Scientific Explorer's My First Airplane Science Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My 6 year old son got this airplane kit as a birthday gift. He has been asking daily for me to put some time aside to help him build the 6 enclosed airplanes.
The outside shows an artistic picture of 3 different airplanes. A propeller plane, a glider with wheels and another glider.
The inside is a silver puch envelope that contains the planes.
Likes:
- The instruction manual is well written and serves as a mini science project on flight.
- The enclosed postcards of planes got my son really excited (Wright brothers, Air Force One, SR71, etc) about building the planes.
- The foam airplane with rubber band launcher is like a slingshot that sends the plane soaring. This is the best plane in the kit.
- The idea of painting your own planes with the included yellow, red and blue paint pens and the stickers is a nice touch.
Dislikes:
- 4 of the 6 airplanes are paper cut outs on 2 sheets of paper. They aren't even stand alone paper airplanes, they are mod kits for the balsa wood airplane.
- They only give you ONE balsa wood plane and my son broke the tail fin on trying to assemble it. You should have seen the heart ache... It basically meant that he couldn't build 5 of the 6 planes in the kit!
I'm really sad that Scientific Explorer (owned by Elemer's Glue) released such a promising kit with such a lame set of planes. They should have included at least 2 balsa wood planes, and one of them should have had the landing gear and rubber band powered propeller blade. It felt like false advertising to see those planes on the box art and not inside the box.
I hope they re-release this product with an extra buck or so in the cost of parts to make this the kit we hoped for. Until then I'll be wary of buying a scientific explorer product.

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How do airplanes fly in the sky? With My First Airplane Kit, you can learn all about flight. Build and paint easy-to-make airplanes with no-mess paintbrush pens, and then watch your custom aircraft soar through the sky! Activities and experiments to explore lift, gravity, and other forces will show you what real pilots learn. You’ll discover the secrets of supersonic flight and aerobatics. Inside the kit you’ll find planes, paints, decals, laminated cards, and lots of components for a fun and educational experience.

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PV Glider "Mini-Glider" 12-Inch Balance Training Bike (Small) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I researched available balance bikes and decided that the Mini Glider is the best for my son. He loves it and couldn't be happier. (He has the blue one, but the color doesn't make a difference.) Here's what sets the Mini Glider apart from the other choices:
- Super lightweight. Shipping weight is 6 pounds. Compare to the 14 pound Kettler Sprint. The lighter, the easier for a young child to manipulate. Watch my son mount, turn around, dismount, and even lift his Mini Glider with ease.
- Foot pegs for ease of riding and transition to a pedal bike. Most brands have no foot rest for training foot position. The Glider Rider Bike has a 10-inch footplate, but my son's shoes are already 9 inches long. His big feet fit on the Mini Glider's foot pegs with no trouble.
- Hand brake. Some others leave this out, saying that the child shouldn't go faster than his feet can stop him. My son figured out how to use the brake on his own. It is helpful to him when stopping at the bottom of a hill. At the end of the video, just before the last notes of the music, you can hear the "Shhh" of the brake as he brings the glider to a safe stop.
- Solid, no-pump tires. With a vehicle this lightweight, you don't need the hassle of airing up tiny tires. These tires are sturdy and give plenty of traction.
- Seat height easily adjusts with the turn of one bolt.
- Minimal assembly required. Simply insert the handle bars, tighten with the included tool, adjust the seat, and go.
- Excellent customer service from the manufacturer. I had a question about adjusting the brake, and when I called the # in the instruction manual I spoke to a real person immediately.
My son is a tall (44-inch) 4 1/2 year old. Not particularly athletic or graceful, it took him until the age of 4 to learn to pedal a tricycle. When he became interested in bicycles, I got him the Mini Glider. At first, he straddled the seat and waddled with the glider. He soon progressed to walking, running, one-foot-pumping, and coasting with his feet on the foot pegs. The video shows his amazing progress from his second day of riding the glider through 2 1/2 weeks of learning. He loves showing off his skills to everyone, and he wants to go riding every day.
Edit: The new model now offered for sale has a quick-release seat clamp. No tool is needed to adjust the seat. They have also made the handlebars adjustable, for an even more customizable fit. Excellent!

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The Mini Glider from Glide Bikes allows children to gain confidence, improve motor skills,increase coordination, and learn balance at their own pace all while having fun!Balance Bikes do not have training wheels and pedals to get in the way, so children learn theimportant first step in riding a bike- BALANCE!● Designed in the U.S.!● Designed for the youngest learners ages 2-5● Lowest and safest balancing speed on the market due to unique geometry and lowercenter of gravity● Unique foot pegs to allow children to improve balance and practice gliding● High quality, lightweight aluminum alloy frame resists corrosion if left outdoors plus hasweight limit of 100 pounds which is twice that of most other balance bikes!● Easy to adjust quick-release seat clamp to allow for tool-free seat height adjustment● Child sized handbrake for safe stopping power as children build confidence and speed● Weighs only 8 pounds for easy maneuvering● Lifetime Warranty! Best in the market!

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