Where children find excitement for their minds...

Plant Lab Trio - This cool product uses gel designed by Aerospace engineers at NASA to create a nutritive and non-toxic culture media for living plant and animal ecosystems.  The gel allows you to see the roots of the tiny plant emerge as the seeds grow into plants which you can transplant later! The container is self contained and you don’t need to water the seeds. This kit comes with a peat mixture that you can use later to transplant your new seedlings by using the same container (after which you need to water the plants).  $24.95

This and other products are made by Edu-Sci Ltd which is located in the UK.  You can only get the Plant Lab Trio in the US via local distributors (click on the photo or name to by online).  Other products available in Europe are the BioSphere and BeachWorld which are sealed self contained glass enclosures with real micro-ecosystems enclosed. 

We bought our Plantarium at the “Cite des Sciences & de l’Industrie”  in Paris, France.

Animal - The Definitive Visual Guide to the World’s Wildlife

This is the most complete book of the Animal kingdom you can find. The book is over 600 pages packed with terrific information and pictures. With over 2,000 species and written with over 70 expert zoologists in coordination with the Smithsonian Institution this comprehensive book provides specific information about each animal combined with phenomenal photos and maps.  We use this book as a reference guide to answer questions about any kind of animal including insects.  The facts are short but very complete. You’ll never have to buy another animal book again!  Go to Amazon to look inside and see the editorial reviews.  This is a book not to be missed.  You can get a great price on it from Amazon, hardcover retail is $50, but Amazon has it for about $30.

The BEST Science Experiment Kits to do at home!

We have researched the available “Do At Home” science project kits and have found that the Thames & Kosmos kits to be the most authentic and of high quality.  This year at the 2007 Toy Fair I was able to really look at their wide selection of kits and compare them to other manufacturers. The kits are shown below, click on the links to purchase them online!  Thames & Kosmos have the best! Here is a bit about them from their website:

Thames & Kosmos was founded in 2001 with the mission of improving informal science education by publishing high-quality science and technology related educational products for children of all ages. We place an emphasis on teaching concepts and skills through hands-on modeling of real-world devices and processes, and by offering comprehensive, meaningful reading materials for a rich learning experience.