Looking through all this stuff, I've kind of been on an educational kick. My kids are homeschooled, so pretty much all of their education comes from opportunities I give them. As a result, Christmas isn't just a time for toys, it's a time for potential learning as well. This year I don't feel like I was really prepared for that commitment. I don't think I even began to knew what I was getting myself into. Sure, you see science kits out at the craft store and in big box stores. If you search Amazon there's tons of science, math, and reading activities. Unfortunately, if you don't know what you're looking for, you'll probably miss some of the cool things that are out there and available! I've decided to go through some of this stuff and pick out some of the things I would have wanted if I were a kid, maybe things I can share with my own kids in the future.
The first that made me jump up and down and squeal like a little girl in a movie over getting exactly what she wanted for Christmas, was something that looked like the Scorbot I used when I was in high school. This was a robotic arm robot that would be controlled and programmed. The OWI Robotic Arm
is a project that you construct, then use a controller to maneuver the machine. There's an optional USB interface
to allow the operator to program a list of commands on the computer for the robot to execute, similar to what I'm used to using. Even though I'm an adult, I think I'd still have fun with it!The next item I found reminded me of another project I did in high school. It's a Forensic Science Detective's Toolkit
. It teaches how to do everything from finding and handling evidence to writing out the crime scene report with sketches and everything! They test for counterfeit currency, search for fingerprints and footprints, analyze hair and soil samples, from what I've seen, it's got everything real detectives would want at a crime scene for a theft or breaking and entering. When I was in high school we had to determine who committed a certain crime in our biotech class by analyzing hair samples found on the crime scene and some other information, so this seems to fit right in with what we did then. We even went on a field trip to a forensic lab where I decided I wanted to work in ballistics. Of course, I never did get there, but it definitely would be a fun kit for a mystery lover!Then there's a whole bunch of obvious math and science books that I would love to have had when I was younger. For example, there's a whole series of Analogy Crossword Puzzles
that I think are just great. There's a series of books based on math and puzzles and things. The series has Addition Adventures, Subtraction Secrets, Multiplication Mosaics, More Multiplication Mosaics, Division Designs, Decimal Destinations
, Fraction Finders
, and Algebra Antics
. I love stuff like Code Breakers
too! Then there's the Perplexors
puzzles that look pretty cool. I know it really makes me a geek that I'm all about stuff like this, but I love it! What can I say? I love math and word games!Those are just my top picks. I'm sure I could go on for months and months with all the cool stuff I keep finding, thanks to doing my Christmas shopping online and getting all kinds of fantastic catalogs, I'm starting to realize how many untapped sources of really cool stuff there are out there! If you know what you're looking for, it's amazing what you can find!
So I guess what I'm saying is if you've got to be a consumer this holiday season, maybe there are some cool things you can pick up that will stimulate the mind, not just fill your house with stuff. True, we're homeschoolers so it's kind of our job to fill the house with really awesome math, science, reading, writing, and literature things, but that's no reason every family can't have some really cool stuff too! There's some really cool stuff out there that can truly expand the mind and educate! Believe it or not, most kids actually love that stuff!
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