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October 21, 2007
September 17, 2007
Qwirkle Game
Qwirkle GameJanuary 28, 2007
One Grain Of Rice
One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale, by Demi, is a beautifully illustrated book that demonstrates a simple mathematical concept. Is it a fairy tale, or a math lesson? I'd say it's both.
December 27, 2006
Family Math
In the introduction, the authors say that teachers were asking for resources they could give to parents "to use at home to help their children in mathematics. They told us that parent were frustrated in not knowing enough about their children's math program to help them or in not understanding the mathematics their children were studying". With a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, the authors developed the activities in Family Math.
The activities are hands-on, with objects like blocks and beans. As the authors say "traditionally, these materials are used mostly in the early elementary years and paper-and-pencil mathematics becomes the rule after second or third grade. This is unfortunate, since much of mathematics can best be explained and understood using the tools of manipulative materials and models; and, in fact, many research and applied mathematicians do just that."
Also in the series:
Family Math
Family Math for Young Children: Comparing
Family Math - The Middle School Years: Algebraic Reasoning and Number Sense
The Penguin Family Book
"The Animal Family books are not just written by their authors. They are studied and researched and lived into existence. Each book helps to make the world of nature that much more real, more understandable, and more valuable to children." ~Description from Stacey's website
December 09, 2006
Astroscan Telescope from Edmund Scientific
This is a great starting telescope, and has a very comfortable-round shape. Astroscan Telescope is a high-performance telescope that is easy-to-use, maintenance-free and completely portable.
A long time ago, there was a great store in Noe Valley called "Star Magic". It had all kinds of cool stuff in it, most of it to do with space and science (but not all). That's where I bought an Astroscan telescope as a gift for my husband and eventually discovered Edmund Scientifics. Years later, GalaxyGoo became an Edmund Scientifics affiliate, and we're now linking to one of their products: the Astroscan telescope. Funny how life travels these little circles and spirals.
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins is one of my all time favorite books--in the top 5! The illustrations are intricate and inspiring...some of the most wonderful science illustration I've ever seen. It's just beautiful! The book is about Waterhouse Hawkins, a scultpor and artist who worked with paleontologists in Victorian England. Very few fossils were known at the time, and certainly not complete. With comparative anatomy, he and his collegues visualized what they thought dinosaurs may have looked like. Some of it was right, and some wrong...but the important thing was the process, and the show!
December 02, 2006
Radio Receiver & Morse Code Kits
Up for a little time travel? Let's way go back to days of morse-code and the early "wireless". I haven't tried these kits yet, but they look very interesting: Radio Receiver and Morse Code Kit
The product description says that they're best for ages 10 and up. However, they also say, with adult supervision, they're good for ages 3 and up. Cool! Sounds like a family activity to me!
Genius Decks
Puzzles! Brain Teasers! All in a little box! I try to keep things like this handy when traveling with the kids...or waiting for our order at a restaurant. Genius Decks
Shape Scapes Sculpture Set
Shape Scapes Sculpture Set pieces have curvey shapes. Not your average construction set. While supposedly a kid's toy, it's also a nice desk toy.
Staple-Less Stapler
Cool little stocking-stuffer: Staple-Less Stapler
Robot Lamps
These Robot Lamps are great! It's very cool that they've designed a version in "girly" colors too. It's sad that so many girls don't get to have robot toys, just because they don't come in pink. Well, now they can!
December 01, 2006
Kaleidoscope Kit
Kaleidoscopes are cool. Building your own is very cool.
Authentic Models Seeing Stars Kaleidoscope Kit kaleidoscope kit
Travel Spin Doodles
Very handy for road trips, or any other time a kid (young or old) needs something distracting. It's all inside the travel box: gears, pens, paper. Nice and compact.
Curiosity Kits Travel Spin Doodles Travel Spin Doodles
Pip-Sqeak Markers
These little markers are fantastic. Did I mention they're washable? Always a plus with art supplies for kids. They're also not as bulky as regular sized markers.
Crayola Pip-Squeaks Markers set of 16
November 28, 2006
Planets in a Pouch
Crystal Formation Domes
This is a really cool alternative to a snow globe. The crystals continually dissolve and reform, and you can direct their growth by positioning it upside-down, sideways, and more.
Modeling Clay and Tools
This is a great kit. It comes with all kinds of tools for working the clay, including rollers and hammers. I've used this kit with my kids and we all like it. The clay is more like modeling clay, but lasts longer than most. You could use the same tools with playdough.
Kaleidoscope Kit
We're very fond of kaleidoscopes, of all kinds, here at GalaxyGoo. With this kit, you can build your own tangible kaleidoscope. Cool!
Chocolate Dinosaurs!
Oh my! A big chocolate egg...with chocolate dinosaurs inside! Need I say more?
Lazer Tripwire
I would have loved one of these when I was a kid! What a cool toy! I wonder if the "siren" has a volume control, though. Setting up the beams so that they all connect properly could be a lot of fun.
November 26, 2006
3D Digi-Draw
3D Digi-Draw looks like a really fun toy! I've always found drawing to be a challenge, and something like this might have been helpful when I was a kid. The product description says it can be used for 3-d objects, but I wonder what it does with perspective. I might get one just to try it out myself :-)
Mechanically, it looks nice and simple, with no batteries or power requirements. Nice!
November 20, 2006
Bath Color Chemistry Set
I't's more color theory than chemistry, but it's a great bath toy!
Beach Ball Planets!
How could I resist inflatable planets? I think I'll be ordering a set for my kids....who am I kidding, I want them in my office.
I'd probably not use the sun in this set, since the scale is so far off..the real sun is nowhere near the same size as any planets ;-)
November 11, 2006
Window Mosaics
The cool thing about these window mosaic kits is that you're not limited to the template they give you. You can reuse the tiles over and over again, creating your own designs.
Logic Links
Logic Links are great sequencing puzzles, and they come with colored chips to help visually organize thinking.
Mastermind
When I was a kid, I just couldn't get enough of Mastermind. I never got tired of it. The combination of logic and guessing was too much for me to resist.
One Night in the Coral Sea
Robin Brickman steals the show with her illustrations of One Night in the Coral Sea. She creates intricate textures and forms with paper cutting, paint, and glue. Just stunning!
Math-terpieces!
Math-terpieces, by Greg Tang, combines Art and Math in charming rhymes and puzzles. How could I not love it!? The puzzles are based around some of my favorite modern art pieces including April Showers (by Renoir) and The Starry Night (by van Gogh).
If you're looking gifts for a grade-shooler, you could get a few of Mr Tang's math-picture books. They're all fantastic!
November 01, 2006
Giant Plush Microbes!
Phyllis pointed out these ultra-geeky plush toys. Who could resist them?
To keep away the real bugs, be sure to wash your hands frequently. ThinkGeek has a fun soap dispenser too!
October 31, 2006
Ringgz Game
Chocolate Chemistry T-Shirt
This design is based on our click-n-spell with the elements game. Chocolate is spelled out with symbols from the periodic table of elements.
October 30, 2006
Carnivorous Plants Kit
With this kit, you can grow your own venus fly trap...from seeds! The kit contains seeds for other carnivorous plants, and a little terrarium to grow them in.
October 01, 2006
Plesiosaur T-shirt
Plesiosaurs aren't actually dinosaurs; they lived in the Jurassic seas. Mary Anning, discovered the first complete plesiosaur fossil in the early 1820s.
I designed this specially for my daughter, who dressed up as Mary Anning for halloween one year.
Deinonychus T-shirts
These Deinonychus fossils look like they're chasing each other around in a circle. Ah, the beauty of geometry and radial symmetry!
Stegosaurus T-shirt
Stegosaurus was one of my favorite dinosaurs, as a kid. So I had to include one in our new line of Dinosaur t-shirts.
August 10, 2006
The Cell T-Shirt
A GalaxyGoo original...The Cell! A great t-shirt for any Biology or Science Geek. The design is inspired by The Cell Project at GalaxyGoo.
August 04, 2006
Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle
Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle3D Animal Puzzles
3D Animal PuzzlesInsect Puzzles
Insect Puzzles *new
Magnetic Design Kits
Magnetic Design KitsThe Human Body
The Human BodySnap Curcuits
Snap CurcuitsPhysics Workshop
Physics Workshop *new
Equate
Pottery Wheel