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Kaps
Off Markers
P&M's Products USA, Inc.
Not
you're run of the mill coloring markers, Kaps Off are what markers should be.
Bright, colorful and best of all highly resistant to drying out, this
assortment of markers impressed our testers with their durability and their
unique color assortment. The bright
vibrant colors really stood out and made an impression on users of all ages.
The safety design of the caps allows air to pass through even if it is
swallowed. That is just another
part of the forward thinking demonstrated in the design of these markers. The
packaging claims that these markers would not dry out even after 60 days with
the Kaps off. We put them to the two-month test and at the end they were
still going strong with bright, clear colors.
Recommended
Age: 3 and Up
Price: $2.99
Pastel
Power Pack Jr.
P&M's Color Workshop
There
is so much stuff crammed into this craft kit that you and your children can
while away many an hour doodling, designing and creating a variety of works of
art. There are all types of papers
to make signs, cards, knob hangers and more.
There are stickers, stencils, blopens and gel pens and the list goes on.
If your child likes to create and enjoys a free form activity kit where
their imaginations are in control, then for under $12 you can't go wrong.
Parents told us that this kit would make a great birthday party present.
Recommended
Age: 4 and Up
Price: $11.99
Bio-Dome
- Habitat/Terrarium
Botanical Science
Mother
nature puts on some of the best shows and Bio-Dome is a wonderful theater for
watching her work. This complete
kit features a molded plastic dome, potting soil, decorative stones, gravel,
moss and a nice variety of seeds to grow colorful flowers. The instruction booklet outlines the simple steps you need to
get your terrarium up and running. The
kit shows a picture of a small animal that can live in this as a habitat, but
for our purposes we set up a terrarium. The
shape and size of the BioDome made it easy to work with and watch as we awaited
results. Teachers who used it in
their classrooms told us that their students really enjoyed participating in the
set up and their continued interest in watching the growth and development of
their seeds was constant. Teachers
also appreciated the nice variety of seed shapes allowing them to further expand
the lesson plan.
Recommended
Age: 6 to 13
Price: $14.99
Triassic
Triops DLX
Triops, Inc.
Recommended
Age: 7 and Up
Price: $14.95
Dazzling
Designer Fabric Blopen Kit
P&M Products USA, Inc.
This
Blopen creation kit is an engaging artistic expression toy that offers a wide
variety of design ideas that your children will love. They can explore unique ways to personalize their clothing,
backpacks, sneakers, whatever. The
included stencil kit features a cute assortment of patterns that can be mixed
and matched to create just about anything.
Our testers were busy updating all their old t-shirts, jeans and anything
else they could think of with colorful expressive patterns.
Without a doubt, our testers told us, wearable art has never been so easy
and fun.
Recommended
Age: 8 and Up
Price: $14.99
This
easy to build dinosaur kit is a wonderful project to tackle together with your
dino loving child. Whether as a
weekend or perhaps a school project, this wooden kit will spark discussion about
the lives of dinosaurs, especially when you finish your project and he (the
dinosaur) is standing right their in your living room.
The raw wood requires some sanding and prep work, but ultimately it fits
together nicely and the end result is a museum quality dinosaur that you and
your child will be proud of. There
is an information sheet about your dinosaur, where he lived, what he ate etc.
He will catch you eye and your imagination each and every time you walk
into the room.
Recommended
Age: 8 and Up
Price: $29.95 (small
size)
Tyrannosaurus
BC Bones
When
it comes to the animal kingdom the lion rules the roost, when it comes to
dinosaurs however there is no denying that T-Rex was boss.
Maybe it was those huge teeth or maybe the fact that they stood so tall
on two feet. Of course Jurrasic
Park helped solidify its image as the roughest & toughest of its prehistoric
contemporaries and most of our testers were inclined to agree.
BC Bones has brought T-Rex to life, well not really, but they have
captured his skeletal likeness in this educational building kit.
Despite the lack of skin, his ferocity is not lost, and it so impressed
our testers that even when made out of carved wood pieces, he still instilled a
sense of fearsomeness. The wooden
parts all interlock and in a surprisingly short time you will have ol' Rex
standing beside you. For classrooms
this is a great project to support dinosaur study, and for home it's great for
using as a prop to scare away unsuspecting bedroom intruders.
Recommended
Age: 8 and Up
Price: $29.95 (small
size)
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Parenting Center
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Last Update: April 12, 2001
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