Idea Factory Gears & Pulleys by Learning resources
Available from
Playgear (020 8882 1293)
Cost: 16.95
Details;How it is made and what it can do
Developed by the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, this Gears & Pulleys set consists of plastic cogs, two plastic foam base boards, axle pegs, pulley attachments and elastic band belts. An accompanying leaflet suggests ways to use the set, and poses questions for children to answer using their observations: for example, they are told to set up a three-gear configuration and then asked whether the gears all turn in the same direction.
Verdict;Our tester's report on the product in action
Nick Blackburn, Year 1 teacher at a London primary school, says, 'Children can get something out of this toy at several different levels. They don't need to follow the ideas in the booklet to be able just to play with it. Initially, I gave it to a lower ability group and they remained absorbed in it for 40 minutes without adult intervention. It's a good quality set - durable and bright. You couldn't use it as your only piece of equipment when teaching children about gears, but it's a good introduction to the subject and its vocabulary.'
Score;Marks out of five
Educational value:
****
Child appeal:
***
Quality:
***
Product tested;Stockist, price and contact number
Kaleidescopes by Plan Toys
Available from
Playgear (020 8882 1293)
Cost: 9.95 for four
Details;How it is made and what it can do
Plan's wooden kaleidoscopes are chunky little items in the shape of hexagonal nuts. Instead of presenting shifting patterns formed from coloured fragments, these kaleidoscopes show the world in a new way by refracting light through multifaceted lenses. When you look through the kaleidoscope, you see multiple versions of the object you're pointing it at. Turn the barrel, and the myriad images revolve.
Verdict;Our tester's report on the product in action
Nick Blackburn says, 'The children love these kaleidoscopes. The kaleidoscopes' size is good - longer tubes are harder for young children to turn - and I like the way the kaleidoscopes don't have coloured pieces obscuring the view. Toys made from wood are always attractive and nice to hold. I wouldn't attempt to explain how the kaleidoscopes work to my class of five-and six-year-olds. At this level, it's all about awe and wonder. Optics - refraction of light and so on - come later.'
Score;Marks out of five
Educational value:
***
Child appeal:
****
Quality: ****
Product tested;Stockist, price and contact number
Spring balances by Phillip and Tacey
Available from:
Philip & Tacey (01264 332 171)
Cost: 5.99 each
Details;How it is made and what it can do
Made in Canada, these strong spring balances come in six sizes ranging from a balance that will weigh up to 250g to a real toughie that will manage up to 5kg. They are calibrated in Newtons (units of force) as well as grammes - a useful feature for older classes. The barrel that contains the spring is made from clear perspex, so the balance's way of working is transparent. At the top of the tube is a nut which can be twisted to adjust the zero level.
Verdict;Our tester's report on the product in action
With these balances, you can see the spring moving apart when you weigh something, and that really helps the children to understand the relationship between weight and pulling force,' says Susie Weeds, who teaches at Tufnell Park Primary School in North London. 'The balances can be used with all age groups. In the nursery, they can be displayed on an activity table alongside other types of weighing machine so that the children can compare different ways of doing the same job.'
Score;Marks out of five
Educational value:
*****
Child appeal:
***
Quality: ***
Product tested;Stockist, price and contact number
Very First Magnet Kit by Dowling Magnets
Available from:
Galt (08702 424 477)
Cost: 13.99
Details;How it is made and what it can do
Dowling's Hands On Series of scientific toys supplies this colourful introduction to the mysteries of magnetism. The kit consists of an activity leaflet, a magnet wand, a traditional horseshoe magnet, a block magnet encased in plastic, four ceramic shape magnets (heart, star, arrow and triangle) and a range of things to pick up including magnetic rubber cut-outs, jazzy paper clips, and plastic covered magnetic marbles.
Verdict; Our tester's report on the product in action
Tracey Horan, science co-ordinator at Ivy Lane Junior and Infants School in Chippenham, Wiltshire says, 'This kit is particularly nice for younger children to use. It provides a good range of attractive objects for them to investigate. Our Reception Class children incorporated it with a 'Postman Pat' story thought up by the teacher - Pat goes on a journey and collects items from the kit on the way. The kit seems to be very good quality. We've had it for a long time and it has lasted very well.'
Score;Marks out of five
Educational value:
****
Child appeal: ****
Quality: ****
Product tested;Stockist, price and contact number
Sink of Float Exploration Kit by Lakeshore
Available from:
Galt (08702 424 477)
Cost: 39.95
Details;How it is made and what it can do
This kit for investigating sinking and floating contains a transparent plastic tank and more than 25 objects to dunk into the water, including plastic sailboats, a key, a button, a cork, a miniature log, a bag of gravel, cubes made of different materials, a goldfish (plastic), a shell (real) and a rubber duck. Also included is a lidded container to use as a float, a thought-provoking activity leaflet and a wipe-clean chart for recording predictions and results.
Verdict;Our tester's report on the production in action
Amanda Quirk, who is a nursery teacher at St Wilfrid's Church of England Primary School in Newton Heath, Manchester, is very enthusiastic about Sink or Float? 'There's nothing revolutionary about this kit, but I really liked it,' she says. 'Having it means that you don't have to go on a mad scramble looking for all the things you need. There are lots of nice touches too - the cubes made from different materials really puzzled the children at first. They couldn't understand why some floated and not others. It's a good investment.'
Score;Marks out of five
Educational value:
****
Child appeal:
****
Quality: ****
Product tested;Stockist, price and contact number
Sun-print Paper by Tobar
Available from:
Hope (08702 433 400)
Cost: 5.99
Details;How it is made and what it can do
Science meets magic with this simple photographic paper from Tobar. Taking care not to expose it to outdoor light, you pin the sheets of blue paper to corrugated card, then place the chosen object on the top - flat things with a definite shape such as leaves or cardboard cut-outs are best. You then expose the paper to sunlight for two minutes. After exposure, soak the paper in water for a minute, then dry flat. The image, which resembles a negative, comes into focus more sharply during drying time.
Verdict;Our tester's report on the product in action
Louise Roberts, who teaches at Rhos Street School in Ruthin, Wales, says, 'The children liked using this paper, and the results were quite good. The only problem was that you couldn't use the prints in displays because they'd fade. If you wanted to keep the prints, you would have to fix them with a chemical solution bought at a photographic shop, and obviously, the children wouldn't be able to do that themselves. I used the paper when we were doing work on changes -and timing the exposures was good for the children's maths.'
Score;Marks out of five
Educational value:
***
Child appeal:
****
Quality: ***
