Kid Stuff:
The Lemelson Center’s “Invention Playhouse”

“Mental Floss” Magazine

After you’ve erased the line between play and invention in “Invention Playhouse,” try erasing the line between entertainment and knowledge with this hip, irreverent magazine.

Kid Stuff:
The Lemelson Center’s “Invention Playhouse”

“Crazy Machines: The Wacky Contraptions Game” CD-ROM

Learn how to grill sausages with a pulley, gears, rubberbands and a candle ...or how to fire a cannon with a basketball.

Kid Stuff:
The Lemelson Center’s “Invention Playhouse”

“Silly Putty—Original Colors”

First developed in 1943 by General Electric, which couldn’t figure out what to do with it, Silly Putty was re-invented as a goo-toy for children. It remains a perennial favorite of grown and child-sized inventors alike.

Net Art:
“Thinking Machine 4”

“Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chesster” CD-ROM

According to Children’s Software Revue, this software package is “the best children's chess tutorial we've reviewed.” With arcade games, a storyline and a bonus 1 year membership to PlayChess.com, this CD-ROM will prep your children for tackling the next generation of chess-playing computers.