Sometimes we're asked to recommend a chemistry set, microscope, telescope, etc. Here are the products we most often recommend..
Brands
Brands names aren't always a reliable indicator of quality, particularly with children's toys. Its as if they think that it doesn't matter if the planets orbit the wrong way, or the microscope barely shows any detail, or the telescope images have coloured fringes, or the instruction manual dumbs down the science so much it barely makes sense, or is even plain wrong... And this happens with brands you'd expect better from ('National Oxbridge' is fictional but should give you some clues). However, one brand that we admire very much is Thames & Kosmos. Their products are consistently high-quality and well-designed, with simply the best instruction manuals we've ever seen. We especially like their chemistry sets, their TK2 microscope, and the Milestones in Science kit.
We usually recommend the Chemistry Lab because its got twice as many chemicals as any other set, and comes with an instruction booklet and CD, at a reasonable price. For younger children, the Chemistry 100 might be more suitable, or the Kitchen Chemistry. The more serious chemistry student should definitely go for the Thames & Kosmos CHEM series - they're not cheap, but they're very good. See our special offer on the C500.
Electronics KitsElectronics kits haven't suffered the same fate as chemistry sets, being intrinsically 'safer'. The usual voltages are far too low to pose any hazard. Some of them have a flying fan thingy that might fly up into an unattentive child's face, but not with much force. But oddly (in my opinion) electronics kits are nowhere near as popular. Perhaps chemistry sets are just too ingrained in our minds as the archetypal 'science toy' and electronics kits are simply overlooked..? Modern electronics kits are 'pop-n-snap', i.e. components just click together. No soldering, very easy. We think the best one of that kind is the Explorer 2. The instructions are clear, but sadly stop short of explaining how the circuits work!
The Explorer2 electronics kit is designed to build upon the skills already learnt and to increase the student's knowledge of the principles of electronics. The kit is for use in the home or the classroom and could be used to enhance the understanding of Key Stage 3 and 4 electronics. This Electronics kit contains all you need to get started in electronics without using a soldering iron. It includes step-by-step instructions for making a range of circuits from a fibre-optic light to an intruder alarm. Use a microchip to make a timing circuit and try out QTC - a 'state of the art' electronic conductor. Logiblocs introduces Kids to electronics and computer science in a creative and fun way! Logiblocs are high-tech, interactive building blocks that plug together to create circuit systems that make things happen!
Discover the digital world with this unique introduction to electronics. Follow the story of Robert M-3, a young robot in the year 2069, who is beginning his education in electronics with an apprenticeship to Sirius Armstrong, the chief electrical engineer on an enormous space station orbiting Earth. As you read about Robert’s lessons in electronics, you will conduct experiments alongside him using your Electronics Workshop console.
Good children's microscopes are really hard to find. Some might say, impossible. The lenses are usually plastic and poor quality. The highest magnifications are almost useless. Getting a good focus can be hard. The supplied slides are boring. And so on. We find the MicroPro to be just about acceptable. Or consider getting a digital hand-held microscope, which is great for studying rocks, leaves, bugs, the back of your hand, or bits of your head, the computer monitor screen (see the individual colours in the pixels), or even your own eye!
The 'classical' microscope requires that specimens be cut into very thin slices and mounted on slides. This might tax the enthusiasm of some children, so the afore-mentioned digital hand-held microscope avoids that - as does the stereoscopic microscope. Although the magnification is only 20x, this is adequate for getting up close & personal with bugs, etc. Now if you want to view plant cells or bacteria, a magnification of a few hundred would be better. Consider the P3-A or the SCM-200.
The Thames and Kosmos TK2 Microscope and Biology Kit comprises a sturdy dual light 40x, 100x and 400x microscope with an illustrated 48 page experiment manual. It also contains prepared slides and blank slides, cover slips, pipette, tweezers, dissecting needle, scalpel, petri dish and cover, blue and red stain, adhesive labels for slides, lens cleaning paper and a dust cover for the microscope. The scope has a 10x ocular lens with optical grade 4x, 10x and 40x power objective glass lenses and an aperture wheel, dual focus adjustment knobs and spring-loaded stage clips.
The Celestron Sky Maps (book). The frontcover serves as a luminous planisphere (which is what Starfinder and Stellarscope are, in a tube), and inside you get a wealth of information and large, detailled starmaps. More than a thousand stars and deep-sky objects are listed and charted. The illustrated reference section provides basic information and the visual characteristics of various types of stars, nebulae and galaxies. The maps measure 13¼" x 11¼" and are printed on a heavyweight, moisture resistant card stock. The pages have a special comb binding so they can lay flat or be folded over.
Like toy microscopes, toy telescopes are barely worth buying because the lenses are low-quality plastic, and the manufacturers quite blatantly LIE about the lens size and magnification! We know of one 'Oxbridge' branded telescope that's described as having a 2" objective lens (the one at the object end) - but failing to mention that inside the telescope is a disc with a smaller hole in it, so as to reduce the effective aperture (because the worst colour distortion happens at the outer edge of a lens). And forget about magnifications of several hundred! Neither true, nor necessary for seeing most planets. Also, try to get one with an equatorial mount (one axis tilted parallel to the Earth's axis of rotation) - it gets tedious trying to track objects on 2 axes at once!
If you want one for dual use (e.g. for a child who may or may not get into astronomy), which of those features can you sacrifice or compromise? I think you should consider a refractor with a equatorial mount. This way, the user can look 'in the right direction' rather than sideways, which makes it easier to aim; and the equatorial mount makes it easier to track celestial objects, and to find them when you learn about celestial co-ordinates. Alternatively, good value for money is the 'Dobsonians', which don't have expensive tripods, e.g. the Heritage 76 or the Heritage 130P.
For an excellent telescope for astronomy, I recommend the SkyHawk-1145P 114mm (4.5") f/500 Parabolic Newtonian Reflector Telescope.
If I could take just two of our products with me to a Desert Island, one would definitely be Milestones in Science (the other would be a telescope). This stunningly comprehensive science kit vividly brings to life the accomplishments of 140 scientists and inventors, including Einstein, Edison, Darwin, Kepler, and many more. You can build your own working models of devices such as a spectroscope, camera, telescope, microscope, telephone, propellor plane, star maps, as well as perform experiments in astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, etc. The 96 page full-colour manual tells the stories of the men and women who pushed the frontiers of knowledge and shaped our modern world. An excellent gift for children - and adults too!
The Biology Madness kit has 26 fun and interesting experiments exploring the fields of microbiology, environmental science, health science and nutrition, forensic science, biochemistry, genetics, physiology, and botany. Included is a 68-page, full colour booklet and a DVD.
If your young'un loves animals and bugs, perhaps they'd prefer an Ant Works to a Zoetrope? Originally developed by NASA to enable ants to burrow without the tunnels collapsing during lift-off, this space-age ant farm is easy for children or adults to maintain - the gel is the ant food so no need to supply anything else!
If ants are a bit smaller than you really want, but a dinosaur is too big - try Triops! These ancient creatures have been around for over 200 million years. They make entertaining little pets, and grow up to 2" long.
These gadgets combine a dollop of science with a barrel-load of fun, and while they are usually suitable for children, adults can play too! If you like the idea of influencing something purely by brain-power - try the Star Wars Force Trainer. We were a bit suspicious of this when we first heard about it - maybe the thing randomly decides to send the ball up or down? But after some practice, you find that its your choice, not the machine's. If that's more than your budget for nifty but otherwise useless gadgets, how about the FunFlyStick which also moves things (light metallic foils) without touching them! Or the Zero Launcher? This toy creates vortex rings - just like smoke rings, only not made of smoke. Buy 2 and send the rings into or through each other!
The most versatile is probably the Green Laser - not only can you use it as a cool pointer for things near or far, but you can also use it to perform several neat experiments or tricks:
- Diffraction grating - shine laser beam through grating (or onto the shiny side of a CD or DVD) to split it into several beams...
- Solar Radiometer - shine laser beam onto black surface of vane to speed up rotation
- Zero Launcher - shine laser beam through the fog
- Mirage Hologram - shine laser beam onto piglet - what will happen? You know the piglet isn't really there, yet the beam illuminates it!
- Mineral Study Kit - shine the laser beam into the translucent crystals to make them glow (like Superman's Kryptonite!)
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