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 Creative, imaginative, “outside the box” thinking is an important skill for kids.
Kids are inspired by a natural curiousity and they see things in different ways than adults. They find unique solutions to everyday problems, and they often have the most incredible ideas and inventions!
When kids are designing and inventing – they become engineers, mathematicians, scientists, and even entrepreneurs. They are thrilled when they see their ideas and projects completed, and are inspired to continue creating and inventing!
We love to find products that help encourage kids to exercise their creative thinking skills. We think the book Kids Inventing! A Handbook for Young Inventors is a great tool!
This book provides kids with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions and tools to help organize their thoughts and turn their ideas into realities!
We think it’s a perfect start to fun, inventive summer learning for kids of all ages!
Click the link above for more information and to read an excerpt from the book.
Get your copy today!
Here are additional products that will have your kids inventing all summer long!
MOOV Street Kit (10 in 1 Wooden Construction Set that Kids Can Ride On) – We love the MOOV kits! Kids ages 5 through 12 can use the precisely engineered wooden pieces to create all kinds of contraptions, including ride-on vehicles!
Girder and Panel Hydrodynamic Deluxe Set – Invent new hydraulic plants with this clever set. A fun way to play with water, too!
LaQ Pallet – Use the various sized and shaped pieces to create 3D models. Creative fun!
Hollywood Designer Costume Kit – Design your own Hollywood costumes with the help of a pro, and the contents of this kit! Be creative!
Iron-On Transfer Paper for T-Shirts – Use a variety of art supplies, including crayons, to design and create your own custom t-shirts! Make a variety of shirts and sell them to friends and family! A fun way for kids to practice being in business!
KEVA Contraptions – This 200 piece wooden building set allows kids to invent new marble runs and other outrageous contraptions!
UBERSTIX Scavenger Kit – Collect and recycle items from around your house and build a pirate ship, a UFO, or any other design you can dream up. Inventive fun!
DIY Blank Game Board Kit – Use our exclusive Blank Game Board Kit to develop and design your own board game! So many creative possibliities!
PitchCar – Design your own racetrack, then create your own racing games with this quality wooden race game. Make sure to see the games we’ve created at the bottom of the product page to help get you started.
Hardcover Blank Book – Write and illustrate your own book! This quality blank book provides just the right number of pages to get you started.
Visit our store for many more inventive, creative products, games, and toys!
 There is something fascinating about flight. Balsa gliders and rubber powered planes have fueled kids imaginations for decades.
The Guillow’s Airplane Design Studio is a “dream come true” kit for any kid that is fascinated by flight. Containing over 35 parts, including multiple fuselages, wings and propellers, the kit allows children to experiment with a variety of design configurations quickly and easily – then fly them!
There are two different main wing sizes included in the kit, as well as plastic biplane struts that allow a variety of configurations for either gliders or prop powered designs – monoplanes, biplanes or triplanes. Landing gear can also be added to the prop planes for experimenting with rolling take-offs and landings.
The balsa parts are precision die cut. The tail and pilot canopy parts remain in sheet form. Care must be taken when removing them to avoid breakage. Balsa is the perfect material for making planes, since it is very rigid, yet light weight – and is pretty durable. This allows the planes and gliders to survive less than perfect landings, and make multiple flights without needing repairs.
All the parts come unfinished. This allows kids to really get creative and decorate the parts however they want. Will they choose a traditional military scheme? Racing or sport plane design? Something else completely creative and colorful? The sky is the limit! Using markers, crayons or decals (not included in the kit), they can make symbols, letters, color schemes, and personalized designs of their own choosing.
Tips:
- Avoid flexing or bending balsa parts with the grain direction. The thin balsa can crack easily. When removing the tail parts from the die cut sheet, hold the part and scrap very close to the cut lines and flex slightly to avoid breakage.
- Some of the slots for wings, canopy and tail parts may need to be opened up slightly. If a part won’t fit in a slot, slide a thin butter knife gently back and forth in the slot to enlarge it. Don’t pry!
- Avoid getting balsa wet (e.g., flying the planes when the grass is wet from dew or rain). The balsa is unfinished, and will absorb water easily since it is a very open-grained wood. When wet balsa dries, it will tend to warp. If a part does get wet, try to dry it immediately with a towel. Then, we recommend placing the part on a flat surface and placing a flat item (like a flat bottom pan) on top of it to keep it flat until the part dries completely.
- Marking the center line on the wings and horizontal tail parts will help center them properly in the fuselage, and will assist in making flight adjustments later on.
- We recommend using colorful markers to decorate the balsa parts. Thin tip markers can be used to mark panel lines, rivets, and letters. Broad tipped markers can be used for coloring larger areas. Avoid using water-based paints, since the balsa will absorb the liquid and warp as it dries.
- Balsa is pretty easy to fix. Some parts can be glued with wood glue, or super glue designed for repairing wood. If a tail part, canopy or even a wing is broken, try using a small piece of clear packing tape to repair it. Don’t use too much – remember, weight is the enemy when it comes to flight!
- Repeated crash landings might cause dents in the edges of the wings or tail parts, where they contact the fuselage. Wrap a small piece of clear cellophane tape over the leading edge of the wood to strengthen and protect it.
- If a part is warped, try holding it over a pot of steaming water while twisting in the opposite direction of the warp. Then, hold the part flat until it dries straight
Click Guillow’s Airplane Design Studio for more information and to get your kit today!
Send us your pictures! Take a picture of your kids with their airplane designs from this kit, and we’ll post them on our website!
Make sure to visit our New Arrivals to see all the new things in store for you!
 The ZinkoTek Building System is one that most kids dream of.
With 276 pieces that are soft, easy to sort, and fit together with each other perfectly, they allow building flexibility to create small simple shapes. But at the same time, the pieces are large enough to allow large structures to be erected!
The ZinkoTek Building System is fun for children ages 3 through 13! Because this building set has so many different ways of play, it grows with children. A three year old child will begin putting the pieces together to create small-scale models while sorting pieces by shape and color. As a child grows, they continue to build bigger and more elaborate structures. Older children really love the aspect of the ZinkoTek system – they can actually fabricate buildings they can enter and stand inside. Large scale structures like airplanes, forts, and make-believe robots can be constructed.
Kids love to interact with their creations, and ZinkoTek makes that possible. This kind of play sparks great imagination and creativity, both of which are crucial to full child development. We think this is one of the greatest features of the ZinkoTek for both boys and girls. Creating a massive structure that is bigger than they are is universally appealing to all kids!
Not many building sets are designed to be used outdoors. Wood blocks don’t hold up to the elements, and metal sets rust and corrode. But the ZinkoTek pieces are made of fairly soft EVA foam that is weatherproof, so it can be played with outside as well as indoors. And because the pieces are soft and pliable, there are no worries about young children getting hurt while playing with any part of the set.
Kids quickly find ways to incorporate ZinkoTek into their play with other toys. Castles are created to house pet dragons. A detached garage is needed to park the tricycle. The summer cottage is built for the teddy bear clan. And who wouldn’t like a child-sized drive-thru for your friends to pedal up to?
ZinkoTek is certainly the large-scale building set that will grow with your kids for years of creative play!
We highly recommend this imaginative building set!
Click ZinkoTek for more information and pictures, as well as a complete parts list.
 Perplexus.
Just the name of this unique 3D game sounds intriguing! As soon as it’s pulled out of the box, you’ll quickly realize just how perplexing – and addicting – this innovative maze is.
At first glance, my adult reaction to the Perplexus was doubt – how in the world is this thing supposed to work?!? Then, after rolling it around a few times, I started to see the pattern of the tracks. But I was still doubtful that the little steel ball inside could possibly fight gravity to make it through the maze. Or to be more precise, I was doubting MY ability to make it work. My sons, however, had no such doubt or lack of self-confidence. They quickly figured out the starting gate principle, and how to follow the numbered paths through the maze. They were fascinated with the complexity of the various traps, gates, and tracks. The challenge of getting to the next level made this game even more fun for my kids.
Our entire family watched the video interview (see the link to this interview at the bottom of the product page) with the inventor of Perplexus, and my kids were inspired. My kids thought it was fantastic that someone’s idea as a child, ended up being a game that can be played with today.
Pros: Ingenious design; completely self-contained (no parts to lose).
Cons: The plastic sphere is challenging to see into when light glares off the convex surface (best used in daylight, versus under a table lamp).
This is a very creative product, and one we highly recommend! For more information, and to see the video interview with the inventor, click Perplexus
 It’s Product Review Monday!
Today’s post is for the MOOV 10-in-1 Street Construction Kit.
Product reviewing can be tough. I know it sounds like a great way to try out new products, but staying focused and objective, looking at products with a critical eye, and not getting too “emotionally involved” with a product can be tough. This was definitely the case with the MOOV Building Set! Our review can be summed up in one simple word: WOW!!! We absolutely fell in love with it and had a hard time finding any faults.
Unlike other hand size building blocks or small-scale assembly kits, the MOOV building systems feature large, easy to handle pieces that kids immediately are drawn to as soon as the box is opened. They know that whatever is going to be built, is going to be impressive! The kit design features pieces that are all highly engineered, EXTREMELY well made, with precision and tight tolerances. All the parts fit together perfectly! The mix of wood, metal, plastic, foam and rubber pieces go together to make cool, colorful looking finished machines that are very sturdy. The fastener system is ingenious – no tools, screws, nails, or bolts. Simple round rubber rings and grooved rods act as “nuts and bolts”. The rods fit through the bright painted metal parts, and the CNC machined laminated plywood pieces with perfect precision. The rubber rings snug up against the wood parts to form a unitized construction frame that MOOV claims will hold over 50kg (110 lbs). This is probably very conservative for safety reasons, since we tested one vehicle with a full-grown adult that weighed about 185 lbs., and saw no damage. These things are tough!
Our youngest tester (age 7) had no problems manipulating all of the parts. The full-color, step-by-step instructions include a parts pull-list on each page. By gathering the proper parts before building, it ensures that no parts are missed during each assembly – a VERY nice touch. Text is limited to a few words, and numbers, with the majority of construction depicted by 3D CAD/CAM exploded views showing assembly of the different pieces. This assembly style promotes reading, number recognition, and counting, not to mention advanced planning skills, and increased hand/eye coordination and spatial thinking skills.
 Right out of the box, our three person team of testers assembled a 3-wheeled “chopper” with no adult assistance. The three children quickly began working as a team, each working on subassemblies individually, as well as finishing major assembly steps as a team. Once they completed the chopper according to the instructions, they each took a quick test ride. Then (not surprisingly), they quickly started to disassemble, modify, and rebuild it using their own design ideas to improve and customize their creation! Very fun to watch youngsters bounce ideas off each other as they imagine what the end build needs to look like, and how parts will go together to achieve their visions.
While the price is steep, when you consider there are 10 different vehicles to build, not to mention the countless ideas kids will create on their own, the price is well worth it. Only negative was the thin foam pieces supplied for seats didn’t have enough padding for older kids – but that was easily solved with a folded towel or small pillow for extra cushioning! We highly recommend this set, and envision it will last many, many years, and provide countless hours of fun for children of all ages!!
 What is our fascination with water?
Children of all ages love to dabble and play in it; even adults are inexplicably drawn to it. Maybe it’s our desire to try and control one of nature’s most powerful elements.
Well, now there’s a way you can easily control water and bend it to your will, all in the comfort of your home, with the Girder and Panel Hydrodynamic Deluxe Set!
This set is a self-contained construction kit that lets kids learn about fluid dynamics in a fun and easy to use manner. The pieces fit together well, and the water elements are very easy to clean. Building structures with the girders is a lot of fun by itself! There are almost unlimited combinations possible, which makes this a set your kids won’t tire of quickly like other sets. Incorporating the water elements into the structure makes kids think about spacial relationships and structural integrity too, since their designs need to support the various holding tanks and valves.
The base and lid are an ingenious design that we really like; the base tray holds water, and doubles as the foundation for the girder structures. Plus when play time is over, all the parts fit in the base tray, the lid snaps over the top and the entire set can be neatly stored without worrying about lost pieces.
Since the entire set is self-contained within the base tray, it can be used virtually anywhere, outdoors or indoors. We use the set on our kitchen table, but we highly recommend setting the base on a kitchen towel and having a spare towel handy to place various wet water elements on, while experimenting with different configurations.
The manufacturer recommends this set for ages 10 and above, but with proper adult supervision, younger children can enjoy the set, too. There are small parts that present a choking hazard for very young children, so supervise youngsters carefully.
For a fun, educational toy to keep kids busy this summer, try the Hydrodynamic Deluxe Set!
Accessories Available:
 We’ll admit it – we like this game! It’s one that, as soon as you open the box, you’ll say “Oh, I gotta try this!”
As the pieces are pulled from the box, I imagine Road Atlanta, Laguna Seca, or Talladega – engines screaming, the smell of burning rubber, the checkered flag waving in front of me… something about racing does that to me.
 The 16 well-made track pieces (10 turns, 16 straight-aways along with guardrails) exhibit superior craftsmanship, while the interlocking design of the parts allows for many different track layouts. The “cars” are perfectly machined wooden disks that are pitched (”flicked” with a finger) around the course. And although the game is recommended for ages 6 and up (due to small parts), with proper supervision, younger children will be able to play a simple track layout, too.
Despite its simplicity, this game is intriguing to play, and allows for many different playing styles. There’s the bold and reckless style – high risk to gain the big lead… or end up in a spectacular crash and burn! Or perhaps the smooth and steady, no errors approach might be the better tactic.
The instructions included with PitchCar are straighforward, but again, the simplicity of the game lends itself to many variations. That’s what really makes it intriguing!
Here are a few of our favorite games that we have created for PitchCar:
Last Man Standing – A normal game of PitchCar is played, with one exception: If your car is pitched off the track, or bumped off the track by another player’s car, your car is out of the race. The last car left on the track is the winner.
Bumper Car – In this game, all eight cars are used, divided equally among the players. On your turn, you pitch one of your cars. The important rule is that your car must bump another car after being pitched! If it does not touch another car, then your pitched car goes back to where it was, and the next player takes their turn. Object is to get all your cars across the Finish line first! HINT: Keep your cars close together – a bump off one of your own cars counts!
Traffic Jam – All eight cars are used, divided equally among the players. The object is to get all of your cars around the track and across the finish line before your opponents. On your turn, you may only pitch one of your cars. All other normal PitchCar rules apply.
Golf Car – Who can maneuver their car around the track in the fewest number of pitches to set par? Keep track of how many pitches it takes to make one complete circuit. You can either alternate turns, with each player taking one pitch at a time, or let one player “play through”, pitching their car all the way around the course – followed by the next player, and the next. The person with the fewest pitches after the race, wins. Just like in real golf, if your car goes “out of bounds”, you must place it back where it started, and count one stroke or pitch as a penalty. If you establish a par for the course, you could score each racer based on par, one over par, etc.
Endurance Race – This is a race where caution can pay off. Each player gets one car. The race is five laps, and all normal PitchCar rules apply, except: if your car goes off the track, you must go back to the Start/Finish line and start all over again! If you hit an opponents car and force them off the track, their car is placed back on the track where it was before the “accident”. Don’t get discouraged if you crash an dhave to start over – we’ve had many come-from-behind wins due to unexpected wipe-outs by the leader! Five laps not long enough? Try 10, or 20 for a real challenge of patience. I can picture the 24 hours of Daytona…
We started using The Private Eye: “5X” Looking / Thinking by Analogy book and The Private Eye Jeweler’s Loupe over a year ago with a group of three children. What amazing results!
This program is absolutely one of the best we’ve found. It offers a way for children of all ages to practice creative, critical thinking skills, as well as artistic and language art skills. And… it’s fun to do!
By looking through the loupe, children are transported to new worlds and new ways of looking at everyday things. Have you ever looked at the back of your hand? I mean, really looked at the back of your hand? The lines and creases appear to be roads for microscopic creatures, or topographic maps to new lands.
When examining objects up close – really up close – you see things you’ve never seen before! This unique view elicits analogies that expand thinking into uncharted realms of creativity.
The kids that tested this product now carry a loupe with them in their pockets. Stopping in a grocery store to examine the frost on the freezer case, or loupe-looking at a pine cone and imagining a spelunking adventure into unknown caves…. only their imaginations will limit their experiences when they follow The Private Eye book with loupe-looking adventures!
Expand your horizons… take a journey into the microscopic world that exists among us. Have fun as you learn new ways of looking at our world – and expand your creative thinking!
We highly recommend this product to everyone – all ages – any profession!
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