Space Age Crystal Growing Kit

There's something magical about watching crystals grow. The Space Age Crystal Growing Kit lets kids create a variety of glittering crystal specimens with nine individual crystal-growing activites. This children's science kit comes with salts, a Petri dish, tub tints, plaster of Paris, a measuring cup and spoon, a geode mold, crystal growing containers and more.

Spark ™ Talking Microscope

The Spark™ Talking Microscope gives children 5+ years a guided tour through the wonders of the microscopic world. It comes with 12 slides of specimens including brine shrimp and scorpions. The microscope itself narrates interesting facts and tests children's knowledge with simple quizzes.

Discovery Praying Mantis Encounter

The Discovery Praying Mantis Encounter is a praying mantis habitat made of netting which allows 360 degree of viewing. Children can watch praying mantises hatch, hunt, shed their exoskeletons and more. It comes with a hand-held magnifying glass, padded tweezers, an observation journal just like the ones scientists use, and a certificate for praying mantis eggs you can have shipped directly to your home.

Discovery Frog Pond Habitat

The Discovery Frog Pond Habitat is a fun and simple natural science toy. It has a vented, see-though lid that lets young explorers watch tadpoles turn into frogs. The tadpoles are shipped directly to your home and will enjoy a realistic "rainforest" environment in their new, unbreakable, escape-proof habitat.

Discovery Butterfly Canopy

The Discovery Butterfly Canopy lets kids watch caterpillars change into beautiful butterflies in a reusable habitat that can be collapsed and stored when not in use. The fine mesh screen allows viewing from all angles and opens easily to allow you to release the butterflies into your garden. Comes with a certificate to have caterpillars shipped directly to your home.

Meade ETX-80BB Backpack Observatory Telescope

The Meade® ETX-80BB Backpack Observatory Telescope is a portable, lightweight telescope that comes with a durable backpack that has room for the telescope and all its accessories. It also includes the Autostar Computer Controller system which lets you browse and automatically locate more than 1,400 celestial objects.

Discovery Sky & Land Telescope

Another entry for the best kids' telescope is the Discovery Sky & Land Telescope. It boasts a 70mm aperture which is wide enough to allow good views of moon craters, the rings of Saturn and even far away objects like quasars and nebulae. The telescope looks pretty cool, too with illuminated dials, a star chart light, a hinged lens cap that's practically impossible to lose and a sturdy aluminum tripod which extends to a comfortable 55" viewing height. The tripod also collapses neatly to fit in the light-weight, padded shoulder bag that comes with the telescope. Because of its cool design, ease of use and affordability, the Discovery Sky & Land Telescope gets my vote as one of the best children's telescopes on the market.