Got a budding scientist or weather geek on your holiday shopping list? Toy Insider Mom Laurie Schacht stopped by The Weather Channel to talk about some wonderful science and weather toys that can keep kids entertained while teaching them STEM concepts. For more on the items featured in this segment, check out the product notes below, and for our complete rundown of the best gifts for the holidays, check out our complete holiday gift guide.
BEASTS OF BALANCE (SENSIBLE OBJECT)
- This fun new interactive game combines your favorite aspects of JENGA and Pokemon GO.
- Beasts of Balance is a true testament to kids’ stacking ability.
- As you build the tower, connect each piece to the play pilth and watch the creatures come to life in the connected app through innovative AR technology.
- Physical and digital gaming meet in an interactive cooperative experience.
- Bringing Augmented Reality to a tabletop format.
- Great for party games with friends and family.
- Beautifully designed game pieces.
- Ages: 7+
- MSRP: $99
- Available: Amazon; Specialty, Apple, CE
TKX400I DUAL-LED MICROSCOPE (THAMES & KOSMOS)
- With precision mechanics, quality optics, and bright LED lighting, this microscope is designed specifically for students. The base is made of sturdy, dense plastic and the adjustment mechanisms provide reliable and exact positioning and focusing.
- Peer through the microscope lens and dive into an amazing new world. Your microscopic investigations can begin immediately with the three permanent slide preparations included. Fascinating structures, bizarre patterns and unexpected details are suddenly visible. Examine the countless living creatures in a single drop of pond water or the honeycomb-like arrangement of cells in an onion skin.
- Ages: 10+
- MSRP: $99.95
- Available: Amazon, Walmart, Toys “R” Us
CLIMATE AND WEATHER EXPERIMENT KIT (THAMES & KOSMOS)
- With 23 hands-on experiments, kids can investigate specific weather phenomena as well as the climate system in general.
- Build a model of Earth and its atmosphere and then use it to conduct experiments that show how the global wind system works. Trace air currents from the icy cold poles to the warm equator and back with a wisp of smoke. Model Earth’s heat reservoirs, thermals, and global and local winds. Recreate ocean currents in a small basin of water.
- Simulate Earth’s rotation and revolution to learn how the sun affects the weather daily and seasonally. Learn about the climatic zones and the composition of the atmosphere. Experiment to see how carbon dioxide levels affect temperature. Explore the hydrological cycle to learn about humidity, clouds, and precipitation. Build a simple barometer, set up a rain gauge, and track the temperature.
- Ages: 10+
- MSRP: $34.95
- Available: Toys “R” Us, Amazon
DISCOVERY UNDERWATER VOLCANO (HORIZON GROUP USA)
- Explore simple science, chemical reactions and teach your child how to follow instructions with the Discovery Glowing Volcano kit!
- Build the included base of the volcano, then wrap the plaster around the shape. Once the plaster is dry, paint and decorate your volcano with the acrylic paints.
- Be sure to add a layer of glow-in-the-dark paint so your volcano glows!
- Once your volcano is complete, use household items to fill the eruption tube and watch as a simple chemical reaction causes your volcano to erupt!
- Weather Fact: The large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) volcanoes produce can affect global temperature for one to three years!
- Ages: 12+
- MSRP $19.99
- Available: Walmart, Michael’s, Amazon
THRILL RIDES: LUNAR LAUNCH ROLLER COASTER BUILDING SET (K’NEX)
- Builders can construct the Lunar Launch Roller Coaster Building Set for interactive building fun.
- Kids can use the 559 included K’NEX pieces to build this coaster and when complete, stomp on the launching mechanism to send the coaster car on an out-of-this world orbital journey through the included coaster track.
- Ages: 7+
- MSRP: $54.99
- Available: Amazon, knex.com
