5 Great Science Toys

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By Linda | February 20, 2008

If you are finding yourself stuck on ideas for toys that are educational, fun and won’t break the bank, this post is for you!

Rest assured that I have bought my share of Chemistry Sets, Dinosaur Excavation Kits, Rock Polishing Machines and Model Building Kits of every ilk. Most of these toys looked intriguing in the box but are currently gathering dust in our basement because they were too complicated, too messy, poorly made, required additional supplies or were just plain boring.

The following are my personal picks for 5 tried and true toys that are straightforward, easy to use, educational and most importantly, FUN! As an added bonus to parents, these toys are also very easy on the budget.

Gyroscope

What it Teaches: Gyroscopic inertia, also known as the gyroscopic effect. It is the inertia possessed by a rotating body. This is the tendency of all objects rotating around an axis to maintain a fixed orientation, or direction of spin and position; that is, if there are no forces. In other words, a rotating object tends to stay in the same position.

On Earth, spinning gyroscopes will eventually come to a stop because of air resistance and friction. However, this will not occur in an ideal environment such as Space.

Real World Applications: This device is at the heart of the Inertial Navigation Systems used on ships, airplanes and even on the International Space Station!

Prism

What it Teaches: Refraction (the bending of light through a substance) - Different substances bend light at different angles. White light is made up of a full spectrum of colors. Each color has a different wavelength, and bends at a different angle. This is the same effect that produces rainbows in the atmosphere.

Real World Applications: Various uses in Laser technologies

Hand Bubbler/Hand Boiler

What it Teaches: Heat Conduction - The spontaneous transfer of thermal energy through matter, from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature.

Real World Applications: Anywhere from your stovetop to a Nuclear Power Facility

Magnet Kit

What it Teaches: Magnetism - One of the phenomena by which materials exert attractive or repulsive forces on other materials. Some well-known materials that exhibit easily detectable magnetic properties (called magnets) are nickel, iron, cobalt, and their alloys; however, all materials are influenced to greater or lesser degree by the presence of a magnetic field.

Real World Applications: Powerful electromagnets are used in junkyards to lift and move huge pieces of scrap metal. Magnetism is also used in the medical field in applications such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Snap Circuits Jr.

What it Teaches: The basics of electronics

Real World Applications: You name it!