Q: What are some good science gifts for my 2nd grader?
Skills
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There are many great gift ideas for your budding scientist! Look for toys that are fun and engaging, and involve children in authentic scientific inquiries. LeapFrog has a number of fun science learning apps, such as The Science of Disney and The Magic School Bus: Dinosaurs. Other great science toys include 4M’s “Green Science Kits” which offer kits on everything from rocketry to solar mechanics (ages 8+) and National Geographic’s “Sustainable Earth Lab”, which teaches young children about the earth's current environmental problems and what sustainable practices can do to overcome them (ages 8+). In addition to science kits, your child might also enjoy a microscope (e.g., Educational Insights’ “Nancy B'S Science Club Microscope”) or telescope (e.g., Educational Insights’ “Nancy B’s Science Club MoonScope”) to help make discoveries near and far!
Jennie Ito, Ph.D.
Child Development Expert
Jennie Ito is a mother of two and a child development consultant who specializes in children’s play and toys. Before becoming a consultant for LeapFrog, she was an intern at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and later worked as a content expert for the Association of Children’s Museum’s “Playing for Keeps” Play Initiative. Jennie earned her doctorate degree in developmental psychology at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.