Science Gifts For Kids? 368
beernutmark writes "I have two science-loving kids ages 7 and 9. My youngest knew Neil deGrasse Tyson's name at age 4. With the holidays coming up, I am looking to get them some quality science-related tools. Two items on the list are a quality microscope and/or a real rock-hounding kit. I am looking for any other gift suggestions for this year or future years (or even for younger kids for other readers) and hints on good sources."
Try sparkfun.com (Score:5, Informative)
they have some cool kits.
A few are good... (Score:3, Informative)
legos are good for modular design, infinite re-use--but you might stay away from the technical or specialty sets, as they tend to be more problematic and less re-usable; capsuela is good for basic gears and so on, and modularity; We also played with BASIC a bit at that age, IIRC. Oh, and Rocky's boots. You must get rocky's boots. Digital Logic for kids.
Some of these may have modern equivalents...
Actually that's not his name (Score:3, Informative)
I'd never heard of him, but apparently his name is actually "Neil deGrasse Tyson".
And knowing the names of scientists is more to do with history than actual science.
[/complaining]
I had a much cruder version of this 30 years ago: (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3814337# [radioshack.com]
Some ideas (Score:4, Informative)
A crystal radio kit. A Radio Shack 101 experiments in one. A basic Stamp kit. Mindstorms. A chemistry set. Magnets. Rocket kit.
Even something more technical that a parent or grandparent would enjoy doing as a project together with the kid. I've got fond memories of designing circuits with my father, building things with my grandfather, etc.
Makershed Kit (Score:5, Informative)
Chemistry Kits:
http://www.makershed.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=89 [makershed.com]
Electronics Kits
http://www.makershed.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=49 [makershed.com]
Sorry to make it look like spam, but I'm a fan of the "Make" site.
Telescope (Score:2, Informative)
The Galileoscope is a high-quality, low-cost telescope kit developed for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 by a team of leading astronomers, optical engineers, and science educators. No matter where you live, with this easy-to-assemble, 50-mm (2-inch) diameter, 25- to 50-power achromatic refractor, you can see the celestial wonders that Galileo Galilei first glimpsed 400 years ago
priced at U.S. $20 each plus shipping
https://www.galileoscope.org/
Snap Circuits (Score:5, Informative)
Snap Circuit Kits make good introductions to electronics. Think circuitry LEGOs.
http://www.elenco.com/snapcircuits.html [elenco.com]
HST (Score:4, Informative)
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way, just a satisfied customer.
Help them get started with electronics+programming (Score:5, Informative)
Whatever you do, find something where there's real teaching and interactivity and creative thinking going on -- not just polishing some rocks or a step-by-step Lego project. And furthermore, interacting with your child while they're using whatever science gift you pick is also extremely valuable.
Ages 7 and 9 may be a bit young... but we know that 11-year olds do well with getting introduced to electronics and programming, and the interaction that it offers with the physical world through various sensors and actuators. In our experience at NerdKits electronics kits [nerdkits.com], our youngest customers tend to learn the fastest, because they are the most fearless! They're able to try building something, get something wrong, but just keep working at it until they succeed. Our various free video tutorials [nerdkits.com] help teach various electronics and programming concepts as well.
Here's an 11-year-old's NerdKits "Kid Review" in Make Magazine [make-digital.com], or a reading by the author of the review [youtube.com].
Challenge them a bit -- with a bit of guidance, they're capable of taking on more than you might think!
LEGO Mindstorms (Score:4, Informative)
Eyeclops bionic eye (Score:3, Informative)
A decent microscope that you plug into your TV. The kids have had theirs for a year and still play with it all the time.
Re:Telescope (Score:3, Informative)
Seconding the telescope option. But don't do it if you're getting them a crappy one - it's easy to get discouraged with garbage. Do some research and don't get sucked in by marketing ploys advertising 99999999x magnification or whatever. Get a decent reflector with a useable aperture and good eyepieces.
And yes, IAAA (I am an astronomer).
Re:Anonymous Coward (Score:3, Informative)
I agree Think Geek is a good place to go for ideas, but once you've found something check the websites of the neighborhood box stores. I've often found that I can find the same thing at Canadian Tire or some other shop for a lot less money and no wait.
Re:Anonymous Coward (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Snap Circuits (Score:5, Informative)
Here Comes Science (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Growing up... (Score:5, Informative)
Don't just go out and get a telescope without a good book to go with it.
I've been using one of David Levy's books with my kids... something similar to:
David Levy's Guide to the Night Sky
that I found in the bargain bin some time ago. It has great introduction and background, plus points of interest to look for in every constellation. Much better than the rudimentary charts that come packaged with most telescopes.
Also, it recommends first starting with a good pair of binoculars before moving on to telescopes. Which are also more practical for virtually any other kind of natural sciences pursuit as well.
Re:Telescope (Score:3, Informative)
Lots for every budget., even free (Score:3, Informative)
For the microscope, get them interested with a "toy" one for about $30 and if they find that fun, move on to a more serious unit for $300 and up.
Binoculars. I've been happier with binocs I picked up for $25 than I have been with a pair I bought for $150. Once you start spending over $50, you're best to do your research and buy a pair around the $200-$300 from a reputable brand. 7x50 is best for astronomy. Anything over 10x isn't suitable to hand hold. Zoom binocs are more fragile.
Telescope. DO NOT pick up a department store telescope. Start them off with a dobsonian. (Good for everything but deep sky photography). What counts most in a telescope for deep sky observing is diameter. 8" is a good compromise. These days you can larger telescopes that collapse so you might be able to go up to about 12" but price increases with size. Make sure it fits in your car.
Hiking GPS. One that does mapping. I'm partial to Garmin.
Camera. Often overlooked, it can be used for a wide variety of things. Low power microscopy, bird identification. Something that does PASM. Ideally something that has decent macro and has at least 10x zoom. You can pick up brand new cameras that fit this description for around $200. They won't match much more expensive camera, but they do well. Next step up is an SLR.
Radio scanner. Becoming less of a good idea as transmissions are moving towards encryption. But still an excellent tool for plane spotting. Take s snapshot with a good zoom camera and you'll be able to look up the plane's registration in a publicly available database which will give you make, model, owner etc.
Chem sets might be disappearing but electronics kits that teach the basics are still around.
For younger ages a good mechano set isn't a bad place to start learning basic engineering principles.
Kites and remote control aircraft are excellent for teaching about aerodynamics. Anyone can fly a small kite but if you want to learn to fly r/c aircraft be sure to join a club and do it right or you'll waste time and money and have frustrated kids. Best idea these is to start on a simulator.
Never forget the value of a good book or documentary. Carl Sagan's Cosmos is a little bit dated but still excellent. Universe. Walking with Dinosaurs....lots of good science stuff available. Your kids don't need to be cartoon and fairytale drones. You can set up one day a week to watch a series. If it's available for free on TV all the better.
Check out some of the excellent scientific software around. Some of the most amazing stuff is free. From planetarium software to math software, it's all there if you're willing to spend time learning and teaching with it. Don't discount web sites as well. I can think of a couple of incredible web sites including NASA and Hubblesite. There's a lot of stuff that's out of copyright but still relevant. I just downloaded some out of copyright birding books the other day. Check out open library. There may even be value in university level Open Course Ware depending on the subject (but remember your kids don't know calculus so keep math topics light).
If there's a local library, get your kids a library card and take them there when you can.
Re:Telescope ++ (Score:2, Informative)
Galileoscope (Score:2, Informative)
I suggest checking out the Galileoscope:
https://www.galileoscope.org
a cheap ($20) telescope designed as part of the International Year of Astronomy to meet or exceed the specifications of Galileo's original telescope.
I've got a number of them -- they're great for kids and adults.
Re:Telescope (Score:5, Informative)
I second what you wrote. To the original author: You'll need to have your expectations in order when you buy a telescope. And stay far, far away from the Chinese junk; it's borderline worthless. Some tips are below. First, your viewing expectations:
Binoculars (~$100):
* Moon: Great. Almost like in books or photographs.
* Planets: Points of light. You will probably see the Galilean moons around Jupiter. You probably won't see Saturn's rings, but you might.
* Galaxies and globular clusters: The brightest galaxies and globular clusters will look like fuzzy blurs on the starfield.
* Open clusters: The brightest open clusters, such as the Pleiades, will have a number of stars visible within. Don't expect much from others.
* Nebulae: Don't expect to see any but the brightest of them, and expect those to be in black and white, with no real detail of relevance.
Low-end, 4-6" telescope (~$350):
* Moon: Wonderful. Better than books and photographs.
* Planets: Points of light. You will see the Galilean moons around Jupiter. If you're *very* lucky, you might see cloud bands. You will likely see Saturn's rings, but no real detail. You can get enhanced planet detail by stacking photographs (you'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount)
* Galaxies and globular clusters: The brightest galaxies and globular clusters will look like fuzzy blurs on the starfield. You can get greater detail if you hook up a camera and do long exposures (with tracking) or stacking of photos. You'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount for this.
* Open clusters: Like binoculars, but more stars.
* Nebulae: Don't expect to see any but the brightest of them, and expect those to be in black and white, with relatively little detail. Color and detail can be greatly enhanced by long exposures (with tracking) or stacking of photos. You'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount for this.
High-end, 8-12" telescope (~$1000 or more). Assuming good viewing conditions:
* Moon: Wonderful. Better than books and photographs.
* Planets: Mercury and Venus are points of light. You might make out Mars' polar ice caps. You will see the Galilean moons around Jupiter, as well as cloud bands. You will see Saturn's rings, and perhaps some detail on them. Uranus and Neptune are dim points of light. Greater detail can come from stacking of images (you'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount)
* Galaxies and globular clusters: The brightest galaxies and globular clusters will *still* look like fuzzy blurs on the starfield, although on some globular clusters, you may see some individual stars. You can get much greater detail if you hook up a camera and do long exposures (with tracking) or stacking of photos. You'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount for this.
* Open clusters: Like a smaller telescope, but even more stars.
* Nebulae: Only expect to see those that are at least fairly bright, and expect those to be in black and white, with relatively little detail. Color and detail can be dramatically enhanced by long exposures (with tracking) or stacking of photos. You'll need a webcam or DSLR and an appropriate mount for this.
In short: No matter what you get, as far as consumer products go, the moon is great, while planets, galaxies, globular clusters, open clusters, and nebulae are generally disappointing unless you do long exposures and/or stacking to enhance them. But going with a better scope with a bigger aperture will let you see more detail with your bare eyes.
General tips:
* You may not even have given this a second thought, but think strongly about the physical size of what you buy. A pair of binoculars is a nothing task to grab and toss into the car to head out of town and go stargazing. A 50lb, 8-foot long Newtonian? Not so much. A big, heavy object will discourage you from using it. If
Microscope (Score:2, Informative)
Microscope is the best. Decades of fun. They're old enough for a real one but even one of the cheap $25 kiddie scopes open up the world if the little things. Get one that is both optical and digital to connect to the computer. We got a National Optical Model DC-128 and love it.
Next is a telescope.
Re:Anonymous Coward (Score:1, Informative)
I actually had the Think Geek USB microscope and it was awful. I tried to use it for a pond water class. Couldn't see much of anything. Edmund Scientific has a much nicer USB/projection microscope. It's a bit pricier, but not much considering the quality. The toys at scientificsonline.com are awesome!