Best Fun Learning Toys for Christmas

Mini Projector Ages: 8+ Requires: Connector cables (RCA cables) for projecting from various media sources (not included) 4 "D" batteries for portable battery pack (optional/not included) Adult assistance for battery replacement

What We Think Fun factor: Durability: Ease of assembly: Educational factor: Novelty factor: The Good: Mini projector makes it easy for kids to create their own home theater. The Challenging: Low-resolution images necessitate a viewing environment that is totally dark. In a Nutshell: Kids will love projecting movies and video games outdoors and on bedroom ceilings!

This kid-friendly projector projects movies, video games and more.

The projector is lightweight and compact, so you can even project on the ceiling.

The EyeClops expands video games to larger-than-life sizes.

The Eyeclops works with DVD players, video game consoles, handheld devices, and more! The projector's simple, kid-friendly features include a pivoting arm for adjusting the projection angle, a volume control, and a focal adjustment. Unlike other larger projectors, the Eyeclops doesn't get hot, so it's safe for kids to handle.

Projector Fits in the Palm of Your Hand
Going on a road trip? The projector unit weighs less than a pound and measures a compact 2 x 3.5 x 2.5 inches (H x W x D), so kids can easily take it along for all kinds of adventures. The projection stand features a convenient belt clip in addition to a portable battery pack that provides approximately 270 minutes of projection time -- more than enough for an outdoor screening!

The Darker the Room, the Clearer the Image
Whether you're projecting a film on the ceiling of your bedroom or a video game inside of your tent, the key to a clear image is a dark environment. Kids will find that even a little daylight makes the screen dim and blurry. For best results, the projector should be positioned within several feet of the projection surface, and all light sources should be covered.

Because the Eyeclops' on-board speakers may not provide the same quality of audio that your home speakers do, the projector features a mini-jack audio output that allows you to connect it to headphones or external speakers. Additionally, while standard RCA cables (not included) are sufficient to connect most devices to the Eyeclops, certain media players and handheld devices may require special connector cables that can be purchased separately.

What's in the Box
Eyeclops Mini Projector, projection stand/battery pack, swivel arm, A/C adaptor, instruction manual.

Making a simple flying UFO took only a few minutes. View larger.

Create your own complex inventions using parts such as the fan motor, alarm speaker, and over 60 other pieces. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Makes learning about electronics fun. The Bad: Physics principles can be difficult to understand. In a Nutshell: Interactive, hands-on way of playing with electronics that is fun and educational. At a Glance Ages: 8 and older Requires: 4 AA batteries

The SC-300 lets you build electronic devices such as a whistle chip, speaker, alarm circuit, LED, lamp socket, fan motor, and a speaker. Additional pieces can be purchased separately, or in different models, and they can all be used together to create larger and more elaborate projects.

Making Electronics Fun and Easy
The included instruction manual offers 305 projects ranging from a simple light switch to a noise-activated burglar alarm. We found the color-coded instruction manual clear and easy to understand, and we had no problems creating any of the projects we tried. The projects are organized by levels of difficulty, and each project teaches an objective such as "To show how electricity can only pass in one direction through an LED."

We definitely experienced a sense of satisfaction as we completed each project, and we definitely learned about electronics concepts. The manufacturer recommends the set for ages 8-108; younger engineers should be able to easily follow the diagrams for each project, but will probably require their parents to help explain how everything works. So a word of warning to parents: Brush up on your high school physics! Although the instruction offers some good information, we found that we still needed to brush up on the physics we learned years ago so we could understand concepts such as the difference between a circuit in parallel and in series.

Unique Learning Experience
Creating a flying UFO from "scratch" with rudimentary electronic pieces was highly satisfying to us, and we think Electronic Snap Circuits may well help young students gain and foster an appreciation for, and interest in, how electronics work and are built.

For students who are already learning about electronics in school, this set creates a hands-on experience that makes for more fun than reading about how these things work in a textbook. So don't be surprised if report cards come back with higher grades after playing with this toy.

Parent-Child Bonding Experience
The Elenco Electronic Snap Circuits would make a great parent-child bonding experience that is both educational and fun. As you work through each project with your child, don't be surprised when you, too, are learning something new and interesting. And after you've completed all the projects, you can create your own! The combinations are limitless!

What's in the Box
Plastic "circuit board," over 60 pieces including wire, resistors, speaker, battery holder, motor fan, red led, and lamp module.

Ordinary to Extraordinary
Much more fun than a microscope, the EyeClops transforms any television into an interactive TV toy. With the EyeClops, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Magnified to 200 times the normal size and viewed on any TV screen, minuscule salt crystals morph into blocks of ice; hair and carpet turn into giant noodles; and small insects become fearsome creatures. The Bionic Eye has three built-in LED lights so kids can illuminate any object, including their own skin.

Interactive and Easy to Use
Kids love using the TV along with this educational device to share a new activity with their friends. Parents too can join in the fun and will love how their children learn and play. So you don't have to touch everything you look at, the toy comes with an observation dish and tube, perfect for viewing liquids, salt, and bugs. The battery-powered device is simple to use, plugging directly into the A/V jacks found on any current TV model. The brightly colored, hard plastic device is child-safe and stands up to hours of scientific exploration. The EyeClops requires five AA batteries.

The EyeClops Bionic Eye lets you view everyday objects at 200 times their regular size. View larger.

Magnify even living objects, such as your pet, and view all of it on any TV screen. View larger.

Night Vision 2.0 Infrared Stealth Binoculars Ages: 8+ Requires: 5 "AA" batteries (not included) Adult assistance with battery installation

What We Think Fun factor: Durability: Educational factor: Novelty factor: The Good: Binoculars with night vision let you view objects in the dark up to 50 feet away. The Challenging: Small field of vision makes it dangerous to walk or run while using binoculars. In a Nutshell: Lightweight design and easy-to-use features make advanced infrared technology accessible to kids.

With a 50-foot range, these night-vision goggles allow you to see what happens in the dark. View larger.

Two modes of vision allow you to choose stealth or distance, depending on the situation. View larger.

Designed for covert operations, the binoculars feature action detailing and black coloration that lets kids operate under the radar. The dual display provides clear images that can be seen with both eyes, and the form-fitting eyepiece with eye-width adjustment ensures a comfortable fit. A black neck strap makes sure that the binoculars won't fall or get lost in the middle of the night.

Long Range Mode vs. Stealth Mode
The Eyeclops features four different modes for different types of operations. Stealth Mode makes you utterly invisible by removing the light that is emitted by the binoculars. Long-range mode helps you focus on people or objects that are as far as 50 feet away. Both Spy mode and Military mode alter your field of vision to simulate the effect of using real infrared binoculars.

Lovers of the outdoors will be delighted to find that the infrared light illuminates tiny insects and the reflective surfaces of animals' eyes. While the binoculars make it a cinch to see in the dark, the relatively small field of vision makes it dangerous to run while looking through them. Adult supervision is recommended for safe play, and for the installation of the Eyeclops' five "AA" batteries (not included).

What's in the Box
Eyeclops night vision binoculars with neck strap, and instruction manual.

The comfortable neckband allows you to see in the dark with your hands free -- perfect for spying!

Connect the EyeClops to your television and explore things around you in detail. View larger.

The EyeClops lets you choose between 100x, 200x, and 400x magnification.View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Easy to set up and fun for the whole family; great way for kids to explore everyday objects The Bad: Takes a little practice to learn how to focus In a Nutshell: A fun and engaging educational toy with great educational potential At a Glance Ages: 6 and up Requires: 5 AA batteries, TV with video input jack

With the easy-to-hold magnifying lens in one hand, you can focus on any number of everyday objects, such as coins, fabric, your pet's fur and even your own hair and skin. The images will appear on your television, and a zoom dial offers either 100x, 200x or 400x magnification. The EyeClops comes with a focusing lens, a viewing dish and a tube to enable your child to explore a variety of everyday objects safely and easily.

Contagious Fun for the Whole Family
The excitement of seeing objects in your child's everyday world magnified to up to 400 times is contagious and sure to be a hit with whole family. With no software to upload and minimal set-up, the EyeClops can be put to use almost instantly.

The hand-held magnification "eye" is fun to hold and makes it easy for your child to explore their world. Viewing the magnified images on your TV screen in full, vivid color encourages your child to take learning into their own hands and provides numerous opportunities for parents and children to play fun and educational games together. And because the EyeClops is powered by five AA batteries, your child can enjoy several uninterrupted hours of exploration without the need for recharging or replacement.

Although the EyeClops is extremely easy to set up, it does take a little practice to make things come into focus. However, with the aid of the simple focusing gauge on the I.R.I.S. lens that surrounds the magnifying lens, this initial awkwardness is quickly overcome.

On the lowest setting the LEDs occasionally proved to be too bright for viewing lighter-colored objects, and these images could not be seen clearly on the TV screen. On the higher magnification settings, however, this did not seem to be a problem and textures and colors came through flawlessly.

What's in the Box
EyeClops Bionic Eye and Brain Case, I.R.I.S. lens attachment, viewing dish and tube, and base.