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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."
they have some cool kits.
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!
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3814337#
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.
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
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.
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!
Great for engineering and then for programming. There are also a number of cool books that can go along with the set.
Seconding the telescope option. But don't do it if you're getting them a crappy one - it's easy to get discouraged with garbage. Do some research and don't get sucked in by marketing ploys advertising 99999999x magnification or whatever. Get a decent reflector with a useable aperture and good eyepieces.
And yes, IAAA (I am an astronomer).
What ever kit or instruments you procure them for Christmas, accompany it with a good notebook and some durable pens. The experiment is the cool stuff, but the recording of the story of how you explain the consequences it the real value you can bring to early explorations of science. A real lab notebook with numbered and permanently bound pages for your young scientist to record their adventures, possibly from a university bookstore with a university logo on it may do something to increase its appeal. Comparisons to a Captain's log might help your sell, but saying its like a diary might hurt your case.
http://www.aaronrogier.net
Don't just go out and get a telescope without a good book to go with it.
I've been using one of David Levy's books with my kids... something similar to:
David Levy's Guide to the Night Sky
that I found in the bargain bin some time ago. It has great introduction and background, plus points of interest to look for in every constellation. Much better than the rudimentary charts that come packaged with most telescopes.
Also, it recommends first starting with a good pair of binoculars before moving on to telescopes. Which are also more practical for virtually any other kind of natural sciences pursuit as well.
If you get a telescope for them, be sure to make it a decent reflector. One of the biggest ways people go wrong getting into stargazing is by getting a cheap telescope that is worse than a pair of binoculars. Not only is the result blurry, but you can't get enough light to see the fainter objects that are the most interesting. Contact your local astronomical society for a good deal on a used scope. You might even be able to get a mount for a digital camera so your kids can photograph what they see and send it to relatives or post online. A photo they take of the moon or Jupiter will really make them smile and be encouraged. If you get REALLY into it, you can check out some of the amateur research requests on AAVSO. :) But little steps at first.
I second what you wrote. To the original author: You'll need to have your expectations in order when you buy a telescope. And stay far, far away from the Chinese junk; it's borderline worthless. Some tips are below. First, your viewing expectations:
Binoculars (~$100):
* Moon: Great. Almost like in books or photographs.
* Planets: Points of light. You will probably see the Galilean moons around Jupiter. You probably won't see Saturn's rings, but you might.
* Galaxies and globular clusters: The brightest galaxies and globular clusters will look like fuzzy blurs on the starfield.
* Open clusters: The brightest open clusters, such as the Pleiades, will have a number of stars visible within. Don't expect much from others.
* Nebulae: Don't expect to see any but the brightest of them, and expect those to be in black and white, with no real detail of relevance.
Low-end, 4-6" telescope (~$350):
* Moon: Wonderful. Better than books and photographs.
* Planets: Points of light. You will see the Galilean moons around Jupiter. If you're *very* lucky, you might see cloud bands. You will likely see Saturn's rings, but no real detail. You can get enhanced planet detail by stacking photographs (you'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount)
* Galaxies and globular clusters: The brightest galaxies and globular clusters will look like fuzzy blurs on the starfield. You can get greater detail if you hook up a camera and do long exposures (with tracking) or stacking of photos. You'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount for this.
* Open clusters: Like binoculars, but more stars.
* Nebulae: Don't expect to see any but the brightest of them, and expect those to be in black and white, with relatively little detail. Color and detail can be greatly enhanced by long exposures (with tracking) or stacking of photos. You'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount for this.
High-end, 8-12" telescope (~$1000 or more). Assuming good viewing conditions:
* Moon: Wonderful. Better than books and photographs.
* Planets: Mercury and Venus are points of light. You might make out Mars' polar ice caps. You will see the Galilean moons around Jupiter, as well as cloud bands. You will see Saturn's rings, and perhaps some detail on them. Uranus and Neptune are dim points of light. Greater detail can come from stacking of images (you'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount)
* Galaxies and globular clusters: The brightest galaxies and globular clusters will *still* look like fuzzy blurs on the starfield, although on some globular clusters, you may see some individual stars. You can get much greater detail if you hook up a camera and do long exposures (with tracking) or stacking of photos. You'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount for this.
* Open clusters: Like a smaller telescope, but even more stars.
* Nebulae: Only expect to see those that are at least fairly bright, and expect those to be in black and white, with relatively little detail. Color and detail can be dramatically enhanced by long exposures (with tracking) or stacking of photos. You'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount for this.
In short: No matter what you get, as far as consumer products go, the moon is great, while planets, galaxies, globular clusters, open clusters, and nebulae are generally disappointing unless you do long exposures and/or stacking to enhance them. But going with a better scope with a bigger aperture will let you see more detail with your bare eyes.
General tips:
* You may not even have given this a second thought, but think strongly about the physical size of what you buy. A pair of binoculars is a nothing task to grab and toss into the car to head out of town and go stargazing. A 50lb, 8-foot long Newtonian? Not so much. A big, heavy object will discourage you from using it. If
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