Affiliate Programs
By shopping through these links, you can help support the educational projects at GalaxyGoo.
Play, Create, Learn!
Print & Digital Media
Tech, Office, & Geek Gear
Home & Living
October 21, 2007
September 17, 2007
H-Racer
A Real Miniature Car, Powered by Hydrogen Fuel!
H-Racer January 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
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.
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.
Color Splash Camera
The Color Splash Camera looks like a lot of fun. Retro and techy, at the same time.
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
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
Bead Snowflakes Kit
Solar Car Kit
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.
Chemistry Kits
Chemistry Kits for kids!
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 12, 2006
Multi-Colored Glass Galileo Thermometer
Galileo discovered that as temperatures vary, a liquid's density also varies. The colored spheres in this column of clear liquid change positions with fluctuations in temperature. Much more interesting than your average thermometer.
November 11, 2006
Hand Boilers
Hand Boilers are looped and twisted glass sculptures containing a colored liquid that will "boil" as heat is transferred from your bare hand. Very cool!
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!
November 01, 2006
Periodic Table Shower Curtain!
It's elemental...a shower curtain with the periodic table of elements!
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
The Mathematics Calendar
The Mathematics Calendar is back for 2008!
Every day, a new math problem...since the answer is always given, the fun part is figuring out how that could be the answer. If that's not enough to make you want one, hanging one in your work-space is sure to make you look smart!
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.
LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0
Lego Mindstorms! This is at the very top of my 7-year-old's wish list. To be honest, I can't wait to play with it too!
LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0October 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.
Dinosaur Footprint Casting Kit
Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle
3D Animal Puzzles
The Human Body