Paper airplanes are cheap, easily replaceable toys that can serve dual purposes; anyone ever write a love note and then air-mail it to the recipient? That impresses guys and girls alike. They even make for good improvised activities when lost in the desert…I know from experience.

Grab your favorite folding material and let’s take a look at paper airplanes! (For everyone’s interest, the best material for a paper plane is probably paper…I prefer college-ruled notebook sheets).

History

Naturally, paper planes are as old as paper itself, dating back to 490 BCE. The interesting historical implications of paper airplanes are that they helped define man-made air travel; Leonardo da Vinci folded some paper aircraft in order to develop his ornithopter and parachute designs. Sir George Cayley and other pioneers of flight began testing paper gliders in wind tunnels and natural environments in the late 1800’s as well.

Also, who would have thought that Wilbur and Orville Wright were using paper airplanes to test their designs at the turn of the century? I sure didn’t know that. Someone should tell my third grade teacher that my “wasting time” with aerogami (clever, eh?) actually lead to the first manned flight in Kitty Hawk all those years ago.

Someone's always gotta be a smarty pants and overachieve.

My Encounters

Back before school libraries became “media centers,” which are little more than computer labs with books as decoration, we were required to do some independent reading. Early in my student career, the library was a wasteland of “Babysitter’s Club” and “Choose Your Own Adventure” novels.

The kids that chose not to read prose (a considerable amount of my class) instead found the pile of instructional books, and only the cool kids were able to snatch a paper airplane manual. They were the first books checked out every year, and they never came back until June.

Beyond that, my most memorable encounter with paper airplanes involved a road trip in Eastern Oregon. After the pick-up died in the middle of the desert, my father took great delight in teaching me how to bank a paper plane to the left or right (the plane was made from receipt papers out of the glove box). This kept us from losing our minds as we waited for a tow truck.

The Best Way to Learn

While origami is more of an art, paper aircraft involve more science. Kids and adults alike should study up on aerodynamics and physics in order to achieve expert status, but who needs status? I’m here to play, Jack!

It's much simpler than the instructions make it look.

As before with origami, books and kits that come with custom paper are surprisingly cheap. One that is friendly to all ages is Zoom!: The Complete Paper Airplane Kit by Margaret A. Hartelius, illustrated by Cameron Eagle. Complete instructions to start the creativity are necessary, but then one’s mind needs to wander with the possibilities of custom designs.

The Benefits

Even if your paper airplanes don’t fly too far (many of mine have taken dramatic nose-dives into the ground), you’re always learning something by trying one out. If experimenting outdoors, one sees the effects of airflow and the physical properties of their materials in action. Indoors, the emphasis can be heavier on aesthetic design and competition (the same environmental conditions mean a fair game of “which plane goes further”).

Paper airplanes are the perfect activity, because everyone likes to see something bend the rules of physics. In the classroom they may be a dastardly distraction, but there is scientific and artistic merit to the design and experimentation of paper aircraft. Plus they are a whole lot cooler than those dopey fortune teller thingies (can you tell how my fortune was always unfair?).

Fly! Fold your first prototype and become the small-scale, paper version of Howard Hughes. Maybe you can win a contest, such as the one sponsored by the Scholastic publishing company, who put out all those great books I read in grade school…because the paper plane books were taken. …Hope you enjoyed part 2 of our Folding Paper series. Read part 1 on origami here.

I always wanted a microscope as a kid, but I didn't have one. Is that why I'm a writer instead? Perhaps.

A few days ago I made a point of talking about telescopes and how simple it should, in theory, be to encourage kids to learn via the usage of such a simple and relatively inexpensive technology. But now that you’ve got that telescope and space is all learned up, where do you turn next? Simple, take that practice I preached about space being free and apply it to things a whole lot smaller. How? Time to buy a microscope.

More Endless Free Fun

You see, whereas the beauty of the telescope is in the vastness of space, the beauty of a microscope is in the vastness of small objects, like leaves, hairs, and even water droplets. Everything when viewed on a microscopic level starts to look awesome. We’re talking star constellations awesome here.

But if you don’t have a microscope, that would also be a problem. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. When haven’t I been able to provide a reliable Amazon-based suggestion? Never, that’s when, and today is no exception. Right now the bestselling microscope in the Toys & Games category is the My First Lab Duo-Scope Microscope by C & A Scientific coming in at a very fair $59.

As I mentioned, microscopes, like telescopes, have a near-endless supply of free material to check out, but in case you’d rather have something pre-planned, the Learning Resources Prepared Slides Combination Set, a $20 Amazon purchase, is a great option since it includes 48 slides to inspect. Otherwise, anything that can fit under the lens is fair game to be studied.

Colorful AND educational. That's a double score!

Here’s a simple idea for how to make things more interesting: Kids love mysteries, so giving them the chance to determine what sample belongs to what can be a fun game. Make them close their eyes as you change slides and see if they can figure out what they’re looking at. Or pretend that they’re a forensics investigator on a serious crime and they need you to analyze the data. Essentially, there’s no escaping how vital it is you get their interest going with your own involvement. Still, it requires minimal work, plus you might just enjoy yourself.

While it doesn’t particularly sound that cool, suggest your kids bring along their new microscope when camping. You remember that camping trip I told you about last time? Yup, I’m still expecting you to plan that. Once in the woods, a bounty of new things to scan becomes available. While on a hike, pluck some interesting plants or find anything that looks like it could be interesting and take it back for examination. Even something like a bloody cut can become a fun event. Put a bit on a slide and have your child take a look. They might even forget they hurt themselves and just be fascinated with science. Science of all things!

Getting your kids interested with subjects like astronomy or forensic investigation are naturally gateway interests that open up to real-world career possibilities, so get them young and get them hard. For all you know you’ve just started the next big scientist on his path to discovery.

That's a pretty sweet telescope right there. I wish mine was this nice when I was a kid.

It can be really, really hard to get kids interested in anything even remotely related to science or education, especially when it comes with the word “toy” somewhere. Kids aren’t clueless. They know when you’re trying to sell them something other than what they want. That’s why you have to find science and learning toys that also happen to be really cool, and for that you don’t have to look much further than a telescope.

Sneaky, But It Gets The Job Done

I’ve ascertained that the ultimate way to cheat with kids is include something related to space. For some reason, space is just awesome. Why is it so many video games these days take an otherwise dull premise and plunk it into space, thus making it amazing? Now just think of how easy it is to focus that potential into a child’s learning process. Guess what? Space is right up there. For free. Every night. But you’ll need something handy to access this wealth of free space.

Enter the Celestron AstroMaster Refractor Telescope. This is currently Amazon’s best selling telescope in the Toys & Games category i.e. the For Use By Children category. It’s also currently priced at just over $90. Stop! Before you consider the price, consider what a telescope can really do.

Telescopes are essentially super binoculars. While a good pair of binoculars will enable you to see a plane in the sky a bit closer, a good telescope will let you see craters in the moon and make comets look a heck of a lot closer than they really are. Of course, you can always use a telescope for the usual nosey neighboring business, but you didn’t hear that from me (though your kids WILL try spying on everyone).

Look how close you can see the moon with one of these babies. Kids love this sort of thing.

And there’s nothing really wrong with the process of dinking with a telescope for whatever devices your child ends up using it for. For all you know, this is just step one towards their career as a government intelligence agent. But to really encourage the use of a telescope you should keep some things in mind.

First, there is the problem of space being boring. There are nights when clouds have covered everything or there just isn’t anything really worth looking at. That happens, you’ll just have to accept it. But when you hear about meteor showers or a planet being visible, make a point of turning this viewing into an event. “Maybe we’ll see a shooting star up close!” Kids will eat that right up.

Secondly, to deliver on these promises, don’t forget about light pollution. While turning off some lights in your own house can be helpful, it won’t guarantee that everyone else in your neighborhood will turn their lights off as well (possibly because your kids are spying on them with the telescope). If you live in the country this problem is usually solved, otherwise try scheduling some camping trips or just plan to head into the country for the evening when you know there will be a lot of celestial activity. Kids won’t even know they’re supposed to be learning anything.

Essentially, a telescope is a free pass to interact with your kids in a really cool way. You may need to do some research beforehand to ensure that you sound like the expert, but I promise you that it’s research well spent. Do waste the opportunity while you still have it.

Wait, I'm not just repeating articles, am I?

Everybody is going green these days. It’s rather trendy to say the least, so it’s no surprise that toys are following the trend and selling big when it comes to eco-friendly categories. If you’d very much like to give your kids something fun to play with that they’re guaranteed to enjoy plus is quite possibly better for the environment in the long run, then good news because here’s an article about the top selling eco-friendly toys right this second.

Still Going Green It Seems

Do you remember me talking about the company Green Toys a while ago? I’m not here to judge; it was after all quite some time since that article. The reason I’m bringing them up is because they’re selling one heck of a lot of their toys right now with the number one green toy of them all being the Green Toys Tea Set that I went on about in my article. Someone must have been listening to me when I wrote the positive review or something. Of course they aren’t just a one-trick pony since they also have a cookware and dining set, a dump truck, and a sand playset. You know, things every kid should already have. The best part of all that is that none of those toys are particularly expensive with only the full cookware and dining set being over $30.

Dang it, now I want to go play in the sand.

Green toys may have a lot in the bestseller category, but they aren’t alone. Another company called i Play is doing quite fine for themselves until Apple decides to sue them for using a lowercase I in their company name. Their top item is the Green Sprouts Stacking Cup Set, yet another incredibly simple toy that happens to be a toy every kid should own. Heck, I had a set of these when I was a kid, but I’m sure this set is a lot better for the environment.

My set had much manlier colors though, but otherwise they looked the same.

If you’d prefer something way more advanced, check out Elenco Electronics’ Frightened Grasshopper Solar Powered Bug. I swear to you I didn’t just invent that thing, and even better, this robo-bug is only $7. That’s a deal no matter who you are.

Alright, I'll allow a robo-grasshopper, but as soon as we get robo-hornets I say we've gone too far.

Sprig Toys have a handful of bestsellers when it comes to construction vehicle toys if you’d rather not buy everything from Green Toys. Let the girls have their tea sets, us boys got stuff to dig and construct and whatnot. Then after we’re done with that maybe some more tea.

Once more, all I want to do now is go play in the sand.

Rounding out the bestsellers is Plan Toys with a couple items. What’s their highest selling item right now? A solid wood drum. That’s it. Just a little drum with a little mallet. While I’m all for kids having a toy drum, I’m not everyone. Plan Toys also has a doll house nursery set for the less noisy children, though I’m somewhat surprised to find out that the toy drum is $21 and the doll house set is $18. I must be really out of touch with my green side.

Yup, that's one wooden drum there.

So there you have it folks, a multitude of great eco-friendly toys at affordable prices. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s once more time for tea.

This right here is one of the most popular education-based toy around. And it's a video game system.

If I were pressed to defend the educational value of video games, I probably couldn’t do much other than say they can teach reading, math, problem solving, community interaction, cause and effect, and hand-eye coordination skills, so really I’d have an uphill battle talking about their benefits (wink). However, there are a handful of very popular toys being sold this very second to parents wishing to give their kids a little boost in the learning aspect of playing while still making sure the toy is fun (gotta love parents). But just what are some of the most popular educational and learning toys right now?

Yay! A noise-maker for kids!

Heard of LeapFrog? You probably have since they’re selling tons upon tons of electronic toys aimed at teaching kids. It just so happens one of their best-selling products is a video game system called the Leapster. It looks like a mutant Game Boy but plays like something with the explicit purpose of learning in the foreground. However, you can easily fool a kid into forgetting he’s learning something when the character in the game is Batman. LeapFrog also has a wide variety of other electronic-type toys with the Learn & Groove Musical Table for kids (a thing that makes noise), the Spin and Sing Alphabet Zoo (a thing that makes noise), or the Scribble and Write (I’m sure it makes some sort of noise, it is a child’s toy after all).

Responsibilities! Exciting!

If, perhaps, you’d rather not futz with noise or electronics in general, our good friends Melissa & Doug have more than enough toys made of wood and magnets. Sometimes simple can be best, and Melissa & Doug tends to make very high-quality toys that last and last. It’s hard to beat a magnetic alphabet set or a magnetic responsibility chart. Sure, kids hate responsibility, but disguise it with magnets and they’re sold.

Dang that kid looks happy. I want some of those blocks!

Fisher-Price is still around and doing just fine, by the way. Do you remember them from your childhood? I sure do. I had all sorts of plastic blocks and shapes and steering wheels and things of that nature from Fisher-Price, and I’m happy to say they still make all those things with their Brilliant Basics Baby’s First Blocks staying as a bestseller. Their Sesame Street Silly Sounds Remote may not really be in the same category though. It may say “Sesame Street: on it, but it also says “Silly Sounds” which is code for “Lots o’ Noise.” Just get the blocks.

Hooray for bugs! What, you don't like bugs? That's science!

It’s also cool to see that the Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden is up near the top in sales. Why is that? Bugs, while super gross, are also super cool. Plus, it’s impossible for kids to find bugs in the house, so they have to go outside. If they can find tons of bugs inside, you’re teaching your kids something wrong. I was always happy as a kid with a bug net and a jar to keep my findings in. I assume kids haven’t changed too much since my childhood.

This is an incomplete list of the bestselling Education and Learning toys, but it’s a good start for sure. If all else fails, I can’t think of a single kid that’d say no to “Imagination Time” with their loving parents. In fact, I might just call my dad and see if he’s up for a game of it right now.

Technology never ceases to amaze me. At times, there are products that seem years ahead of their time, making what once seemed impossible a reality. Recently, Mindflex has been released and already is making new advancements in the entertainment industry.

Like something out of a science fiction movie, Mindflex by Mattel is operated by the user’s mind, as the name suggests. No, you won’t be able to levitate objects after using it, but it’s as close as you’re going to get. Rather, there are sensors that must be attached to your forehead and earlobes. These sensors measure your brainwaves and how much or little you are concentrating. Based on your level of concentration, a fan inside the console will blow, causing a foam ball to rise and fall.

Once the ability to control your concentration has been acquired, you can the guide the ball through an obstacle course. Numerous parts allow players to create their own course designs, providing potentially limitless entertainment. There are also games for up to four players, allowing for further enjoyment in finding out who has the best mental control.

Of course, there are some drawbacks. For one, understanding the relationship between the mind and the ball’s levitation will not come easily to many and frustration could easily set in. For around 200 bucks, that really would be a shame. Secondly, in order to play, the Mindflex requires a whopping four C and three AAA batteries. Lastly, the sensors look nothing short of ridiculous on the user’s head, but that’s more of a judgment call.

Either way, these shortcomings seem so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, as this truly is an experience unlike any other. If you ever see a demo of it set up anywhere, don’t hesitate to try it out, no matter how silly you look.

If you can master your mind, there’s no telling how much fun you could have.  Mindflex  retails for under $250.

Simple and Cheap = Perfect

Brain Age! What a game! In case you haven’t been paying attention to the world, Nintendo has been making quite a name for themselves by means of making games for their two major consoles that…aren’t technically “games” as the hardcore community sees fit.

Thus far, Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day and Brain Age 2: The Revenge of Brain Age (not actual title), have been released on the Nintendo DS and each stormed the sales charts for the past two years. Celebrities have done commercials and plugs for the games. You should know they exist by now. If you don’t, time to learn.

The entire concept of the Brain Age games revolves around simple exercises that supposedly “train your brain” to respond quicker and more accurately the more you practice. A standard test will consist of something like, “Subtract the numbers” or, “Count the number of people.” The goal is to complete the exercise as fast as possible while still being correct. The basic concept will become addicting to just about anyone.

Smarter In Minutes a Day?

This guy knows more about you than you think.

It’s so simple to use, but does it really work? Well, not really. Studies have been done and they are mainly inconclusive regarding how much your brain actually improves overall. However, I still believe that it works for getting your brain focused on a task. I’ve had people tell me that before a major test they’ll play 15 minutes of Brain Age to snap their mind into action and as a result they score higher on tests. So really, the game doesn’t make you smarter, but it can be a very useful tool.

Both the Brain Age games are extremely easy to find for really cheap. You could probably find either for $10 used at a local game store. A great gamers’ game, these are not. A fun time waster? Check and mate. Plus, they have Sudoku on them. Yup, now you’re sold.

While a simple mechanism, this line of Stomp Rockets is a surprisingly entertaining for a number of reasons.
First, it is quite easy to use. Children as young as three can properly send the rocket flying with a well-placed stomp.  The rockets are soft enough that the toy is quite safe, and damage-resistant.  As well, while the premise of the toy may sound simple, it is effective – rockets launched from the Stomp Rocket Junior Glow Kit can fly up to heights of 100 feet.

The entire toy is lightweight and portable, meaning it can be easily transported to the beach or a cottage. It could even be used indoors… though it would be a good idea to keep it away from any easily breakable objects.

The Benefit of Science Toys

An additional benefit that toys of this type is that it gives you a great opportunity to discuss basic science with your kids.  The mechanism of the propelled rocket is a good demonstration of force and air pressure, and of the aerodynamics of the dart itself.  You could think of it as a simple household science project, showing the ways in which very simple elements can combine to produce something dramatic and impressive.

This toy does have its downsides, like most science toys.  The rockets, being quite light, may have a tendency to be caught in the wind or blown away. There is the possibility of losing one of more rockets, which will quickly render the toy inoperable.  Fortunately, should this occur, packs consisting of extra rockets may also be purchased from the company.

But times have changed, and so have today’s youth.  That same little plastic brick company now works on robotics and three years ago, the first Lego Mindstorms NXT was released.   With the success of the past Mindstorms, all that is left to figure out is whether or not this new 2.0 version is enough of an improvement to be worth buying.

In a nutshell, this new Mindstorm product is the culmination of the robotics projects before it and is essentially an updated kit that allows people to build their own robots that can react to touch, light, and other senses.

What’s new with the Mindstorm 2.0

First, for those that are unfamiliar with the NXT series, let’s take a closer look at what makes up the new Mindstorms robot kit.  The main component is the NXT Brick, which has three motor ports to allow for movement and four sensor ports to attach the sensors.  Essentially, the brick is the “brain” of the robot.

Color and ultrasonic sensors and a new level of computer connectivity are new with the 2.0

It also has a USB port to allow it to connect to one’s computer, while the corresponding software allows the inventor to program the robot in any way he or she pleases.  New to this version is the color sensor, which, as its name suggests, can detect and distinguish between several colors.

The older Lego Mindstorms also have the aforementioned light sensors and touch sensors. But what’s new is the ultrasonic sensor, which serves as the “eyes” of the robot. The various servo motors can be placed in the various ports, allowing for a wide array of movements.

The sound editor and image editor are also welcome additions. When connected to one’s computer, pictures can be uploaded to the brick and be displayed on the robot. Likewise, voice samples and other sound effects can be recorded and played back through the brick’s speakers.

While the various motors and sensors allow the persona’s creativity to come to life, these extra aesthetic touches give a sense of personality to each robot, as well as a connection between the robot and its creator.

Building a LEGO Mindstorm Robot

With Mindstorm 2.0, the only limit is your imagination

The robots you build can be humanoid or animal-like. They can pick up objects and throw objects. The possibilities are seemingly endless, allowing the robot’s creator to let his or her imagination run wild.  Even if you are familiar with the Lego Mindstorms, it is hard to deny how fun and incredible it is to build your own robot.

Toys have come a long way. But advancements in technology come with a price, literally. The only question that is left is whether or not Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is worth its $280 price tag.

After seeing everything that the toy is capable of, I think the answer is yes, but only if this is the buyer’s first experience with the Mindstorms series.  Honestly, there is not enough of an improvement over the original NXT to justify shelling out another 280 bucks if you already have the older model at home.

But if you late to the party, the LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is the leading edge of toy robot electronics.

Recommended for ages 8 and up, this kit is great for those who show an interest in learning more about how electronics work as well as for those who simply love to build.

The kit requires 4 AA batteries (not included), and comes with a “circuit board” or base for the projects, and lots of connecting pieces such as wire, resistors, and other parts specific to certain projects.

Other Snap Circuit systems may be combined with this one to add to the creative options and additional pieces may be purchased separately. Smaller kits (SC-100) are available for those wanting to start out with a smaller price tag.

The instruction manual groups projects by the level of difficulty and offers color-coded instructions for each, making the assembly easy and fun. The projects are set up with an objective so that parents and kids can see just what they are learning when they build each one. The younger kids will probably need a bit of help understanding the concepts behind the individual projects, and those answers – available in the instruction booklet as well as online – may educate the grown-ups helping out too.

Find the Electronic Snap Circuits Kit here

The assortment of projects offered in the instruction booklet gives an opportunity for increased challenges as the basic concepts are understood. The pieces can be used to create projects not included in the instruction booklet too, which allows those budding engineers to design their very own projects.

Awards for this toy include Dr Toy Best Educational Products, Dr Toy 100 Best Children’s Products, and The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval. This kit is a great educational investment for kids of nearly any age.

The hand-held microscope attaches to a belt clip battery pack (5 AA batteries required) so that it can go all over the house and outside without dragging along a bunch of equipment. The hand-held “eye” takes digital pictures and video which are viewable on the hand-held LCD and may be saved to the included USB memory stick.

Once the batteries and USB stick are inserted, the camera can be used immediately without the need for a lot of instruction. Controls on the handset let the user zoom (100x, 200x, or 400x magnification), choose to save photo or video, view the gallery on the LCD screen, or delete items. The focus during magnification must be done manually and takes a bit of practice to get just right; this might be frustrating for younger kids, especially initially.

The included video cable allows the close-ups to be viewed on a TV. The BioniCam is operational while plugged in this way, offering fun family play with a larger screen to view the real time close-ups of Uncle George’s wrinkles. The saved images and videos can be transferred for editing and storage to a computer without downloading any extra software.

Find the Eyeclops BioniCam here.

The instruction booklet offers some tips when starting out, giving recommendations for items with intricate patterns that kids will find interesting. Once they get started they’ll be off and running, inspecting everything around the house with their new toy.

This kit by Insect Lore is for ages 4-14

At some point we begin to ask “Why?”

And when the answer isn’t readily available in the brain of some adult, kids need another hands-on way to find out.

Science toys to the rescue!  So many things are available now as kits and simple lessons that we are sure to find the right one for the question at hand.

The Live Butterfly Garden by Insect Lore is  one of the most popular science toys today.  The kit includes butterfly habitat and you mail away for three butterfly larvae.  This is so cool because you can actually watch the butterflies’ metamorphosis close up!  The kit retails for less that $20.

Rainy Days Great for Science

On a recent rainy day I did an online search (since we didn’t want to go out in the rain to begin with) and found a page of free science experiments that can be created from items already in the house.

We decided that making ice cream would be a good one (you can’t snack on a radio when it’s finished), and it was so easy!  When we finished I got the “why did that work, mom?” question, and I was actually able to answer it from the information provided on the site.

For those not wanting to tackle homemade projects the kits are great because the items needed are already included and it can be tucked away on a top shelf to be pulled out for your own rainy day.  Some science toys have instant gratification and others, like the Live Butterfly Garden, will take some time to grow into the full experiment.  The hands-on time is great for growing brains!

Choosing the Right Science Toys

I have found kits that go as young as 4 years in the science sections at some stores, but most will be for at least age 8.  Be sure to check the age range when purchasing a kit since nothing is more frustrating than trying to do something beyond your ability (or comprehension, as is the case for some of these).  More and more of the kits are offered at around the $20 range making it a reasonable option for an afternoon activity.

Another side effect from these kits and experiments is that adults and children might actually learn to enjoy science in a way they never have before.  Making ice cream at home might start one on the path to culinary wizardry, so be prepared for the unknown.

It can be difficult to judge how beneficial a toy is, but rather than taking toys away, consider bringing newer ones into the mix.  Toys are favorites because they are serving some purpose – perhaps it is a comfort, or reminiscent of a trusted relative.

Adding new toys into the mix brings challenge.  Don’t worry about how your child’s interests or “skill levels” match what the guide books say; in truth, child development is highly variable and complex.  By observing what your child enjoys, and also what is boring, you can bring new toys in that provide the right blend of entertainment and challenge.

Micro-managing a child’s toys will just lead to confusion.  The best thing to do is take cues and respond, a little at a time.