Green Science Dynamo Torch Review

We were sent a 4M Green Science Dynamo Torch kit to try out from Great Gizmos.  It contains everything needed to make a working, wind-up torch and teaches children about electrical energy in the process.  It's high voltage inspiration and fun!

Comprising of a toy motor, LED lamp, gears and torch casing, cover and accessories, children aged 8 and over can create their own torch.  In doing so, they will learn how to follow instructions, improve their dexterity and gain an understanding of basic electronics.

The clear instruction sheet gives an assembly diagram and step by step guide for making the torch.  Kizzy's first look at the instructions left her a bit confused, but with Dad on hand she soon got stuck in.  Adult supervision is probably advisable unless you have an electronics whizz for a child.

Once her Dad had pointed her in the right direction, she was able to affix the LED to the casing, install the gears, attach the handle and connect the wires to the motor.  You need a small cross head screwdriver to assemble the torch using little screws, which can prove a bit fiddly for a child.  Again, Dad was on hand to assist Kizzy.

Once it is assembled, the handle can be turned which converts hand motion into electrical energy which lights up the green bulb.  Kizzy was very impressed that she had made the torch light up.

The casing can be attached to a plastic bottle to make a unique torch from your favourite pop bottle.  A great use of recycling!  The torch makes a practical and functional emergency light for kids to use in the dark, powered by hand motion.  

The instructions include fun facts about elecricity.  It explains how electric generators work and how the physical power of  winding the handle converts kinetic energy to electrical energy.  Making electricity in this way is a form of renewable energy which gives off no pollution, opening up children's minds to the concept of greener, environmentally friendly energy sources.

Freddy was very interested in the finished product and was very intrigued at how the torch worked.  That is the beauty of these children's science kits.  Kids learn so much from playing, and even from a young age this can spark a real love of science.

The Dynamo Torch set retails at £11.95.

Find out more at:

http://www.greatgizmos.co.uk/green-science-dynamo-torch.html

Cupcake Charms Set

Bake It/ Shrink It Cupcake Charms from Great Gizmo's  4M range allows children to create, bake, and shrink their very own cupcake jewellery charms! 

Each kit includes 20 pre-cut cupcake shaped shrinking sheets with four colour pencils so you can start designing and colouring them in straight away. No fiddly cutting out required!

The rough side of the cupcakes need to be coloured in using colour pencils.  Kizzy and Freddy did this together, as he wanted to help his big sister.

When they are all coloured in, they are ready to bake in the oven to shrink them down.

You need to put them onto a baking sheet covered with foil and put into an oven at 160 degrees.

The cupcakes curl up and then flatten out very quickly. Cook for a further 30 seconds and allow to cool.  Freddy loved watching them through the oven door and was very intrigued to see them shrink into the cupcake charms.

The shrunken cupcakes are quite thick and hard and the colour is intensified by the baking process.  Each cupcake charm then needs to be attached to a metal ring. They come with a pre-cut hole which makes it easier, but the metal rings need to be prised open, threaded through and then squeezed back shut.  This was very tricky and fiddly and quite hard on the fingers, so Kizzy got her dad to do it for her!

The charms can then be made into jewellery.  The set includes beads, string, ear-ring attachments and chains to make your own jewellery designs, or the charms can be attached to the cute cupcake display stand which is included in the set. 

On the stand, it makes a pretty ornament for a girly bedroom.  Kizzy decided to do this as she liked the look of the charms on the stand, but she still has all the jewellery making accessories if she ever decides to have a go at making a cupcake design bracelet in the future.

The set costs about £10 and contains everything needed to create 20 colourful, cupcake shaped charms.  Some adult supervision is required for the baking and help will be needed to attach the rings.  It's a nice craft activity that will keep youngsters happily entertained and the end result is something they will be proud of.  It is versatile in that the activity can be extended to include making key rings, earrings and bracelets using the charms.  It allows kids to be really creative!