Feed your children's growing minds and capture their imagination with learning toys from the Smithsonian collection.
If you are looking for a kit where kids can build and play with their own toys, take a look at the Smithsonian Science Activities Robo Spider Kit. Your kids will have as much fun playing with this 64-piece toy as they did building it. Kids use the contents of this 64 piece kit to build a battery-operated eight-legged spider that walks like a real one, only much larger.
The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex.
The Smithsonian is a collection of world-renowned institutions that includes 17 museums and galleries. From the Natural History Museum to the Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian is a collection of knowledge and knowledge centers.
Smithsonian makes and sells games, puzzles, science kits and toys. Because their focus is on education, most toys are also games, puzzles and science kits at the same time. The Smithsonian’s idea is that learning should be fun.
Smithsonian games include well-made, solid wood versions of traditional games such as chess, croquet and bocce. It also has games such as 3D tic-tac-toe, dinosaur and space bundles and the very popular Table Topics family games.
The Smithsonian has many jigsaw puzzles with natural subjects such as flowers, birds, fruits and seeds, pandas, Saturn rockets, crazy bugs and butterfly migration patterns. It even has a puzzle that is a photo of Earth as it is viewed from space.
Explore the world around you with a Kids Backyard Explorer Kit, a Rocket Science Kit, dig kits and rock and gem kits. There are also kits for crystal growing, making 3D models of the solar system, working automobile engines, plasma balls, in-home planetariums and robot spiders.
Smithsonian toys, games, puzzles and kits are always of the highest quality. You will see similar items sold by unknown manufacturers, but you can always trust the Smithsonian to deliver well-made products designed by scientists.
Look for Smithsonian toys, games, puzzles and kits to have the suggested ages displayed on the packages. Use these ranges only as a guide, because kids develop in different ways and at different speeds. The number of pieces involved is another measure of product complexity. Also, look to see if the Smithsonian toys, games, puzzles and kits suggest that playing with them requires adult supervision, and judge your kid's needs accordingly.
This may be the most important thing to consider. A science kit or a toy on a subject that bores your kid to tears won’t be much fun, so choose a topic you know will interest or excite them. Older kids generally like to try new things, so widen their horizons with new topics, kits and science toys.
Science kits cost $20-$80. Games range from $30-$150. Puzzles range from $10-$50 and toys from $10-$65.
A. This depends upon the complexity of the toy. Kids quickly outgrow toys, puzzles and games made for “little kids.” Kids never outgrow science kits that hold as much or more appeal for adults.
A. It depends on the type of toy and the subject matter. Your kids are likelier to enjoy toys and puzzles from the Smithsonian because they are educational and fun at the same time. This is very important with young kids who have yet to learn the difference between fun learning and schoolhouse learning.
Smithsonian Science Activities Robo Spider Kit
What you need to know: Kids ages 8 and older enjoy building their own motorized walking spider.
What you’ll love: This battery-operated spider has eight multi-jointed legs that duplicate the walking action of real spiders. The 64 plastic robo spider parts come with a 23-by-17-inch poster with instructions on how to assemble your walking robot spider.
What you should consider: The two AA batteries are not included.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Smithsonian 5-Inch Battery Operated Plasma Ball
What you need to know: This Smithsonian educational toy puts an incredible light show at your fingertips.
What you’ll love: This plasma ball is a glass sphere filled with neon and xenon gases with a high voltage electron in the center. The gases in this plasma ball glow when their atoms collide with the electrons energized by the high voltage center. The power is provided by six AA batteries that are not included. You trigger the excitement by stimulating the plasma ball with light, music or touch.
What you should consider: The electricity is safely contained inside the ball, so there is no way to harm or injure yourself.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Smithsonian Optics Room Planetarium and Dual Projector
What you need to know: Bring the nighttime sky into your room.
What you’ll love: The rotating star pattern of the Northern Sky is projected on the ceiling with 24 HD space images of planets, moons, nebulae and many other celestial bodies. The more than 50 different image combinations are suitable for kids ages 8-15 and adults, too.
What you should consider: The projector runs on four AA batteries that are not included.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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David Allan Van writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
