OTHER KITS & MODELS

Based on drawings from Da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus, this Pathfinders catapult kit uses a pair of bent wooden arms as springs to launch clay balls (included) over (4) meters at enemy fortifications (not included, go make your own enemies). The assembled model will be approx 9" tall on a 10" x 7-1/4" base. Made from pre-cut, untreated wood from sustainable forests, and built with pegs for added strength and verisimilitude. A 2013 Creative Child Magazine Top Toy of the Year Winner and a great resource for STEM activities. For ages 12 and up.

Any Star Wars™ fans out there? Our newest Metal Earth model is of Kylo Ren’s Upsilon-class command shuttle. Yes, this is the one many of you have been waiting for since about 30 years after the Battle of Endor. It’s an epic, highly detailed, museum-quality, 3D steel sheet model, and it’ll be about 4” when finished. Then, all you’ll need is a prominent place to display it.

His name is Tobbie II, and although he stands only about 6-7/8” tall, he does sport (6) actual feet, which is why he has such an agile, 360-degree, free-rotation body. You build him yourself (easy-peasy if you’re over 10) and program him on your computer, tablet or smartphone. Comes out of the box pre-programmed with Assembly Checker and Program #1, so the fun starts right away. Use him as a light tracker or thermometer, or to play rock-paper-scissors or bowling, or as a notice board, calculator or compass, or as a pet who will follow you. He’ll do other things, too. Includes a 36-page manual, and all you add is a quartet of “AAA” batteries and some common hand tools.

Everything you need to build a little DC motor is included in this kit (except sandpaper, screwdriver, scissors and, of course, an AA battery). The instructions are simple and explain the theory as well as assembly. Fun and educational for ages 12 and up.

Could be a new line of cologne, but in fact, it’s a clever kinetic action demo kit called Wave Wires® with magnets marked for polarity, and mounted on (4) 8-1/2” long wires attached to a 4-1/4” square steel base. Includes a dozen 1/2” dia steel disc weights, an acrylic ring and an 8-page activity booklet. The attraction/repulsion magnetic properties cause the magnets to swing on top of the wires like old-time circus acrobats. Ages 8-14. Really cool, if we don’t say so ourselves.

Our robotic kingii dragon (Chlamydosaurus kingii, or frilled-neck lizard) is better than a puppy because you don't have clean up after it and it won't chew the furniture. This STEM education kit has (2) motors and digital control via IR sensors to activate LED eyes, motorized mouth and pop-out neck frill, plus "Escape" and "Chase" modes, which make it retreat and follow you using IR sensors, respectively. You'll need (4) "AAA" batteries and some patience, as this kit is delightfully challenging. Finished dragon will be 13-1/2" long x 8-1/4" x 5". For ages 10+.

Home robotics, bubeleh. Build a working hydraulic arm with this excellent 66-piece kit from Pathfinders' Simple Machine series. Structure is die-cut plywood and the kit includes tubing, (3) syringes and glue. You'll need a ruler and scissors. The finished arm will be approx 13-1/2" tall and will reach out over 16" and rotate 90° on an 8-5/8' x 6-7/8" base. Comes with a 12-page manual and uses water. Beautiful, too. For ages 8+.

Make like a miniature Martin Scorsese and create your own (stop-action) movie. Best part? The actors are all Lego® people, who work for free. You’ll get (36) assorted Lego® pieces, including mix-and-match characters and props. Includes a 78-page guide with advice for making credits, sound effects, lighting, camera techniques, set design, backdrops, storyboards and a bunch more. If Hitchcock had had this kit, Janet Leigh might have survived the shower scene. For ages 8+.

From the world of Metal Earth® Kits, the domain of the sure-handed, comes this museum-quality 3D steel Star Wars™ model of an Imperial Shuttle. Clip the shiny steel parts from their matrix and assemble them with a tweezers—no glue, solder, or anything else but a steady hand required. Finished piece will be approx 4” tall. For ages 14+ on account of they’re toughies to assemble, but worth the effort.

From Fascinations®, these small model kits are made from intricately laser-cut polished steel. Punch the pieces out from the 4-1/4" square sheet and put them together with the tiny tabs. You pick the dragonfly, with a 4-1/2" wingspan or the Black Pearl pirate ship, approx 3-1/2" long. For ages 14+, because they take plenty of small motor skills.

Impressive, this 3-foot Lizard King. The 1:14 scale plastic model of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton has 51 bones that snap together, then snap apart easily for later use, which is more than you can say about the original. Measures 36" long, and comes with a display stand. Bones are nicely aged for paleontological verisimilitude. Very nice kit, with legs, as they say! For ages 8 and up.

Please Note: Your entire order will ship standard ground when purchasing this item. Contact us for expedited shipping information. Thanks!

Aliens travel in meteorites—not UFOs. Everybody knows that. Take one of these genuine ersatz meteorites, grab the enclosed plastic chisel and have at it. Inside you'll find a rocket pod full of the galactic slime you'd expect, plus a sticky alien. You can test its interplanetary stickiness by throwing it at any window and watching it crawl down the glass. Meteorites measure approx 3” x 2” dia. Ages 5+.

Physics faculty alert: It's very small, but teaches a powerful lesson, this little diamagnetic-properties demo kit. You get (4) plated magnets, each 1/4" square x 3/32", and (2) 1/4" square pieces of graphite to float above them. The graphite may have slight chips along the edge but that won't affect the effect. Includes instructions/fact sheet.

It's small, as actual solar systems go, and you have to assemble it, but still…. You snap together this (not-to-scale) model of our solar system, paint it, and position the pieces. You get (6) colors plus a tube of glow-in-the-dark paint and a brush, the (8) planets (Pluto didn't make the cut, remember), and cardboard rings for Saturn. Sizes range from just under 1/2" for Mercury to the 1-7/16" sun. The finished model is articulated and stands approx 4" tall x 12" across on a 3-7/8" dia gray plastic base. Ages 8+.

And teach a kid (8 and up) the basics of solar power. This excellent educational kit from Elenco comes with (9) 0.5VDC solar cells pre-wired in sets of (3) and mounted in a 5" x 4" x 7/16" black-plastic frame with screw terminals on the bottom. The kit includes a 1.5VDC motor with leads and a mount, a fan blade and (4) plastic discs from 5/8" dia to 2" dia for mounting on the motor shaft, a 1.5V incandescent bulb with leads, a sound module with leads, and graphic cards to mount on the discs. Comes with a 14-page instruction/experiment booklet, including info on increasing voltage and amperage, powering battery charges, radios, games, etc. Lots of science project potential. "Heuristic as all get-out," Jarvis said when he saw it. Ages 8+.

This highly instructive and fun Expanded 4th Edition kit from the UK teaches magnetic polarity using a pair of powerful 3-3/8" x 1" sq magnets, (32) newly minted British pennies (20-1 pence, 5-2 pence, 6-5 pence, 1-10 pence) and (1) not-so-new U.S. penny just to prove that their pennies are magnetic and ours aren't. Includes a 77-page booklet with (44) experiments and activities. From Brunel University, The Institute of Physics and The Royal Institution, London. Ages 8 and up.

Takes a steady hand, a good eye and tweezers, along with wire cutters and needle-nose pliers, to construct these Metal Earth® steel models. Just punch out the tiny parts from laser-cut sheets and assemble them with tabs and slots—no glue, solder or screws required. You pick: the Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket and gantry, in stainless steel approx 5-7/8" x 2" x 1-5/16"; or the Kinkaku-Ji three-story Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, in gold-tone steel, approx 3-1/2" x 2-3/8" x 2-1/2". Full instructions included. For ages 14+.

And these are only paper Star Wars™ characters, but they’re what happens with origami meets a galaxy that’s really quite a ways away. When completely folded, they stand a whopping foot tall, in heavy card stock to stand up to meteor showers. They’re also posable and semi-articulated, and licensed by Lucasfilms and Disney. You pick the origamied Darth Vader™, complete with lightsaber, or the paper Han Solo™.