Looking for toys that are as fun as they are educational? Toy Insider Assistant Editor Madeleine Buckley stopped by the offices of Family Circle magazine to show off some great toys that also teach. For more on the items featured in this segment, check out the product notes below, and for the complete rundown of the best toys of the spring and summer, be sure to check our complete Toy Insider Spring and Summer Gift Guide.
RAINBOW GUMMY CANDY LAB (THAMES & KOSMOS)
- Make your own delicious, fun gummy shapes using a gelatin mixture.
- Pour it into the included mold and concoct a spectrum of flavors and colors to personalize your unicorn, cloud, and rainbow-shaped gummy creations.
- Kids can even add citric acid to make sour gummies.
- They will learn about the scientific properties of natural polymers as you cook up these delicious treats.
- This kit includes all the food ingredients needed for a rainbow-gummy good time.
- Age: 6+
- MSRP: $19.95
- Available: thamesandkosmos.com
BEAKER CREATURES SERIES 2 WHIRLING WAVE REACTOR (LEARNING RESOURCES)
- It’s a whirling wave reaction!
- Drop the Reactor Pod into the chamber, fill it with water, and spin the lever to reveal the creatures!
- Doubles as a working lab station.
- Includes 1 Reactor Pod, 1 limited-edition Color-Change Frostonian, and science experiment guide.
- Age 5+
- MSRP: $14.99
- Available: Amazon
UNCLE MILTON: BUTTERFLY FARM LIVE HABITAT (BASIC FUN)
- Now kids can watch the amazing transformation that turns caterpillars into real butterflies!
- First, they can build and decorate their very own butterfly house. Then, they put caterpillars into the Transformation Chamber and watch the incredible metamorphosis in action.
- Soon they’ll have real butterflies flying in the habitat, ready to release into the world!
- The kit includes everything needed to create a beautiful butterfly habitat, plus a magnifying lens for observation, and a STEM learning poster that teaches about the four stages of metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
- Age: 4+
- MSRP: $19.99 each
- Available: Target, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble
