Science Reviews

A winner of the National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval, this educational kit teaches a broad range of lessons about astronomy. Scientifically inclined kids of all ages will enjoy constructing colorful scale models of all nine planets. They're relatively big, with Jupiter, the largest, 5 inches wide. The kit also features a big (36 by 12 inches) poster of the Sun, complete with sunspots. A 64-page solar system science book contains assembly and painting instructions, information about all the planets and their moons, and a score of suggestions for fun and educational science experiments. This kit makes a nifty companion to Educational Design's Our Amazing Planet Earth. --Rebecca Hughes

A combination toy and science kit, this is one cool item that's almost as fun to learn about as it is to assemble. At first the 32 pieces may look a bit daunting, but putting them together is a literal snap when you follow the enclosed directions. As you assemble the sides into a geodesic ball, you'll discover in a hands-on manner what makes this shape inherently stable and self supporting. Once it's assembled, you'll find yourself with a surprisingly stable ball that you can toss, roll, or hang from the ceiling. Turn out the lights and watch the entire contraption take on that famous glow-in-the-dark green luminescence. Give it a spin for a particularly groovy effect, and then think about the way that things as huge as Buckminster Fuller's geodesic domes and as tiny as the carbon-60 molecule are constructed on a similar pattern. We recommend that an adult be around to give a hand, at least at the beginning. --John Longenbaugh