bit much unless your kids are precocious readers, but still wouldn't incorporate the full-spectrum of topics that Omni covered including really good sci-fi (not syfy!) and an amazing selection of original artwork.
In the spirit of "Uncle Tungsten", get them spectroscopes.
Programming and robotics?
Mentos and a two liter of diet coke.
A box of baking soda and a bottle of vinegar.
A model rocket kit at any hobby store.
I suggest Snap Circuits, they are great for the 7-10 year old and with instruction can teach basic electronics. I have also found American Science and Surplus (http://www.sciplus.com/) to have a wide variety really cool stuff but they charge an arm and a leg for shipping.
Give them http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan's_Cosmos DVDs to watch. Greatest science gift for kids ever! (With the possible corollary that if they don't interest them, they are already lost :) ).
-- Sig down
... an ant farm? I was thinking of getting one for my kids this year.
For a unique spin on beginning electronics. It's a very different medium from traditional science kits, but your kids can make usable, wearable electronics while learning about circuits. With the kits, you can sew a simple circuit to a shirt/hat/jacket using conductive thread and a tiny LED (perhaps for the 9-year old). You could also make a small felt accessory to control your iPod. There are a variety of kits, from really easy, to a bit involved.
Tell them I sent you :-)
The GeekDad blog from Wired usually has some great sources. In fact they have a holiday buying guide here: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/tag/holiday-gift-guide/ [wired.com].
pretty sure science is the fast path to gitmo!
Their own Linux laptop and some introductory books on languages such as Python.
Before turning 18, my daughters have to know how to cook, how to program a computer, how to shoot, and speak good English (not our native language).
In the world they will be in, these are likely to be required core skills.
Seriously! Cause once they start taking things appart, they will learn LOTS!
I bought my then-eight-year-old an electronics kit last year for Christmas. He really didn't touch it much until summer, when school let out. Then he had a blast all summer making various alarms, sensors, light sequencers... ...this year I think I'll go for a chem kit.
Oh, and a linux-based notebook isn't too bad either. He is currently using an old one of mine to learn typing by using TuxType (http://tux4kids.alioth.debian.org/tuxtype/index.php) and doing math on Tux Math.
The Kai's Semi-Updated Website Thingy
Lots of science-based toys, kits, etc.
http://scientificsonline.com/
Carl Sagan's Cosmos is an excellent inspirational documentary for the real world child.
Golden Book Of Chemistry Experiments. The wikipedia page has links for PDFs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Book_of_Chemistry_Experiments
Get a copy of this PDF 'goldenchem.pdf' print it on good paper and have it bound. You may be able to find an original copy of the book but not likely. Just remember when ever they open the book and try the struff, don't hover.
Undetectable Steganography? Yep, there's an app fo
Count me as another vote for Nerdkits. I -so- wish that I had gotten mine when I was a teenager. But even having just gotten started as an old codger in my 30s, I'm amazed at how much I've learned from the amazing kit and instructional videos that the Nerdkits team has put together. Trust me--if you have a child who is old enough to use the computer by themselves and shows the least interest in programming, inventing, or even just has a tendency to take apart their toys (whether or not they're able to successfully get them back together again), get them a Nerdkit and help them assemble their first few projects. I think you'll be surprised at not only how much you both learn, but at how much fun you'll have as well.
m@
These are awesome, and are good for younger kids too!
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=snap+circuits&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g10
I recommend Mindware.com. That is where I am planning to get the presents for my children.
I had one of these growing up too and it was one of my favourite toys. There are lots of opportunities to experiment by modifying the suggested experiments with changing resistance values and inputs and outputs.
Between the time I was six to ten years old, I was given a series of electronics kits that I loved and used to pieces (rather literally, at that). The last two in the sequence that I was given were the 200 in 1 kit and the 300 in 1 kit.
After those, I hit up the local Radio Shacks for breadboards and the like, and Digi-Key when I was a teen. Radio Shack still carries some of the parts.
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
I grabbed this for my 9 year old last year last-minute and he loves it: Radio Shack snap kit. (Although I thought the kit I bought him was much bigger than this one). He even went beyond the included instructions and started experimenting with some interesting (and scary) things.
This year, he's getting this book: We dare you
Also saw one of these on woot the other day, but missed out. Still thinking about getting him one though: Excalibur Space Navigator
Where ever you go a towel is useful. Don't forget your towel.
...Ages 7 and 9 may be a bit young... but we know that 11-year olds do well with getting introduced to electronics and programming
11?!? What the Hell are you talking about?
My 8 yr old has worked for years in BASIC and the Mindstorm's awful visual environment, has passed SnapCircuits (which rock) and starting raw wiring comps. Even my 5 year old is starting to work in Logo. Sure, they're quick, but statistically speaking I bet most of the kids of Slashdot readers are!
Don't ever assume something's too hard. Throw them in the deep end and see what happens, you'll be surprised, and you can always give 'em a hand if they're drowing. Expect a lot and you'll get a lot.
The majority of out-of-field science that I know (I'm a professional neuroscientist), I learned reading books while in grade school.
I still remember many of the images and wonderment from those books. I must have spent hours and hours studying them. I *loved* those books.
These days, the equivalent are published by DK. They are horrible by comparison (everything is dumbed down to bite-sized paragraphs rather than presented in long-form that helps build concentration), but perhaps better than nothing.
I have also head universal praise about David Macaulay's books (some of which are the aforementioned DK volumes) like "Underground", "Castle", "City", "Cathedral", and so forth, that go into the mechanisms of buildings and infrastructure.
Put my fist through my alarm clock with its ding-dong death inside my ear. - The Blackjacks.
A decent quality scientific calculator and enough training with it that they can start using to discover the joys of solving problems. I think I had my first solar powered scientific calc when I was about ten. A handful of years later in high school I moved up to a more complicated graphing model. I'm sad to say I don't have the original calculator but I still have the latter. It served me well through high school, college admissions exams, and then a bachelors degree in the sciences. Of course these days I write boring but comparatively lucrative line of business web apps, so the most complicated math I ever have reason to do can be done with gcalctool in simple mode. ;) I still feel a bit of a rush when I look at my old calc though; we had such times together. :D
I won't get into the emacs-vs-vi wars of TI/HP/whatever, but get them a solid useful tool that can be used for most any science endeavor and you'll have done them a favor, imho.
(And yeah this might not be appropriate for the 7 year old, but I'd wager the 9 year old is mature enough or on the cusp of it...)
News for Geeks in Austin, TX
Oh boy, reminds me of when I was young. Legos are great. If they have any sort of video gaming system the game of tetris is sure to enhance their visual/spacial recognition as well. I went straight down this path when I was younger:
Year By Year Starting at age 7:
Tetris
Legos
Microscope
Telescope
Crystal Growing Set
Rock/Geology Set
Chemestry Set
Lego Mindstorms (Legos + mechanics + rudimentary system of programming = awesome!)
Model Rockets/Model Airplanes
.
.
.
Age 21:
GPS
22:
New Suit because I need to go get a job (in Engineering)
As far as places to go, my parents had to get those things at toy stores/hobby shops because they were not as well acquainted with the series of tubes. Nowadays there's thinkgeek, newegg, buy.com, amazon.com the latter ones being more generic. For the budding teenage computer engineer heavy into microelectronics, try sparkfun. Best of luck!
Batteries, wires, pushbuttons, little (incandescent) lightbulbs etc. I think it was officially meant for dolls houses, but it sure was great fun.
Visit http://ringbreak.dnd.utwente.nl/~mrjb/growingbettersoftware to download your free copy of the book
For the microscope, get them interested with a "toy" one for about $30 and if they find that fun, move on to a more serious unit for $300 and up.
Binoculars. I've been happier with binocs I picked up for $25 than I have been with a pair I bought for $150. Once you start spending over $50, you're best to do your research and buy a pair around the $200-$300 from a reputable brand. 7x50 is best for astronomy. Anything over 10x isn't suitable to hand hold. Zoom binocs are more fragile.
Telescope. DO NOT pick up a department store telescope. Start them off with a dobsonian. (Good for everything but deep sky photography). What counts most in a telescope for deep sky observing is diameter. 8" is a good compromise. These days you can larger telescopes that collapse so you might be able to go up to about 12" but price increases with size. Make sure it fits in your car.
Hiking GPS. One that does mapping. I'm partial to Garmin.
Camera. Often overlooked, it can be used for a wide variety of things. Low power microscopy, bird identification. Something that does PASM. Ideally something that has decent macro and has at least 10x zoom. You can pick up brand new cameras that fit this description for around $200. They won't match much more expensive camera, but they do well. Next step up is an SLR.
Radio scanner. Becoming less of a good idea as transmissions are moving towards encryption. But still an excellent tool for plane spotting. Take s snapshot with a good zoom camera and you'll be able to look up the plane's registration in a publicly available database which will give you make, model, owner etc.
Chem sets might be disappearing but electronics kits that teach the basics are still around.
For younger ages a good mechano set isn't a bad place to start learning basic engineering principles.
Kites and remote control aircraft are excellent for teaching about aerodynamics. Anyone can fly a small kite but if you want to learn to fly r/c aircraft be sure to join a club and do it right or you'll waste time and money and have frustrated kids. Best idea these is to start on a simulator.
Never forget the value of a good book or documentary. Carl Sagan's Cosmos is a little bit dated but still excellent. Universe. Walking with Dinosaurs....lots of good science stuff available. Your kids don't need to be cartoon and fairytale drones. You can set up one day a week to watch a series. If it's available for free on TV all the better.
Check out some of the excellent scientific software around. Some of the most amazing stuff is free. From planetarium software to math software, it's all there if you're willing to spend time learning and teaching with it. Don't discount web sites as well. I can think of a couple of incredible web sites including NASA and Hubblesite. There's a lot of stuff that's out of copyright but still relevant. I just downloaded some out of copyright birding books the other day. Check out open library. There may even be value in university level Open Course Ware depending on the subject (but remember your kids don't know calculus so keep math topics light).
If there's a local library, get your kids a library card and take them there when you can.
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
and a homeless guy to pracise with.
As a kid decades back, I LOVED paging through Edmund Scientific catalogs.
Now, as an adult, go visit their site: http://scientificsonline.com/
If you can't find anything there, you're not looking hard enough!
My mom always said, "Jim, you're 1 in a million." Given the current population, there are 7000 of me. God help us all!
Not really tools, but a lot of fun - http://www.particlezoo.net/
Your Time. Don't just give them the kit (any kit) and leave it at that. Sit with them and YOU start making stuff with them looking and get them more involved as you go along. I remember my first geek activity. It was when I was 4-5 years old . My father took apart an antique clock apart and cleaned it and later asking me to do small things to do. That is what got me hooked to DIY. Later when I was about 7-8 years old my mom used to read short Sci-Fi stories to me and that's what got me hooked into reading. Spend time with your kids, they will be far more involved with whatever you do. As for the kits, anything from Chemistry kits to making models are equally simulating the important thing is getting started at an early age.
Maybe your kids aren't quite old enough, but you could help them. I think I made my first successful rocket at age 10.
Buy them musical instruments, perfect complement for the mind growth of a protoscientist.
Edmund Scientific (http://scientificsonline.com/) has some pretty cool stuff for all ages. Heck, I'm 20 and I want most of the stuff on the site.
They have a big selection of decently priced telescopes and other things, among kits, solar panels, and all kinds of stuff.
Heh, yeah. Mine was so old the most "advanced" bit was a very small solar panel on it. I was quite enamored of the fact that you could make the little lightbulb turn on and off just by putting your thumb over the panel.
They just released "My First Nuke" junior scientist kit. It even comes with little blast goggles.
Check this out. http://www.discoverthis.com/
Stethoscopes, scales, rulers, measuring cups.
Other good things:
Model rockets - If they are young they can help you build and then they can launch.
Magnets, lots of basic magnets.
A Place they don't ahve to worry about making a mess so they can make experiments fail.
Encouragement in doing stuff, and you doing it with them.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
May more advanced than the one I got, that's for sure. There's no springs at the terminals or anything!!
Our local science shop gets owl pellets in. They're sterile, easy to dissect, and generally contain at least one, maybe two, skeletons of some little forest creature. When she turned 7, my daughter was given two owl pellets to dissect and said they were the best birthday present ever! (Get some metal tweezers, too. The blunt plastic ones aren't generally good enough for fine work.) Look! It's a mouse! No, it can't be, look at the front teeth. Maybe it's a vole!
Endless fun. Something simple, yet capable of demonstrating all kind of strange things. Really forces one to use their imagination. Best demonstration of how something simple can be used to do more complex things, like byte code, but less esoteric, and doesn't require any kind of reference text.
Want Big Business out of government? Take away the incentive and start by getting government out of big business!
A good place to look would be http://scientificsonline.com/ AKA Edumund Scientific corp. They have just about every kind of science gift. I've ordered from them before and can recommend them.
if you can gt to a store. There are a lot of fun and safe chemicals you can get at the grocery store to experiment with.
Speaking of which, cooking is science.
Finally, LET THEM MAKE MISTAKES.
For example. When doing the diet coke and mentos experiment, let them do it on there own. Just watch. They may get sprayed with soda, but so what?
And laugh with them and teach them that failure is an option.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
But the other kids will whoop their butts at hide-and-seek. It's pretty hard to miss the glowing kid hiding behind the hedge.
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/05/21/1936210
Not exactly the cheapest of 'toys', and lots of parental supervision needed, but showing the kids exactly how much energy we're getting from the sun should build both a healthy respect for the overhead furnace and a strong desire to melt/incinerate lots of kipple. Win-win!
But seriously, effective harnessing of solar energy is one of the hottest (Sorry!) topics in modern days, and studying how different materials react to heat in different ways can be a great introduction to physics or chemistry.
1. Goto Alan Boyle's Cosmic Log over at MSNBC. He asked and got answered the very same question.
2. My answer to him: Goto model rockets. A starter kit with a launcher and motors. A couple more kits of the same kind. One for the other kid, the other for you (getting you involved will be a recurring theme). Build them and fly them together. The small one in the starter kits can be flown from very small areas. If they enjoy it and want more, buy some more motors (mail order or local hobby shop), locate your closest NAR chapter http://www.nar.org/NARseclist.php find out when their organized launch is, and take the kids. Let them fly with the members and see some of the other rockets and higher powered motors. If they respond positively, join the chapter with them and make it a regular thing. Also, when you and they are ready to commit, you can get a family membership from NAR. BTW, there's not only a lot more manufacturers selling kits now, there are even some selling retro reproductions of some of the oldest kits, just in case you or someone you know was a rocketer back in the day and is feeling nostalgic.
NAR #28965
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
You can give them a telescope. Both of them, for their own. For $20 (plus shipping) per telescope which is of course a plus, especially given that they might decide that stargazing is not their thing. Then again, they might get hooked.
Have a look at the Galileoscope site for an idea of what you'd get. Or maybe I should say have a look at the Google-cached version as the site seems to be unavailable right now.
I do not have one of these so I can only go by what the site says so read the small print before you order...
--frank[at]unternet.org
On a completely different tact, get them a football/baseball glove/frisbee/etc., then make them go play with the neighborhood kids. Not to say that a few "nerdy toys" aren't fine to get as well, but I would suggest that at this point they are probably best served by socialization and learning to appreciate and enjoy a wide range of activities (both intellectual and physical).
My 13yr old son has found Make Magazine to be wonderful read. Their associated store has some great stuff.
"Software is the difference between hardware and reality"
Galileoscopes are $15 and have the added benefit that they are kits. Buy a couple. They are better and cheaper than toy-store variety. The best scope is one that gets used. (https://www.galileoscope.org/) I did a lot of research and a great, low cost, entry level microscope is something called a "My First Lab Duo-Scope Microscope". It sounds fishy but is sturdy, well made and not horrible optically - it runs about $60. Give "The World of the Microscope" book to go along with it. The Eyeclops(http://www.eyeclops.com/) is good for some things too if you have a TV to plug it in to. We buy a lot of equipment from Homesciencetools.com (http://www.hometrainingtools.com/) and American Science Surplus(http://www.sciplus.com/). Then best chemistry sets are the Thames and Kosmos sets. They are the least watered-down sets available now.
I'm a big fan of Zome construction kits. http://www.zometool.com/
Edmund Scientifics offers a tremendous assortment of science tools, kits and toys suitable for kids of all ages. From the time I was in elementary school until high school, most of my wish list came out of their catalog. They will likely have something that will satisfy your budding geeks.
I suggest checking out the Galileoscope:
https://www.galileoscope.org
a cheap ($20) telescope designed as part of the International Year of Astronomy to meet or exceed the specifications of Galileo's original telescope.
I've got a number of them -- they're great for kids and adults.
Buy them a nice Laser Pointer...
http://www.wickedlasers.com/index.php
What was Neil DeGrasse Tyson's name when he was 4?
http://www.ministeam.com/acatalog/Exact_Stirling_Engines.html
Way cooler than a steam engine.
If I know my nephew he'd be really happy with a book on cloning and a piece of amber with a huge ancient mosquito embedded in it.
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
I would suggest shopping at: http://www.telescope.com/ or http://scientificsonline.com/
50 lbs of neodymium magnets. I'm nearly 40 years old and I'b be giddy if someone gave me a gift like that.
All kinds of things you can do with them...build motors, play with eddy currents, build structures, low tech rail guns, ... big fun.
You can't buy home chemistry sets in the toy store any more, but this book tells you how to make your own: http://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Guide-Home-Chemistry-Experiments/dp/0596514921/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260568406&sr=8-1
If you get a microscope, don't buy one at the toystore. These are so gimped that kids can't see anything and will quickly lose interest. Look on eBay where in e.g. India you can buy solid professional grade microscopes for $100. Remember most microbes are transparent, so you either need darkfield cover (just a piece of plastic) and/or a small bottle of Methylene Blue solution otherwise they won't see the bacteria. Further suggestions: Hard to see single bacteria so also get a jar (a petri dish is better but anything with a lid is fine) and some agar (to grow bacteria in). Google is your friend.
Good luck, and kudos to you for getting some toys that will help your kids learn as opposed to the usual crap toy stores are full of these days.
They make items from kids to professional engineer grade.
Expensive, but the don't come apart like Legos and the robtics kit is top notch.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischertechnik
Never answer an anonymous letter. - Yogi Berra
The Evolution Store
http://theevolutionstore.com/
A great way to "ignite" interest.
I bought the basic kit of Cambridge BrainBox to my son at 5, and this was the most successful gift to date. He played with it for nearly 2 years. He got the advanced kits of the Cambridge BrainBoxand, then later breadboards, discrete components and digital ICs. But it holds out so long time only if you have some knowledge in electronics and you are willing to spend an hour almost each day to help him.
Water rockets are fun and demonstrate several principles of physics.
Provide your kids with the parts to make a launcher.
Better yet, let them select a plan off the internet and take them shopping for the parts.
Damm, why couldn't I have had nerdy parents...
Take a look at 2D Kits (2DKits.com) - they provide the blinkie kits for kids at the DuckCon Science Fiction convention's "Build a Blinky" session - always extremely popular. My kids learned how to solder at the age of 7 - yours can too! Older, more motivated kids can build various kits from Ramsey Electronics (shortwave radio, FM transmitter, etc.). Hey - we're geeks. What can I say?
I don't know if a "real rock-hounding kit" is typically sold as a package/kit unless they are fairly crummy plastic knock-offs. If you look around you might be able to find a good one.
If you want the real thing, buy them an Estwing geological hammer directly or from a reseller, but ONLY with good safety glasses and work gloves to go along with the hammer (extra fancy: get the belt holster too). You might want to wait until they are older for safety reasons, because these things can be dangerous, and the safety issues with hammering rocks are not to be taken lightly (we're talking about potentially losing an eye here, and hammering your thumb ain't fun either). They must be old enough and responsible enough to always use the safety glasses. NEVER, EVER, EVER use a regular carpentry hammer for this sort of thing. The type of steel used is too prone to shedding steel shards. I'm fond of the flat-tipped hammers (better for fossils / sedimentary rocks), but depending upon what rocks they find interesting or the type of rock in your neighborhood, the pointed one might be more suitable.
To complement the hammer you might want to look into a proper hand lens, something else that most geologists carry [I've had no dealings with the guys at those sites, they were just the first ones to pop up in google that had a decent selection]. Starting out, an ordinary magnifying glass is easier for kids to use, but a geologist's hand lens ("loupe") is much more durable and compact, although a bit trickier to use (it is very close range). Don't be fooled by "high power" lenses -- 10x is all you need for most things in the field and more than that is usually horribly distorted.
7 to 9 is pretty early to start getting the "real" stuff. You might want to get something simpler, safer, and cheaper until they are a bit older, or get things that have multiple uses, such as an ordinary magnifying glass and a decent backpack (good for any kind of outdoor activity). On the plus side, though, even the best-quality "rock-hounding kit" stuff is a whole lot cheaper and durable than a decent microscope usually is.
At the risk of sounding unintentionally harsh...why don't you get them whatever you think they'd most enjoy, rather than pigeonholing them into science toys?
God damn do I want one of those!
Ze Atomic Device! It iz Ztolen!
"My youngest knew Neil deGrasse Tyson's name at age 4."
Well, don't leave me hanging, what was it?
Bow-ties are cool.
I have not read all the replies, so this may already have been mentioned, but one of the simplest, cheapest, yet most fascinating science toys ever devised is called the rattleback. Here is an Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GYWYRW/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=4229887659&ref=pd_sl_92bxh7j0hj_e
When spun in one direction, the rattleback will slow to a stop, then reverse direction. Trying to explain how this happens can lead you into some fairly advanced physics. There was an article in Scientific American many years ago (in the old Amateur Scientist column) explaining it.
Sodium! Yes, the metal. Kids just don't learn enough about sodium these days...
Or mercury! Show them how much fun it is to roll a ball of mercury around in their hands, as you teach them about how mercury is a metal, and a liquid at room temperature...
Bow-ties are cool.
Science Papa?
I'm surprised I haven't yet seen a Slashdot article on outraged feminists' reactions to the Science Papa / Cooking Mama gender divide.
If you're considering a rockhound kit, it'd probably be better for your kids and you to assemble your own kit. First, there's very few items in such a kit that are genuinely specific to geology, namely, a rock hammer, appropriate guidebook (rocks and minerals, fossils, and geology are the three categories I had when I was a kid), and maybe some identification aids (like some sort of hardness kit). Most of it comes straight from a hardware or camping store (chisels, hand sledge, outdoor gear (maps and compass), safety glasses, gloves, hammer holster, day pack, etc). I also rarely do a bit of gold panning (pans, sluiceboxes, and other placer deposit mining gear can be bought or made).
A matter, which requires some consideration later on, is whether your kids want to display any of their finds. That might mean a nice glass sided cabinet or something pretty that you'd display on a coffee table. Some minerals are fairly hazardous (asbestos and galena) or delicate (gypsum crystals) and should be stored and displayed with care. I lost a number of nice specimens because I didn't protect them well enough (protip: you need a lot of padding, like feet of it, if you plan to mail gypsum crystals through the US postal service!)
My thinking with a rockhound kit is that it'd be better to buy only the special items that you can't easily find and help the kids put the rest together themselves. You probably can get a better price overall, better equipment, and the kids will be more familiar with their gear than if they got it in one big pile. There's also the matter of weight. Your kids are going to be carrying this stuff plus possibly a bunch of rock. It can't weigh a lot otherwise you'll be the one carrying it.
Don't forget the potential from making rockhound tools. I remember making my own screen box (very simple, a wooden frame with a screen bottom that lets dirt go through but retains large objects). That was one of the first things I made by myself and I used it occasionally for many years.
Whatever you get, it probably would be helpful to get them involved in the setup activities as much as they can contribute. They'll need to be able to setup and use that microscope by themselves or put together their gear for the rockhounding trip, encouraging some self-reliance, and maybe you'll do a little less work as a result.
My youngest could name all the engines in Thomas The Tank Engine at age 3.
The BASIC Stamp- microcontrollers for hobbyists.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_stamp
A witty saying proves you are wittier than the next guy.
Cats are conscious beings, and as such qualify as observers. That undermines a key assumption that is critical to the entire thought experiment, and rendering musing about it entirely moot.
If they're mathematically inclined or simply onesided - http://www.kleinbottle.com/
After they give you that classic WTF look you show them how to mix it with water to make a non-Newtonian fluid.
...SILENCE gifts for kids.
l8r, h8ful
I second that. Where I live there's so much light pollution that the Big Dipper and Orion are faint. The sky looks nearly empty of stars. It's almost shocking how many more stars I can see when far away from the big city.
As for the planisphere, I find Stellarium works fine for that.
Intellectual Property is a monopolistic, selfish, and defective concept. It is "tyranny over the mind of man"
Check out: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/
So many science toys look cool in the store and suck when you actually try them out. The Air Hogs line is a great example of when function unfortunately follows form. So many of their toys look cool but have the aerodynamic qualities of a brick. This is not to say that they have not had some great products over the years. I run a science education company called Mad Science of MN so I buy and test a lot of toys for use as activities in my classes. Here are my suggestions. #1 Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 I have been using the mindstorms systems for many years now and they are amazing. You do need to have a minimum of computer knowledge to get them set up so the kids can use it. There are so many things you can do with these sets it is amazing. If they really like it you can get them involved with the FIRST Lego League and they can actually compete building robots. It is a bit expensive but it is worth twice the price. #2 Brain Box Electronics These are the same as the snap circuits mentioned in other posts. They are easy to assemble and the color coded directions are easy to read. This brand is a bit cheaper than the snap circuits. You can short out the batteries so you need a bit of supervision or things could get hot. http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Box-500-Electronic-Learning/dp/B000NBY318 #3 Just about anything from Stephen Spangler Science I love this guy. He knows how to make science fun. His kits often lack the flash of the junk on the shelf at Walmart but they have it where it counts. Get a geyser tube to do the diet coke and mentos fountain. Do it outdoors though or you might need a new ceiling. Check out his other kits and look at the class packs if you want to do an experiment with your kids classes. #4 The OWI Kabuto Mushi and the Robotic Arm Edge I have been using OWI robotic kits for my robotics summer camps for years now. The Kabuto Mushi would be perfect for the 9 year old. It runs around on tracks, with a gripper that can pick up and carry small objects. Best of all it is wirless IR with 8 different channels. The Edge arm is my new favorite. It is expertly designed and easy for younger kids to assemble with some adult help. Both are great parent kid projects and a lot of fun when you are done. Both of these really kick their imaginations into high gear. Check out OWIs other kits as well. Thanks Colin Mad Science of MN
You can get a ferrofluid starter kit - I got one from wondermagnet.com - just a 4oz bottle of ferrofluid, a couple of magnets, and a petri dish. I wish it had been a better kit, and there may be some out there. You'll have to come up with your own experiments, (different shape magnets, elecectromagnets, speaker coils are all good starters). But it's pretty amazing stuff
How about a kit to brew homemade rootbeer or ginger beer? These are fundamentally biological processes that can spark a great discussion and lesson on yeast, biotech etc. And they make something you and your kids can drink!
these two items:
Apostol's Calculus Book
Feynman Lectures on Physics
That will help...
While you're at it, pick up a box with the "Robo Rally" board game. It's great fun to play and forces the players to think and concentrate in a playful way.
I saw some at a department store here in the Netherlands.
They were very high quality, and very expensive (like ~40 eu for a small one, like an eye), but could be very cool.
Can't remember the company name, and for that I am sorry.
http://scientificsonline.com/
And teach them the wonders of nature. Astrology, physics and biology comes to mind in a field trip.
As a kid, I received a kit that had pieces to build marble roller coasters as a Christmas gift. It was great for learning basic physics principles, and I was able to make my own designs and figure out why they did or didn't work. Mine was a Spacewarp kit (which are apparently still available at ThinkGeek), but a Google search shows that some other kits are Skyrail and Rollerscape.
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/
15 toys under $15... all look good.
http://getbuckyballs.com/
or
http://www.theneocube.com/
Just bought some for my 13 year old and now my 6 year old want some. Very addictive little toy.
My 8 year old daughter was fascinated by an old gyroscope at my inlaws. Bought one from Edmund Scientific. You never know what will spark a child's interest in science.
I loved their catalog while I was growing up. Apparently they are now scientificsonline, http://scientificsonline.com/Default.asp?bhcd2=1260574575
Wired had a couple good suggestions in this video: http://www.wired.com/video/gadgets/gadget-lab/46211877001/wish-list-5-toys-that-will-bring-out-your-inner-geek/50864036001
When I was a child my dad gave me a Radio Shack 100 in 1 electronics kit. I loved it. Radio shack still have some kits like
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3814337
But maybe it would be better to just use Google to find some kits.
your kids might be a little mature for this but a rainbow maker might be intresting. I got it for my 5 year old niece recently and she flipped. found a demonstration on youtube, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5rsQwLq0EY
Both have excellent building guides, are very educational and fun to play with. Wedgits are great for the younger kids. K'nex roller coasters and ferris wheels would be well used and loved. K'nex teach about structural design, mechanical engineering and assembly. They start with simple, easy to assemble structures and get very complex, taking days to assemble at the high end. We also spent many, many hours building our own designs.
Microscope is the best. Decades of fun. They're old enough for a real one but even one of the cheap $25 kiddie scopes open up the world if the little things. Get one that is both optical and digital to connect to the computer. We got a National Optical Model DC-128 and love it.
Next is a telescope.
Those Lego Mindstorms NXT's are totally awesome! I spent some time googling them and am blown away at what can be done with them.
I think that my kids might be ready for them but will probably take the approach of getting them for myself and "letting" them play with it. If their interest grows then we can expand it.
Look for science gifts in areas that you know well. This way you can extend the teaching far beyond the instructions by showing the kids all the other things the gift can do. This means that you'll have fun too, and the kids will think you're really smart! You can also toss instructions you happen not to like for some reason.
www.OpalScience.com has a great little kit on opal and nanotechnology
http://nerdsinc.com/ has a few nice bottle rocket launchers. They take a 20 oz or 2 liter plastic bottle, add an air compressor, and away you go. The basic kit is pretty basic but I can say it holds up well to a few 8 year olds launching rockets for hours. Nice, simple, and it works great. Also a fun way to teach aerodynamics by designing fins and nose cones for the bottles.
I would suggest a medium quality USB dissecting microscope - http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/cc14/ something like that. A nice, high quality scope is great, but a simple usb scope to look at bugs and grains of salt might get a lot of use. They're so simple to use, too.
Bread Baking stuff or Gardening stuff like a small green house.
Get them a trail GPS and take them geocaching ( http://geocaching.com ) . I started caching with my kids at that age and they love it. It's a great way to get out and spend time with them as well.
Combine electronics and astronomy by having them build their own radio telescope. They can probably McGyver something using a basic Radio Shack kit and a trash can lid or something.
"Crude and slow, clansman. Your attack was no better than that of a clumsy child."
Pretty much any 'visible' see through model. I won't ever forget my visible man nor my Visible combustion engine.
hi how about National Geographic magazine subscription.
Okay I didn't read ALL of the entries above, but with as many as I did read I cannot believe no one suggested model rocketry. You can start small with a ~$35 dollar starter kit and from there, well the sky's the limit.
http://www.apogeerockets.com/
"Science toys don't teach... Parents do!" has some truth in it. In that vein, here's a few books by Martin Gardner that have fun projects to work on together.
1. Entertaining Science Experiments with Everyday Objects
2. Science Tricks
3. Smart Science Tricks
4. Table Magic (not strictly science but teaches observation and critical thinking while being a lot of fun)
I had so much fun when I discovered these at space camp. It's a great way to play with your kids too! Sure, the fun doesn't last as long as with videogames, but it is fun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_rocket
Santa brought my 8yr old son the TK2 microscope ( http://www.thamesandkosmos.com/products/tk2/tk2.html ) last year, and it's perfect for him. It's well built (metal in all the right places), with good clear optics, yet still targeted towards kids. It can be used to view specimens lit from the top or underneath. I think this will last him through junior high, if not beyond. You can find it under $100 too.
Thames and Kosmos appear to have a good selection of cool looking science kits for kids, but I haven't had any experience with any of the others. They have kits for DNA experiments and fuel cells too. Check out their site - I'm sure something will work for your kids.
http://www.amazon.com/Thames-Kosmos-Electronics-Workshop-1/dp/B001ALNDUM
You can't overlook the model airplane that I designed:
http://www.rubber-power.com
It's called the Squirrel. It can fly hundreds of feet and it's excellent for kids.
Actually, I'm having better luck with adults as you will see if you look in the gallery at the site.
Darcy
Wow. Thanks for all the great tips /.
I now have lots of neat stuff bookmarked for years to come.
Thanks again!
Bash books are a good start. Often how to attack a puzzle goes towards good problem solving. A good set of 3D puzzles is also great. Good mechanical skills is a must along with reasoning in 3D space.
The truth shall set you free!
Even 5 year old is able to explore basic concepts. I was able to explain to my daughter (5yrs old) what electric circuit is and how the current flows through a few basic layouts we created together. We used snap circuits (http://www.elenco.com/snapcircuits.html).
Good suggestions - I was planning on writing something similar when I read that part of the question.
I'm a geologist and have some more advice regarding this. You have to be careful getting into rockhounding - it is distinctly separate from the science of geology. There's nothing wrong with it, and it's what introduces a lot of geologists to the field, but most rockhounds unfortunately don't know much beyond what looks cool or is most valuable. It can be a good introduction to the classification side of science, but there is a lot more to geology than that.
Amateur Geologist is probably the best web site to order geology stuff from - it's not just amateur stuff, they carry all the stuff actual geologists use.
Definitely get basic rock/mineral/fossil identification books - check some out in a local Barnes & Noble or Borders to see what you like, but order this kind of thing online. Check out the selection of stuff on Amateur Geologist - they've got a wide range of good quality stuff. More important than the basic identification books is something specific about the geology where the kid will be looking. Take a look at the "Roadside Geology" series, if they have one for your state. They're very good (if sometimes a bit outdated), written for the layman for the most part, and give you a very good idea of what you're looking at, how it got there, etc. This is where the real science is - figuring out what the rock/mineral/fossil means, not just what it is. You can probably find the books cheaper on Amazon than on Amateur Geologist; I haven't checked.
You want to get them a good loupe. This is way beyond a kid's magnifying glass (i.e. it's actually useful) and kids (and the college students I teach in geology 101...) will get a big kick out of looking at all kinds of stuff up close. Problem is, to get something that's better than a cheap magnifying glass, you need to spend some money. This is the one I use myself, and it is excellent in quality with a lot of magnification: BelOMO 10x Triplet Loupe - about $30. Be sure to get the lanyard with it - this is something you want the kid to take with them everywhere, but it could be easy to lose. This is *by far* the most important part of any "rock hound kit" and will be the most-used item, because it's useful for all kinds of purposes (not just geology), especially for an inquisitive kid.
For a rock hammer, again, it's worth it to go for the good stuff. This is the classic hammer you'll see most geologists using (or the leather handled version, which is more expensive) but it's quite large for a kid. They make a smaller version, though, which should be fine. If you're curious about the size and weight of the 22 ounce hammer, Sears and possibly Home Depot carry a bricklayer's hammer by Estwing that is similar in size and weight. Some geologists, particularly paleontologists, use those hammers. They have a flat chisel-like end rather than the pointed tip of the other one. You could definitely get away with giving one of those, but the flat end isn't all that useful. You're much better off getting a chisel that you can hit with the hammer for situations when you might need that kind of thing.
Don't be tempted by the cheap versions - they may be fine for bricklaying or working with wood, but the rubbery grip on the Estwing hammers is really important. It can hurt a lot to hit a hard rock with a hammer that has a wood or cheap plastic handle.
Here's a cheap holster for it. This is important so the kid doesn't put the hammer down and forget about it until it's too late, and to make them feel cool because they've got a
DIY circuit boards and a book on electronics! Or an Einstein action figure. I know I'd be happy.
I knew slashdot had lost the FOSS. Just like when the fonz lost his cool.
Open source hardware and software, thousands of projects, from blinking lights, all the way to 3d part replication.
A catalog from Edmunds Scientifics A Dream Machine for kids of all ages. http://scientificsonline.com/Default.asp?bhcd2=1260840634
I'm sorry, I'm to tired to be witty at the moment so this message will have to do.