Looking for a last minute gift idea? A gift that is fun AND educational? Homeschool.com has been testing products these past 12 months and we've selected the following items as some of the best educational gifts for 2007.
Folkmanis Sierra Club Wildlife Puppet
This majestic giant Sequoia stands 17 inches and comes to life as six wildlife finger puppets make it their home, teaching us that all of Earth’s creatures are interdependent. The finger puppets can be poked in and out of a variety of holes throughout the branches and around the tree’s base. Finger puppets include owl, bear, blue jay, squirrel, hare, and fox. The SEQUOIA TREE WILDLIFE PLAY SET has a suggested retail price of $39.99.
http://www.folkmanis.com/sierra.htm
Curiosity Kits Mega Volcano™
The Mega Volcano is exploding with fun! 12" volcano is easy to mold. Includes quick dry plaster gauze for simple shaping, red and brown paints for a realistic look, three dinosaurs, plastic cup, and recipe for making lava. Curiosity Kits Mega Volcano™ has a suggested retail price of $16.50. Ages 6+.
http://www.shopatron.com/product/part_number=65001/360.0
BusyBodyBook®
Personal & Family Organizer features the Weekly GRID format. Five columns help you schedule, coordinate and track the activities of up to 5 family members, side by side. BBB’s columns also assist with your meal planning, lesson planning, school subjects, work-at-home commitments as well as for tracking personal goals. BusyBodyBook has a suggested retail price of $16.95.
http://www.busybodybook.com
The Teaching Tank®
The Teaching Tank is an excellent teaching aid available to really do and see science. The tank doesn't require a lot of materials, but the large viewing area allows students to easily see what is happening. There is no better way to view roots, worms, or ants! In addition, the tanks are a snap to assemble, a breeze to clean, and fun to use. Suggested retail price $24.95. www.TeachingTank.com
Parent’s Magazine Record a Voice Cellphone by Battat
Your independent toddler will be delighted with this record a voice cellphone that lets you record your message and play it back! It has sounds and songs galore and plays three pre-recorded messages. Comes with 3 AAA batteries so your child can play with it right away. Suggested retail price is $14.99. This item can be found at various retail locations across the United States as well as http://www.sb-kids.com/ or http://www.kidsurplus.com/.
Parent’s Magazine Animal Hospital by Battat
This vet kit extraordinaire comes with 3 animals to care for each in its own cage with extra rooms for other sick pets. The realistic-looking vet’s instruments range from stethoscope to pet vitamins. The color- and shape-matching keys on a ring coordinate with each door. The handy hospital holds everything inside for easy storage and travel. 1 AA battery is required for the flashlight that comes in the set. This is the perfect item for pretend play which gives your child unlimited possibilities. Suggested retail price is $39.99. This item can be found at various retail locations across the United States as well as many websites such as http://www.target.com/, http://www.sb-kids.com/, or www.kidsurplus.com
FLY Fusion™ Pentop Computer
When you write with the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer on FLY™ Paper, everything is automatically captured and digitized. You can then upload it to your PC and convert to text. Touch your pentop computer to FLY Paper, and you can quiz yourself on history, get help with a quadratic equation, or even play your favorite MP3. And when you're ready for new software, simply connect to your PC again to purchase and download custom homework and gaming applications directly to your FLY Fusion Pentop Computer. Suggested retail price is $79.99.
http://www.flyworld.com/
LeapFrog Leapster® Learning Game System
Write, draw and paint, or play games that encourage reading, math and creative arts skills. Designed for little hands, the easy-to-hold stylus gives children practice with pencil control. With a library of over 40 software games, players interact with their favorite animated characters. Action-packed games inspire a love of learning and reward problem solving. Suggested retail price: $59.99.
http://leapfrog.com/en/families/leapster/leapster_learning0/leapster.html
Heritage Makers Storybooks
Every story deserves to be told in a Heritage Makers storybook. Each storybook offers plenty of room for your favorite photos and memories. It's never been easier to share your adventures in a custom-made, hardbound book. Suggested retail price: $34.95.
www.iloveyourstories.com
NEO by AlphaSmart
Designed specifically for writing, NEO is the rugged, low-cost, lightweight, non-stop, power-writing notepad that provides quick and easy writing access from any location. Its instant-on function lets you download your thoughts immediately, and with NEO's low-energy consumption you can compose for hours, days, and months at a time–up to 700 hours on three AA batteries. With NEO, you can write anywhere, anytime and experience true writing freedom. Suggested retail price: $219.00. http://www.alphasmart.com/products/neo_In.html
Wee Enchanted Garden by Creativity for Kids
Cultivate a tiny garden wonderland in our "terra cotta" plastic planter. The kit provides the potting soil, seeds, paints, rocks, gravel, miniature woodland creatures and fairy tale bark home for all the elves and gnomes who inhabit your enchanted garden. Suggested retail price: $21.99.
http://www.creativityforkids.com/
Quick and Easy Tie-Dye Deluxe by Creativity for Kids
The dye is in the ties! With this super-simple technique, you just tie, dip and dye. Deluxe set includes 18 feet of colorful tie dye cord, white, standard size, cotton pillowcase with decorative button closure, mini t-shirt for your favorite plush pal, latex free craft gloves, rubber bands and a permanent fabric marker. Ask your friends to autograph your pillowcase with the fabric marker at your next sleepover party...what a cool keepsake! Suggested retail price: $19.99.
http://www.creativityforkids.com
Allowance Bank by Creativity for Kids
Here's a fun way to learn about money and savings with this adorable piggy bank. Paint a large ceramic pig using 8 colors of paint. Passbook and allowance chart included, for you to keep track of money. Record deposits and reward yourself with gold stars. Suggested retail price: $14.99.
http://www.creativityforkids.com/
Cooking Up Fun by Creativity for Kids
More than just pretend, kit includes a real fabric chef hat, apron, photo frame cookbook, scented stickers, menus and more. Personalize your cookbook with favorite family recipes, make up your own menus and add scented stickers. Suggested retail price: $17.99.
http://www.creativityforkids.com/
Dream Journal Kit by Creativity for Kids
Record your dreams with a special pen that lights up when you write. Includes a dream info booklet, a unique silver paint marker to decorate the cover of your journal and a very cool soft cover with a special die cut to hold the pen. Suggested retail price: $14.99.
http://www.creativityforkids.com/
Make Your Own Lip Balm by Creativity for Kids
Combine soft and silky lip balm base with a variety of yummy flavors and create your own lip sensations. Soften the base in a bath of warm water and then add the flavorings. Mix up fun fruity combinations and add a hint of color too. Cool cosmetic tins can be decorated with layers of fun sticker designs and labels. Suggested retail price: $17.99.
http://www.creativityforkids.com/
Three Treasure Trinket Boxes by Creativity for Kids
Decorate 3 adorable boxes with paint, glitter and rhinestones to transform them into delightful and shimmery containers for your treasures. The boxes are in contemporary and popular shapes - a butterfly, heart and star. Turn your favorite into a music box too with a secret music button. Suggested retail price: $14.99.
http://www.creativityforkids.com/
TeLL me More Homeschool Version by Auralog
Learn a language with TeLL me More® Homeschool software. 5 million users, 950 hours of learning. Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic. It has twice the content, capable of creating accounts for the whole family, more than 4 years of language learning per package, student tracking and activity guide, and advanced speech recognition make this product a great fit for any homeschooler. Suggested retail price: $224.95. Receive 20% off until 12/31/07 using coupon code HSCOM2.
http://www.tellmemorestore.com/magnum.asp?pg=homeschool
I See You! by Nicole Hartz
An interactive, brightly colored book for grieving children that a parent or guardian can personalize as a keepsake. For ages 1-8. Suggested retail price: $15.95
www.soothinghartz.com
Teens! Change is Your Choice Teen Solutions from Within
is written specifically for teen readers. It is written in today's language, with today's problems, directed by the real life challenges, worries and fears of today's youth. Change is your choice. Really! Help yourself find the right changes for you! Suggested retail price: $18.50
http://www.lulu.com/content/229421