Monday, December 14, 2009

Gift recommendation help?

My brother in law is looking for a "marine biology kit" for a ten year old. My go-to place for all nature-related book/kits/supplies is Acorn Naturalists. I love Acorn Naturalists. It's like someone took everything that I think is awesome and put it all in one place.

Anywho, a marine biology kit is a tough one. I couldn't find one from AN that wasn't designed for a classroom, which makes me think it might not exist. Readers (I'm especially asking working through the blue and my friend whose grad student office looks at the ocean), do you have any suggestions?

I'm wondering if maybe the child would like a good book about oceans (maybe this one?) along with some magnets, rubbings plates, or a thematic card game.

Ok, upon browsing their kit section, I did just find three different tidepool kits from Acorn Naturalists, but they're all somewhat location specific (all to the west coast) and I'm not sure where the child lives.

What do you think?

4 comments:

Transient Theorist said...

Growing up, we were huge fans of books by Janice VanCleave; she's got one on oceans:

http://www.amazon.com/Janice-VanCleaves-Oceans-Every-Kid/dp/0471124532/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260808372&sr=8-25


They tend to feature really good explanations, plus a lot of hands-on activities that are simple to get materials for (we used to call it kitchen science).

I don't remember using this particular one, but all her stuff is great.

Eugenie said...

What about the Blue Planet movies from Discovery?


Or a subscription to NatGeo? (I definitly got my first subscription when I was that age- and I LOVED it).


Not exactly a kit, but... oh well.

Michelle Rodrigues said...

How about instead of a kit (or in addition to books, etc) a computer game/program?

I remember that when i was younger I had this computer program I LOVED, that had several different "activities" revolving around whales and dolphins...including simulation of being a whale researcher on a boat recording vocalizations and making identifications based on tail patterns, and a simulation of being on a rescue team for beached whales... I absolutely loved it to death.

Karina said...

Thanks Theo and Eugenie! Michelle, what was the computer game called? That sounds like fun.