Today, on Small Busines Saturday, we are thrilled to have partnered with The DoSeum to bring our readers the latest and greatest items from The DoSeum Store.
We at Alamo City Moms Blog are huge fans of supporting local businesses. The DoSeum Store is a perfect place to visit if you are looking to spend your hard-earned money AND give back to the community by supporting San Antonio’s premier children’s museum. We’ve compiled a list of the best items that you can find at The DoSeum Store this holiday season (spoiler alert: you might want to play with these, too!). [hr]
10. Nancy B’s Science Club™ Microscope and Activity Journal by Educational Insights—Award Winner!
Zoom in on the fun with the Nancy B’s Science Club™ Microscope! This two-in-one light and dissecting microscope gives up-close views—30x, 100x, and 400x magnifications—of anything you can imagine, from peacock feathers and goldfish scales to your own skin and cheek cells. The included keepsake journal features 22 pages of fun science experiments and activities for kids, from observation to creative writing, drawing, and more. This Parent’s Choice Gold Award Winner introduces learners to a real science tool, helps to conduct safe and fun science experiments/activities, and encourages parent-free learning and self-discovery.
Ages: 8+
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9. ‘Round the Town Road Rug and Car Set by Melissa and Doug
This colorful road rug comes with four cars to drive on looping streets and lanes, and the varied terrain makes it ideal for trains, chunky play figures, and vehicles of all kinds! Durably made to look great for countless playtimes to come, the woven rug features a handsome farm surrounded by a circular road system, which connects a school, parking lot, grocery store, lake shore, and more—all in a convenient arrangement that makes it easy for kids to play.
Ages: 3+[hr]
8. Primary Science Lab Set by Learning Resources—Award Winner!
Perfectly sized science tools support early hands-on science investigations. Durable pieces feature measurement markings. Activity cards introduce science process skills, living and nonliving things, physical science, senses, and more. The Primary Science Lab Set has won several awards including the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award (2010), the Parents’ Choice, Recommended Award (2010), and the National Association for Gifted Children’s (NAGC) 2010 Toy List.
Ages: 3+[hr]
7. Master Detective Toolkit by Thames and Kosmos
Grab this briefcase full of investigator’s tools and get ready to track down some crooks! Your child will learn how detectives use forensic science to answer questions, gather evidence, and solve crimes. Kids can experiment with the equipment and techniques used by real detectives to develop their own observation and problem-solving skills.
First, kids will set up their detective’s office and organize their tools. Then, they will do some exercises to hone their observation skills. Next, they will learn about securing a crime scene and gathering and documenting evidence, including fingerprints, footprints, and tire tracks. After they have gathered evidence, such as hair and fibers, counterfeit currency, and soil samples, they will head back to the lab to learn about analyzing it. Finally, kids can try their hand at deciphering codes, writing messages with invisible ink, and communicating with secret symbols. As their detective skills develop, they can use them to solve the mock crime presented in the manual.
The 32-page, full-color experiment book guides kids’ investigations with rich illustrations and step-by-step instructions. This is an inventive, engaging way for your children to learn real science through role-playing in imaginary adventures.
Ages: 8+[hr]
6. Teaching Cash Register by Learning Resources—Award Winner!
This talking cash register brings money math to life! Students can practice coin identification, addition, subtraction, and place value as they play four featured games that increase in difficulty as players advance. Also great for imaginative play and learning basic calculator skills. Cash register features a built-in scanner, scale, and coin slot. Transactions are rewarded with lights, sounds, and voice messages (volume control included). This toy has won over 15 awards including Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Parent’s Choice, and more.
Ages: 3+[hr]
5. Automoblox
Automoblox allows children to experience beneficial play with activities that provide limitless joy, imagination, and creativity. Their high-quality building system will delight and inspire children, fostering the development of important skills and leaning foundations.
Ages: 5+[hr]
4. Snap Circuits® LIGHT By Elenco
Your children will be amazed at what their music can do with the new Snap Circuits LIGHT. Kids can connect their iPod or any MP3 player and enjoy their music as the lights change to the beat. The strobe light with spinning patterns will amaze with its visual effects. Elenco’s Snap Circuits® LIGHT makes learning electronics easy and fun! Children can simply follow the colorful pictures in our manual and build over 175 exciting projects. All parts are mounted on plastic modules and snap together with ease for hours of educational fun while learning about electronics.[hr]
Ages: 8+
3. Ozobot—Award Winner!
Expand your child’s horizons with the help of Ozobot, the tiny robot. There is no end to the possibilities, as your child creates a different landscape of adventures, games, and coding with Ozobot. Imagine a learning toy that opens the doors of computer science, STEM Education, robotics, and coding, helping your child to be one step ahead of the learning curve in both school and life.
Living in an evolving digital world, we know “screen time” is a daily reality. Smart Toys® are an incredible way to stimulate kids’ minds and open them up to the wonders of technology. Why not teach our kids to be not just the users of technology, but the makers of it? Parents and teachers can help make learning fun for kids of all ages with their own personal robot, an adorable, yet educational, learning toy. Ozobot, “the tiny tinker robot,” connects with your child’s ever-evolving imagination, building confidence through competitive play and interactive games.
Starting with color markers, Ozobot takes kids on a fun and mesmerizing experience through creative drawing, problem solving, and group challenges by coloring code commands in the form of basic color combinations. Ozobot’s ability to learn your programs and then play them back is a big game-changer to how young minds play and learn. OzoBlockly, a web-based visual editor, offers five step-up modes, from icon-based to loops, logic, and equation blocks to appeal to young kids and even challenge seasoned programmers.
Ozobot’s scalable platform then enables young minds to explore more complex coding concepts using sequential programming and child-friendly visual editors to gain valuable life skills and a fundamental understanding of computational thinking. The Ozobot is this year’s winner of “Best Robot” at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show.
Ages: 8+
2. Shopping Cart by Melissa & Doug—Award Winner!
Fun on aisle five! With sturdy metal construction and pivoting front wheels, this kid-size metal shopping cart toy is the perfect addition to your play grocery store. The mini-grocery wagon is easy to maneuver, fun to fill, and built to last for years of pretend play! Awards for this shopping cart include the ASTRA Association: ASTRA Best Toys for Kids (2009), Today’s Parent: Top 30 Toys (2009), and the Learning Express Best Toy Award for Preschool (2010).
Ages: 3+[hr]
1. Makey Makey
Makey-Makey makes STEM Education fun! Start out easy with a banana piano. The first setup takes seconds. Then make game controllers, musical instruments, and inventions!
Ages: 8+
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