Bright Starts Having a Ball Press & Zoom Pals - Airplane Review

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Really cute bright and colorful. Easy for little hands to grasp and play with. This one is starting out as a nursery decoration for a baby boy, and will go into his toy box when it is time.

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Discount Vtech InnoTab Learning Tablet with Case - Blue

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Product arrived in great condition. I find it very easy to use and can't wait to give it to my grandson.

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This is the fourth Vtech learning system I have purchased. My grandson loves his new InnoTab. I bought rechargeable batteries but the InnoTab seems to drain them quicker than the V-Reader and MobiGo. The only thing I did not like about the InnoTab was that you only get three free downloads. The V-Reader and Mobigo gave a lot more downloads. For the price of these systems I think Vtech should include more games or downloads. Overall I have been very satisfied with all the Vtech products and my grandson loves them.

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Company was prompt with delivery. Innotab works great, fast service with reliable product. This is the second one I have purchased, first one did not work and I got stiffed out if my money by seller ( ToysDirect) and Amazon. Unfortunately I have now paid $200 for two if these, one which doesn't work but I am stuck with because no one wants to replace/refund me for it, when it's only a $80 toy. But when your daughters biggest Christmas present doesn't work a parent will do what they have to, broke my heart to see her face on the non working one Christmas day. Probably my last but from Amazon.

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We bought the Innotab almost two years ago and it's still going perfectly fine. Great for travels too. The only drawback is that it might get outdated soon. I won't be surprised if there's already a "newer" version out there; but I suppose we get games and other educational stuff for it online.

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This product has potential, but was made cheaply. It would often shut down even with fresh batteries, not to mention that it did drain the batteries quite quickly. My son got frustrated with it and gave up playing with it. The screen eventually got cracked and it is now useless. I bought the Vtech product instead of the Leapster because we had so many problems with Leapster products in the past, seems Vtech and Leapster are about the same. :(

Playskool Learnimals Magic Motion Book Toy Review

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List Price: $21.99
Sale Price: $17.39
Today's Bonus: 21% Off

Looks like I'm the first to comment. I haven't seen this toy/book in the stores but was really intrigued by the idea of moving the book around to play with it when I saw it here on Amazon. It's basically like a motion sensor in the book and you move or knock on the book to work your way through the "story". I'd say it's really more of a set of events than a story, but for this age it is probably about right.

Cutting to the chase here, my son took a few minutes to figure out the page turning button, but once he got it he really loved it! We sat together and knocked, shook and tilted the book to trigger sound effects for each page together. What was really great was that he kept playing with it on his own. Even though he is too young to read, he still goes page by page, interacting with the book like he is reading it and showing us how it works. I don't know that I've seen a book that worked with movement like this before, but I don't get out to the toy store very often. If this is the first, I hope to see more!

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Review of 4D Vision Velociraptor Anatomy Modely

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List Price: $66.99
Sale Price: $66.62
Today's Bonus: 1% Off

I never review things I have never purchased, but you could not convince me to pay that much money for this. It is a novel idea, but disappointing to see such a dated model. It has been dated for many years. First of all, the animal should have feathers, and it's forelimbs should fold like the wings of a bird. It looks too much like a beast and bears none of the animal's true elegance. And what a fierce elegance it can be!

The model should educate children based on recent scientific findings. In an age where dinosaurs are becoming even more dynamic and even better understood than ever before, this model, despite it's best intentions, is too old to be relevant. I'm sure it's wonderful for teaching anatomy to children, but if you want to spend this much money teaching them dinosaur anatomy, buy a different dinosaur.

(and, just a personal pet peeve . . . 4D. Really? The fourth dimension is *time* folks.)

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I cannot agree with the former reviewer. It is about as accurate as you can get, the feather no withstanding. It is easy assemble and educational in the process. If I were to have one caveat, it would be not showing the wrist joint whose construction mirrors that of birds and establishes the dinosaur-bird family relationship.

Reviews of LeapFrog: Turbo Twist Spelling

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My son is an 8 yr. old who is beginning 5th grade. He is a very good student. His only difficult subject is language arts (Spelling). This turbo twist spelling has captured his attention, motivated him, encouraged him and rewarded him. He says it is cool fun! Most important to Mom is the reaction we see when he succeeds in spelling geography or fascinate correctly. Thanks leap frog. Note: Please parents/teachersencourage leap frog/leap zone to keep their web site affordable. We have used it and it is a gem. However, if the price prevents children who need it from using it... it is a waste of time and effort. A minimal fee is understandable... But let's work to make this available to all kids who need it!

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This little tool may help your child learn spelling without fighting. It has a decent word list embedded, but you can also expend it by buying cartridges, or, if you have the Mind Station, download words for your child's spelling curriculum that they use. The unit repeats the words that you misspell, making you try again, and if you did miss it once, and got it the second time around, it will slip it in again down the road, to reinforce the learned spelling. With the multi player mode multiple children can play against each other, even at different levels.

My only complaint is that it will only remember one person's identity. That is the only short coming that I have seen to the unit.

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I brought this for my Granddaughter, who was having a hard time remembering to bring her spelling words home. She is now! We go to the leapfrog web site enter her new words and she plays with the twister all week. Getting ear phones may help the parents like this toy even better.

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I purchased this TOY (as my son would look at it), to help him with his spelling. He is in the second grade. He loves it and so do I. I download his spelling words each week from the computer and send him off to play. He doesn't even realize that he is studying. He has scored 100% on all his spelling tests thus far. I highly recommend this. Then again, you can't go wrong with any Leapfrog product. I think I own everything they make. My children absolutely love to play with them, and I love that they are learning.

Elenco Electronics Snap Circuits Snaptricity Review

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List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $27.78
Today's Bonus: 31% Off

When I was in the 5th grade, my parents gave me a Heathkit radio to assemble as a Christmas present. That led to additional interest in electronics, a degree in Electrical Engineering and a career in computer design. Our grandson is continually questioning how all things work, so this seemed like an ideal present for his 5th birthday. He is just starting to read, so he is unable to perform the experiments alone, but it is an exceptional opportunity for grandparent-grandson interaction and bonding.

I am impressed by all aspects of this item, and give it enthusiastic endorsement.

The booklet lists 78 experiments, each with very clear assembly and operation instructions. A very pleasant surprise is the "Educational Corner", which turns each experiment experience into a discussion on diverse topics electicity, lightning, magnetism and static electicity.

The box claims that the experiments are appropriate for ages 8-108. I can attest that with adult supervision, the experiments hold the rapt attention of children of ages 5, 3 and 1. The 5 year old retains the information we discuss and talks about the details on subsequent use. The 3 year old may not retain the information we discuss, but he understands and contributes to the experiment assembly. The 1 year old sits patiently and then holds out her finger to activate the switches for the experiment, and giggles with every flying saucer launch or light activation.

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Snaptricity is not the first Elenco Snap Circuit I have purchased for my grandson. He can do it all himself........these are fabulous. Great educational value; very sturdy....and so engaging for the budding engineer! Perfect for ages starting at 7 or 8..........altho younger siblings are fascinated to watch. Elenco is a responsive and responsible company....when a part is lost, they send it very fast.....they have replaced lost directions as well as parts!

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Bought it for my pre-school-aged son. We've made circuits detailed in the instructions and our own designs. He loves flipping switches to turn combinations of lights on full / dim / etc. Also loves to launch the propeller off the motor high / low into the air based on switch positions for parallel vs serial circuits including lamps. Things I'd change: the bar magnet is supposed to be stowed in the box close to the compass I'd put them at opposite ends of the box so the compass keeps true longer. Comes with 3 incandescent lamps recommend 2 of those and 1 LED to demonstrate difference in power consumption and light quality. Also would be nice to have a different electromagnet unit that could be used in conjunction with the clear iron filings container to show flux lines. One more pushbutton switch (Normally Closed to complement the Normally Open one). Finally, add a simple circuit breaker on the power supply. With today's NiMH AA batteries packing more punch, it would be good to have a tool to explain and demonstrate the importance of safety.

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I purchased this toy for my nephew's birthday and he was thrilled. He called to tell me that it was "the coolest toy ever" which is very high praise for a 12 year old. I will be purchasing for other nephews for Christmas!

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We bought this for our very curious 6 year old son, he so loved it. He has been playing with it for hours over many days. He keeps rebuilding it differently to see how the circut works. I am planning on buying another kit so he can put them together. It is great because it is strong and sturdy and easy for him to snap together. Our 14 year old son loves it too. Defiantely one of the best toys I have ever bought for a boy.

Best BOOMWHACKERS Boomwhackers Tubes Treble Extension Set Deals

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Doing a music presentation of various insteuments. This was very colorful. The kids tool to this right away. The sound it made was quite different. Could use a little more direction of use.

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I recommend this to all parents! All kids want to whack things, and if they can make music in the process, I say, yay!!

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I am so glad that Boomwhackers are available in a higher octave of notes. It gives me a much bigger choice of songs to use with my church school children. Kids love the colors and the sound, and it is very easy for them to play. Adults like them, too.

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I wish they had a little more resonance, but I understand why they don't. I'm grateful that I bought regular sets and bass sets and chromatic sets. Wish that my budget could afford more sets, so that all my students could have a couple at the same time.

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I bought these for a preschool percussion kit I put together (and on a recommendation as a must-have item of percussion). I purchased the Treble Extension Set because it was cheaper than any other set I found, and I like that they're shorter than others as they're intended for 3-5 year old kids. The sizes range from about 10-16 inches. There really isn't much to them, and though they are different notes, there isn't really a lot of variation in the sound. I've read about how to play the boomwhackers, and my husband and I were still unable to get a lot of sound out of them. They're pretty flimsy plastic, the instructions actually talk about bending them back into shape after shipping, so I hope they hold up with extended use. Advice I saw online was to not hit the floor, as it will bend and shred the ends, and not to whack hard items with the center of the whacker, as it will bend the plastic in half.

Bottom line? You might want to know what you're doing with these, but I think that the kids are going to have a BALL making music by hitting things.

Cheap Space Flashcards

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My 18month old son loves this flash cards. The cards have great resolution.

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These are very high quality flashcards that both my kids, 4 and 2 years old, enjoy thoroughly. The photos look great and they are excellent for explaining the solar system. We haven't even begun to look at the fun facts on the back of each card. The very minor concern is that the content is slightly out of date. With Pluto now designated a dwarf planet, and other dwarf planets now identified, it would have been best to either exclude the Pluto card or include more dwarf planet cards. Further, there are three space shuttle cards, which look great, but given the space shuttles are now all in museums, they slightly misconstrue what vehicles we use to go up to and come back from Earth orbit. However, these minor concerns simply become learning opportunities to talk about the latest situation and demonstrate that scientific knowledge changes with new evidence and technological advances. These flashcards are absolutely recommended.

Buy Wonderworld Counting Ball

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List Price: $30.00
Sale Price: $21.99
Today's Bonus: 27% Off

I purchased this for my daughter's first birthday. I was not sure if I wanted to get it, since it only had one review at the time, but it is a great toy! She cannot quite flip the ball to the top but she likes to watch me do it, and she loves to watch the balls roll around. I love that the balls are on the inside...I don't have to worry about her swallowing a ball, or having to find the missing balls. Great toy overall!

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My son (22 mo) has a lot of fun playing with this. We're even teaching him to count with it. It is well made and takes a beating. He hasn't learned how to flip the balls to the top level, but he will. I recommend this toy.

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I think my boys will find this more interesting when we use it for demonstrating simple addition and subtraction, right now as a simple toy, it doesn't get a whole lot of play. But I can see it coming in handy teaching low number/introductory addition and subtraction with the numbers printed in both places (above and below). It's solid wood and high quality.

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I love this toy. Even my 11 and 8 year olds love to play with it. There is something therapuetic about it. I haven't used it with a toddler but with a life skills child. It did not make her counting/adding/subtracts skills any better than using manipulatives on a table. She got lost in putting the balls up and taking them down. Therefore, don't expect it to help them learn to count but it is a good reinforcer if you sit and play with them. It is made of sturdy wood and could probably withstand any kid.

Discount Ferrofluid 4 oz 120 cc bottle Great for Science Projects

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Experience: The material was as expected. Normal shipping. No problem.

Notes:

Ferrofluid is really cool stuff! Too bad it stains like no other! You'll also need a hydrophillic container if you want to see it in easily.

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First the bad, as others have noticed, this stains like mad and the container does not pour well. It also stinks to high heavens as well.

But wow is it neat! I used a 1/2 inch neodymium magnet and put about 15-20 ml in a plastic food container. (Glad brand thin plastic resealable food container, like cheap thin tupperwear) Putting the magnet under the container produces immediate results. You can make the fluid flow uphill, and so much more.

It is a rather expensive gag/novelty item, but very neat to play with..

Best Deals for Ferrofluid 4 oz 120 cc bottle Great for Science Projects

Title clearly says 120 cc bottle, description says 30 cc bottle. This makes it look like a better value for volume per dollar, but 30 cc is only one ounce, for nearly thirty dollars there are a ton of other options that actually provide a 60 cc bottle. Don't get ripped off.

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The ferrofluid works great, exactly what I wanted. The only problem I had was that the bottle had a very narrow neck, which means that I have to either get a funnel to put it back or use a jar with a larger lid. Came in one piece and in a reasonable amount of time. I intend to use this to demonstrate magnetic fields with a neodymium magnet

Review of Learning Resources Pretend & Play School Set

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List Price: $36.99
Sale Price: $22.51
Today's Bonus: 39% Off

My 8-year-old received this last year for Christmas, and yes, it was recommended for 4-5 year olds, but what do they know about really teaching school??? The set up is not a pre-school one, but an elementary school with report cards, attendance lists, etc. This is the one play item that my daughter and her friends always seek out when they come to my house. It is very well done. Would recommend for any child that likes to play school!

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My 9 year old daughter has had this toy for 2 years and she still plays with it on a regular basis. She and her friends play school with each other or even with their animals. They also sell a refill kit for when you run out of the stickers and paper. A really great value for kids who love to pretend.

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My daughter received this for her 5th birthday. She likes to pretend she is a teacher. She didn't understand what the report cards, hall passes and grade sheets were for. However, a child a few years older would. She likes tracking the weather and circling the current day on the calendar and writing on the board. She loves the pointer, bell and stickers. It is a great toy for pretend play for a 4 or 5 year old. It doesn't seem that babyish, so I think a 6 or 7 year old (maybe even 8) would like to play with it. An older child would understand the maps, hall passes, grades and report cards.

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I bought this for my 8 year old niece who loves playing school. On Christmas, it was the only gift she seemed really excited about! As other reviewers have said, it should include a dry erase marker for the white board, but that is my only complaint. The age range should also be marked for older kids. It is a very nice set!

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I'm 32 and got this my 4 year old: I got detention again today, I spoke without raising my hand & got caught walking down the hall to go to the bathroom without a hall pass.

Buy 4M Dig-And-Play Dinosaur World

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List Price: $11.99
Sale Price: $11.47
Today's Bonus: 4% Off

I bought this for my grandson for a christmas present and he just loved this. He loves digging for fossils and anything to do with Dinosaurs. Great Gift!!!!

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great idea to combine digging with playing a game. would recommend this item for kids. what else can i day

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I ordered this game/kit for a group of students who had just completed a reading unit on dinosaurs. The first problem is that all of the 'fossilized' dinos are in one solid brick and the kit contains one tool. Not a good arrangement for a group of four boys, so I decided to let my son unearth the dinos. Good thing, because it took him well over an hour.

The 'board game' is pretty lame. There are few spaces that have any statements/go forward/go back, etc. and they don't require any sort of dino knowledge. The board is also very thin. The one plus is that the boys were able to finish one game during their 30 minute session. I'd rather pay more for a game that requires students to use what they've learned, or learn something new.

LP RhythMix 5 Piece Rhythm Kit with Backpack Review

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List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $26.00
Today's Bonus: 48% Off

these shakers are loud, but its a 'constructive' noise rather than all of the annoying sounds that come with electronic toys. We bought this for a baby and have just taken away the sticks and triangle until he's old enough to use them, but loves the parts we've given him.

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I got the older version of this a few years back (made of wood, not plastic). With my second daughter, she eats things a lot more and I didn't like her chewing the paint off the wood! So I bought this newer, plastic set, which was fine because they also mixed up what instruments were included. The sound is a little different but everything is definitely more durable. The description when I purchase this stated that it came with a backpack, but it does not. I love LP Rhythmix products.