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Products recognized as winners in this report have been judged by independent parent testers. Submitted products are evaluated on their individual levels of appeal, desirability, sturdiness, interactive stimulation, price and other elements essential in the make-up of a quality product.
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Smile
Judy Kaplan Ginsburgh
This fun filled audio tape features an uplifting series of educational messages that are easy to listen to. Parents mentioned that they could hear Ms. Ginsburgh's smile in her voice, making their children smile right along. The songs are just the right combination of silly and sweet. There are wonderful lessons mixed in here as well. Parents felt that they would be able to listen to this tape in their car the necessary number of times without losing their minds, no small feat when it comes to car audio tapes.
Recommended Age: 2 to 10
Price: \$10.00
Kool Car Radio
Kamen Entertainment Group
It's a hip, cool, radio station for kids. No, it's an audio tape. Hold on, it's both! This very unique tape had our testers laughing and giggling to the silly stories, fun songs and general goofiness that is packaged in Kool Car Radio. There are jingles and news reports and much more. The usual fare of song after song is refreshingly replaced with an aura of wacky radio station programming that our testers enjoyed.
Recommended Age: 2 to 9
Price: \$9.95
Rock 'N Learn Multiplication Rap
Rock 'N Learn
Catchy memorable lyrics and a fun upbeat attitude, make this audio tape something that is ideal for helping kids overcome learning blocks. Music is one of the best ways we know to help with the retention of essential material like teaching the times table. The rhyming techniques of rap music lends itself well here. Our testers agreed that while learning multiplication may not be their idea of fun, it sure helped to have this tape to make it go down easier.
Recommended Age: 7 and Up
Price: \$9.95
Magic Touch Talking Books
Kenner/Hasbro, Inc.
Kids loved this interactive book that talks, plays music and quizzes readers. From the youngest testers to school aged children we found a high level of enthusiasm. This play-along book features pages full of hot-spots that respond to the readers touch. The book we evaluated was Monkeytalia, which is the first book released in the product line. Children could read a story, locate pictures and get hours more enjoyment than previous incarnations of press and play books.
Recommended Age: 3 and Up
Price: \$19.99
The Adventures of Flumpa & Friends
Ion Imagination Entertainment, Inc.
This endearing little story enchanted our young testers with its tale of a lost little frog, Flumpa and the friends he makes on his journey back home. The accompanying audio tape features an animated reading of the book, as well as songs about Flumpa. The illustrations are bold and vibrant and the text is large and easy to follow. Our testers let their parents know that they liked this book/tape package by requesting repeat readings over and over.
Recommended Age: 3 to 8
Price: \$24.95
Junior League Baseball Magazine
2D Publishing
Little League, Pony League, T-Ball, Softball, whatever the form, baseball is a part of our national fabric. Dotting the landscape from Maine to California are diamonds, sandlots and open fields where every weekend parents cheer on their little stars. Now there is a publication for ball players who haven't yet reached the major leagues. Filled with tips on hitting, fielding and pitching our parent reviewers enjoyed the focus on the basics as well as ideas for making the experience fun and rewarding. For the very young player this is clearly overkill, but as the game takes on increased importance and involvement this magazine is a superb support tool.
Recommended Age: 5 to 15
Price: \$19.95 a year
Summer Bridge Activities-Grade 5 to 6
Rainbow Publishing, Inc.
Following in the footsteps of its award winning predecessors, the 5th to 6th grade version of Summer Bridge Activities is a great tool for keeping kids sharp during school breaks. The lessons and drills are fun to do and help to successfully reinforce what has been taught during the school year. The presentation is attractive and appealing for both parents and children who enjoyed both showing off their skills and keeping them fine tuned.
Recommended Age: 10 to 12
Price: \$12.95
James Discovers Math
Broderbund Software
Using just the right mix of fun and games for the very young (those who are just getting used to the computer and exploring math concepts for the first time), James came up a winner. In this CD-ROM title children are introduced to James a friendly companion who happens to hail from downunder. His pleasant manner and delightful accent make for a fun journey towards discovering numbers, telling time, understanding sizes and much more.
Recommended Age: 3 to 6
Price: \$40.00
Stanley's Sticker Stories
Edmark Corporation
A big favorite in the testing center, this program features a potpourri of multimedia fun. There are loads of colorful graphics, sounds and animations to catch your child's eye. The microphone input option thrilled our young testers as they were able to include their voices in the game play. There are plenty of good lessons here for parents looking for educational value, but also lots of fun stuff that makes it a program that kids will return to again and again.
Recommended Age: 3 to 7
Price: \$39.99
Freddi Fish & The Case
of the Haunted Schoolhouse
Humongous Entertainment
Humongous Entertainment has such a hit with Freddi that it won't be long before we start seeing Freddi popping up everywhere, on our doorsteps at Halloween, on lunchboxes and more. The reason is a good one, Freddi enchants and delights children with his interactive adventures. This version, the second in what surely will be a much longer series, invites children to uncover clues, piece together puzzles and solve a well crafted mystery. Superb animation and sound make this a first rate CD-ROM that your kids will love.
Recommended Age: 3 to 8
Price: \$39.95
Imagination Express, Destination: Ocean
Edmark Corporation
The newest module to the very successful Imagination Express series offers creative minds the opportunity to venture into the watery depths. Once there, they can use this very fertile landscape to fashion their own tales of adventure, derring-do, whatever. As with the previous, less damp versions of Imagination Express, kids are encouraged to spin their own yarns. They are given tools to spark the imaginative process, including characters and sets, but the rest is up to them. Parents loved the challenge presented their kids, but even more so they enjoyed seeing the output.
Recommended Age: 6 to 12
Price: \$39.99
Piano Discovery for KIDS
Jump! Music, Inc.
Practice and patience are the foundation of this software that targets new piano players to the joy of making music. The two computerized teachers feature voices that are friendly and supportive and address the student with unbridled enthusiasm, which is clearly aimed at the younger set. This program comes complete with a small sized piano keyboard that fits onto your regular computer keyboard. There are stickers to identify the notes and even stickers for your child's fingers. Parents will have to keep an eye on their children and provide additional support and motivation, but when the first three note song is tackled, the smile will be worth it.
Recommended Age: 6 to 12
Price: \$49.99
Thinkin' Things Collection 3
Edmark Corporation
Edmark continues to add to its superb design legacy with the third installment of this series. This freeform collection of problem solving exercises and abstract tools, encourages creative fun and play on the computer. Each release in the series is aimed at a slightly older audience. Children are challenged with deductive reasoning exercises, spatial exploration and creative play in the fun photo editing area. A real benefit according to our parents, is the program's ability to grow with the child. It tests them more and more each time with harder problems making this a program that remains fresh, challenging and fun.
Recommended Age: 7 to 13
Price: \$39.99
Mighty Math Number Heroes
Edmark Corporation
One of the essential ingredients in learning math skills is practice. Anyone who recalls dittoed work sheets also remembers that this type of practice can be mind numbing drudgery. This software takes that drudgery and quickly replaces it with a wildly fun interface that makes math like addition, subtraction, geometry, and even concepts like probability fun and exciting. There are four different environments that allow children to answer questions in a game show setting or to shoot off fireworks from a rooftop as they practice their fractions.
Recommended Age: 8 to 10
Price: \$39.99
Logical Journey of the Zoombinis
Broderbund Software
When you are a school aged child math means numbers, formulas and pop quizzes. It's unfortunate because math is so much more than that. Math is based on concepts of logic. Teaching children that math and logic are intertwined is a difficult proposition, but the Logical Journey accomplishes the task superbly. Using logic to solve the mysteries of wonderfully animated puzzles, parents could almost hear their children's brains feverishly spinning as they solved brain teasers and conundrums. Sure the box says it teaches math but there is so much more inside, and our testers were glad they took the time to discover what it was.
Recommended Age: 8 to 12
Price: \$40.00
Reading Galaxy
Broderbund Software
Reading comprehension lessons mixed with a liberal dash of whimsy make this a truly wonderful edutainment title. Using the premise of an outer-worldly game show, players are presented with passages from well known books and then quizzed on content, vocabulary and other details that challenge the child to utilize their logical and analytical thinking skills. All the while the kids are having a blast, as the zany host and an assortment of aliens keep the pace moving. This program is constantly entertaining and a real winner.
Recommended Age: 8 to 12
Price: \$40.00
Write, Camera, Action!
Broderbund Software
What a lot of fun our testers had with this new program from Broderbund. The same folks that have delivered a long line of superb interactive titles now add to their list of winners with this animated movie making release. Everything is included to put you in the director's seat. The actors, the sets, the scripts, the publicity department, even the posters for the major motion picture you are in charge of. Every aspect of bringing a movie to completion and release is here and you oversee it all. You are the director. Don't like the mood of a scene? No problem. Want to do your own voice overs? It's in there. Right up to hopping in the limo for a trip to the gala premier. Testers, staff, everyone really enjoyed this software.
Recommended Age: 8 to 12
Price: \$40.00
Pony Express Rider
McGraw-Hill Home Interactive
Adventure. Danger. Shoot-outs. Sounds like just another video game but Pony Express Rider doesn't take place in some Doom-like setting. This is a page taken right out of our American history books. Recreating life in the west during the Civil War, Pony Express places you as the youngest member of the illustrious corps of riders that carried the mail and the news to points west. Along the way you'll meet historical characters, gain a better understanding of the time, the people and the issues that nearly tore the country apart in the War between the States. There is a good mix of history and fun here, enough to keep you on your horse and headed west.
Recommended Age: 9 and Up
Price: \$35.00
Pyramid: Challenge of the Pharaoh's Dream
McGraw-Hill Home Interactive
Understanding civilizations from long ago can provide us with fascinating insights into our own culture. This bold CD-ROM production brings to life the era of Ancient Egypt. Players are transported back to the time when Pharaoh's ruled. The scenes and the music are well crafted allowing the player to sense what life was like so many years ago. There are tasks to achieve using the knowledge and tools of the era, and with each achievement the player is brought one step closer to pharaoh himself.
Recommended Age: 10 and Up
Price: \$35.00
That's A Fact, Jack
Follett Software Company
If you've seen, heard or played You Don't Know Jack!, one of the biggest multimedia hits of the decade, you know the foundation of this wonderful classroom game. A TV game show provides the entertaining backdrop for this classroom software that thrilled our teachers and students testers. Students are invited to read (really read books!) from a list that include well known titles. When the book is completed the student can play the game show alone or with two other contestants. The content of the book is then examined in a series of game show like questions that test reading comprehension as well as character motivation and more. This is a superb program that would be a great addition to any school's software library.
Recommended Age: 10 to 15
Price: \$750.00 (per school)
BRIO MEC START/Crane & Dump Truck
BRIO Corporation
Wooden toys are sometimes viewed as a throwback to another era, if that is so then our parent testers enjoyed walking the bridge to the past. Carved out of solid hardwood this truck stood up to all our testers could dish out. This helped it gain high marks for durability and quality. Wooden toys often come with a higher price tag than their plastic competitors, but that did nothing to dissuade our evaluators from giving high marks to this Brio toy.
Recommended Age: 2 and Up
Price: \$35.00
Radio Flyer Trail Blazer Wagon
Radio Flyer, Inc.
Wagons are wonderful play toys that children have enjoyed for many years. They make great riding toys and nothing carries around dolls and other toys better. They often double as useful tools for hauling bigger stuff as many parents have found. One drawback has been that they aren't very portable because once they're built they a pretty big. Radio Flyer addresses that problem with their wonderful Trail Blazer Wagon. This wagon not only performs like a champ in all it's duties as a children's toy, but when it comes time to pack up for a trip to the park or playground, it folds virtually flat, including the wheels! Our parents loved that and gave this trail blazing design a Seal of Approval.
Recommended Age: 1 1/2 and Up
Price: \$69.99
Radio Flyer Scoot-About
Radio Flyer, Inc.
The simple design of this scooter/trike received high marks from our testers. The very low price and the exceptionally easy assembly won over our parent testers while the toddlers who tried it out showed their appreciation with smiles and grins. The small, lightweight design makes it a natural for families with little storage space or for families in apartments who have to carry outside toys over distances.
Recommended Age: 1 to 3
Price: \$14.99
Barking Body Puppet
Applause, Inc.
The adorable dalmation design of this soft and cuddly puppy captured the hearts of children and parents alike. The puppy puppet has a voice box that barks when you squeeze it and a face that can melt you from 50 yards away. Children instantly took to the barking puppy, in part this is due to the impending release of the 101 Dalmations movie. More likely it's because he's just to darn cute to put down.
Recommended Age: 3 and Up
Price: \$25.00
Kermit Body Puppet
Applause, Inc.
One of the most beloved puppets of all time has been superbly recreated by Applause. Kermit, the wise cracking frog from Sesame Street and Muppet lore is just as you imagine him, with his droopy eyes, and green felt body. The recognition factor of this remarkably famous frog was apparent from the day he set his webbed feet in the testing center. Parents and children alike felt an instant affinity for Miss Piggy's boyfriend, the irrepressible Kermit the Frog.
Recommended Age: 3 and Up
Price: \$20.00
Space Shuttle Mission - Floor Puzzle
Frank Schaffer Publications, Inc.
These large sized floor puzzles continue to score big with our testers large and small. The easy to manipulate pieces and the colorful informative designs, make for a fun learning experience. The packaging is filled with interesting tid bits about the space shuttle and the space program. Our young astronaut testers loved putting the two-part puzzle together and then exploring on their own the shuttle floor mat. The supporting informative text about the space shuttle helps to paint a complete picture about space adventure.
Recommended Age: 3-7
Price: \$14.95
Toobers & Zots Oobles
Hands On Toys
Kids really took to this flexible, interchangeable, pliable free-form play toy. Kids and parents alike appreciated the opportunity to let their imaginations go. Since there is no right or wrong way to play with Toobers, Zots or Oobles we saw plenty of interesting designs. The new addition of Oobles to the line adds a sturdy aspect to this colorful toy which allowed for more creativity. Of all the colorful designs created, we were most impressed that no two were alike throughout the two months of testing.
Recommended Age: 4-8
Price: \$24.95
K'NEX Discovery Set
K'NEX Industries, Inc.
K'Nex' entry level set is a well-priced free form toy that will challenge and entertain children like no other toy in its class. The colorful interlocking K'Nex design, which has garnered Seal after Seal, continues to win over parents and children with kits that encourage manipulative play and imaginative exploration. There are well illustrated building examples that most new users will naturally start with, but after a while children begin discovering and creating their own K'Nex creations. This toy delighted our young testers and their parents as well.
Recommended Age: 6 and Up
Price: \$39.99
Periscope
Tasco Sales, Inc.
For little people there is something very satisfying about a periscope. It is an equalizer of sorts, allowing you to peer over walls, fences and other obstacles just like big people. Perhaps that's why our child testers enjoyed playing with this sturdy periscope as a spy toy. The side handles make it easy to control, a feature many of our parents made note of. Everywhere we looked there were mirrors with eyes peering around corners and into places that were previously out of reach.
Recommended Age: 6 and Up
Price: \$20.00
The Brain Quest Card Game
The United States Playing Card Co.
Who better than US Playing Cards to put a twist on the plain old card deck? This unique deck of cards features age appropriate brain stumpers that challenge players. There are lots of wild cards and variations that serve to level the playing field, this allows kids to play with grown-ups. Kids love showing off their trivia knowledge and parents enjoyed watching them scrunch their faces up to recall answers. There are the usual card symbols on the cards allowing them to double as regular playing cards, so it's twice the fun for a very agreeable price.
Recommended Age: 6 to 12
Price: \$4.95
Predators & Prey
Predators & Prey, Inc.
More than a race from Point A to Point B, this is a board game in which players make life and death decisions for all types of wild life. The game, which features great photography of some of nature's most interesting creatures, challenges players think as predator or prey while trying to survive long enough to get to the finish line first. There are lessons and enough facts and information to satisfy parents looking for a game that teaches, but all that aside kids thought this game was a lot of fun.
Recommended Age: 7 to 13
Price: \$22.95
Mrs. Fields Baking Factory
YES! Entertainment Corp.
This easy to use baking center is a significant step up from the well known predecessor that we all grew up with. First of all, you don't make just any old cookies in this oven, they are Mrs. Fields cookies for goodness sake. And they are delicious. The design and functionality of the oven are good examples of sturdy construction and operation. The window, which lets you peek in on your creations as they cook, was a real favorite, as were the small sized utensils for mixing, cutting, measuring and serving.
Recommended Age: 8 and Up
Price: \$29.99
Triazzle Jigsaw
DaMert Company
These beautiful jigsaw puzzles will test your puzzling skills with their unique twist on the art of puzzle making. With the Triazzle triangle at the heart of each and every interlocking piece, you will be challenged by the complex simplicity of the puzzle design. Our testers figured, "Only three sides? What could be so tough?" Hours later, scratching their heads, they were still at it, having a great time, but flexing their puzzle-playing muscle to the limit. The final product in each of these designs is a beautiful work of art that will make it hard to break apart.
Recommended Age: 8 and Up
Price: \$15.00
Fort Legoredo
Lego Systems, Inc.
This advanced Lego system features a grown up playability for children who enjoy playing with Legos. Fort Legoredo allows for concentrated play that results in a great depiction of life in the wild west when life was an adventure. There are lots of unique features to this Lego kit that set it apart. The faces on the people are very animated, which our young builders appreciated. There was also a strong sense of accomplishment when they completed their fort, a real pride in the result. Parents and children alike agreed that this was a Lego toy that would experience an extended play life. With the high price tag on this set, it ought to.
Recommended Age: 8 to 12 years
Price: \$84.99
Tissue Craft Kit
ALEX/Panline USA, Inc.
This easy to understand and easy to use craft kit was a hit in our testing centers. Kids and parents found themselves creating colorful works of art with the enclosed tissue paper. There are several templates to get your creative juices flowing and from there the kids showed a real flair for grasping the concept of crumbling, pasting and coming up with tissue paper masterpieces. Each creation we saw was suitable for framing, of course! This project set is great fun that will provide hours of enjoyment.
Recommended Age: 5 and Up
Price: \$15.00
Oceans of Fun
ExploraToy
Sea Monkeys have been around since before we were kids, right? Now these legendary beasties come to life again in this grow-your-own environment. This very easy to use system of Sea Monkey breeding is fun to set up and fun to watch. You'll observe your fledging monkeys (actually they look like floating vertebra) grow to slightly larger monkeys (vertebra). No matter that these guys don't like bananas and cant swing on trees, our testers thought they were cool, and our parents were amazed at how easy they were to care for. After all, theres no need for paper training or shots at the vet.
Recommended Age: 6 and Up
Price: \$7.95
Sand Treasures
ALEX/Panline USA, Inc.
Kids love playing with sand, it's one of the things that we've proven time and time again at our testing centers. There is something about the precision and the virtually flawless end result that occurs when you follow the simple directions that is very satisfying. The sample sheets included in this set are very appealing. Our parents watched as their children jumped in with unbridled enthusiasm from start to finish. Parents also noted that the price was right.
Recommended Age: 7 and Up
Price: \$15.00
Crazy Cords
Hart Enterprises
Crazy Cords is a braiding system that is so simple and easy to use that we couldn't keep little or big hands off of it. From the moment it entered out testing center we became braided cord crazy. It's so easy to use that in no time everyone was making colorful twisted cords that were suitable for hair ribbons, bracelets, belts and more. Parents noted that they will probably run through yarn and other material rather quickly. The packaging could stand some improvement in terms of long term storage. However, there's no denying this is as fun a craft gizmo as we've ever seen.
Recommended Age: 8 and Up
Price: \$9.99
IQ Super PC
Team Concepts
This is a very powerful toy, that looks alarmingly like a colorful laptop computer. Featured inside its sleek design is a strong mix of teaching lessons, productivity tools and entertaining diversions that are the essential ingredients of any good portable computer. Of course this is not a PC, but it is a challenging and fun interactive toy that does give the feel of a powerful tool. Kids liked the design and big assortment of activities, while parents thought highly of the stimulating power of the IQ Super PC.
Recommended Age: 8 and Up
Price: \$89.99
VTECH Smart Keys Keyboard
VTECH, Inc.
When it comes to introducing very young children to the computer we've found that they grasp the concept of the mouse quickly but take a very long time warming up to the keyboard. There are so many buttons, and they are in no reasonable order. VTech has addressed those concerns with a very user friendly device that has all the functions of a regular keyboard, plus a few added gizmos that take a lot of the intimidation away. There are animal shaped keys like a frog for the space key, a flying bird for the ESC key and more. There is also a piano keyboard that features light-up keys. Some parents expressed hesitation at introducing a keyboard other than the one children will eventually need to learn, while others appreciated the attempt to make the computer a more friendly environment.
Recommended Age: 3 to 7
Price: \$79.99
Disney Touch 'n Crawl Babies
Mattel
It's almost impossible to resist these adorable crawling dolls. Available in all the most popular and loved Disney characters, these little dolls are crawling companions that our crawling testers flipped out over. They giggled at Baby Mickey, hugged Baby Minnie and chased Baby Donald for hours. Parents were equally enthralled and also mentioned the very reasonable price point in giving high marks for these award winning toys.
Recommended Age: 6 to 24 mos.
Price: \$20.00
Baby's First Impressions, Vol. 1, 2 & 3
Small Fry Productions
When it comes to stimulating and intriguing very young minds it is important to remember to keep it simple, and very basic. There is no need to make huge productions when it comes to videos to entertain toddlers. Easy to watch colors and movement are appealing without being overwhelming and that is what this series of video tapes does. Colors, shapes and more move easily across the screen with easy to listen to voices and music. The tapes don't lull children to sleep, instead they engage them with just the right amount of stimulus.
Recommended Age: 6 mos. to 4 yrs.
Price: \$38.00 set
Little Smart Peek-A-Boo Park
VTECH, Inc.
This crib attachment toy features lots of stimulating fun for the little explorer. There are doors to open, lights that flash, small manipulatives to move and press, and lots of sounds to thrill. The plastic housing is sturdy and secures to the crib solidly, which our parent testers appreciated. Perhaps six month olds won't appreciate the attempt to teach numbers, shapes and colors, but as a child grows this crib toy grows along with their skill level, unlike many other crib toy predecessors. Another favorite with the Peek-A-Book Park was the option to paste Mom & Dad's pictures, which when revealed, feature a voice effect saying "Mama" or "Daddy".
Recommended Age: 6 mos. to 36 mos.
Price: \$29.99
Little Smart Tutor Scooter
VTECH, Inc.
With its big red wheels and its solid feel for the road our little testers were all smiles over this multi-level play scooter. Not only is the scooter fun to ride on but its fun to play with. The control panel features all the bells and whistles, literally. There are buttons and a telephone, gears to shift and a talking on-board companion so that your little one is entertained and very busy. There are guessing games and lots of digitized sounds that made the Tutor Scooter a real toddler favorite.
Recommended Age: 12 mos. to 36 mos.
Price: \$49.99
Parenting Insights Magazine
Parenting Insights Publishing
Targeted exclusively to parents of school age children, this monthly newsletter features a nice variety of articles that cover the subjects that are of interest to parents. There are no advertisements or other commercial endorsements which our parent testers appreciated. Our testers also told us that the newsletter's writing style was easy to understand, and that the information was helpful enough to be worth their while and their investment.
Price: \$19.00 per year
Carin' 4 Kids
Practical Family Software Inc.
From our parent tester's perspective this is the ultimate software for compiling all of the important facts and facets of your everyday life. This is a compendium of your family's vital statistics for caregivers responsible for looking after your children and your home when you're not there. The program walks you through an exhaustive examination of important aspects of your life so that if you are away from home for the day, a week or even longer there is a complete resource guide for the people in charge. The program lets you hand over a printed guidebook that caregivers can rely on for information from emergency response, to favorite likes and dislikes for dinner. Our parents liked that the program doesn't require the caregiver to work the computer but compiles everything in a handy looseleaf binder.
Price: \$39.95
Pedal Magic
Pedal Magic, Inc.
When you make a promise as lofty as "Teach anyone to ride a bike in 5 minutes. Guaranteed.", you'd better be able to back it up. Most of our parents testers were more than a little skeptical that a video tape could hold such magical power. We let our testers try it for themselves at home. Time and time again they returned amazed, thrilled and most importantly with children who could ride bicycles! The system is simple and easy to understand providing parents with the tools they need to get their child up and riding. You can't argue with success, which is exactly what we had with this video.
Recommended Age: 4 and Up
Price: \$14.95
Newton's Greatest Hits
Wild Goose Co.
Here's a fun and very inventive way to teach one of the oldest laws on the books, the Law of Gravity. The same law that had the whole world stumped until the apple fell on Sir Isaac's head, is now examined every which way in this fun package of projects. The instruction manual is brilliantly written and offers a variety of very cool demonstrations and experiments that you can try out with the tools included. Everything is well explained with excellent visual and physical reinforcement. Science exploration becomes an adventure instead of a task with Newton's Greatest Hits.
Recommended Age: 8 and Up
Price: \$18.00
Geosafari Talking Globe
Educational Insights
Globes remain an invaluable learning tool for discovering more about the earth we live on. Nothing illustrates distances and location better than this age old, hands-on tool. Educational Insights has added a twist to their globe by attaching a talking base that challenges players to identify geographical landmarks, countries, capitals and more. The price had some of our parents shy away, but just as many said that this nicely detailed globe would be a welcome addition to their family rooms. The questions are asked by a friendly voice and there are varying levels of difficulty. Parents mentioned that they wished wrong answers were identified with correct responses, however they gave it high marks for stimulating their children's interest in geography.
Recommended Age: 8 and Up
Price: \$99.95
Or, for more information about The Seal of Approval or The National Parenting Center call: 1-800-753-6667
EOM