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If you’ve got a boy in your house, whether he’s two or twenty- he’s likely got that strong male instinct to want to shoot something. My oldest child is a girl, who I don’t ever recall had even the slightest urge to pretend any of her play things were shot guns, revolvers or army rifles. Then I had a son, who is now three and a half and he’s 25 pounds of pure male testosterone- and at any given moment he’s got his superhero figures poised to take each other down, in his version of the infamous gunfight at the O. K. Corral- where any object can be substituted for a gun- and his figures go on a crime fighting shooting spree.

Suffice it to say- I am not a member of The NRA and therefore would prefer that my son gravitate towards less violent imaginative play scenarios. Unfortunately, he’s in that shoot-em up phase- at least for the time being. So it was with great relief that I got my hands on this Airzooka product which doesn’t resemble anything even remotely close to a gun. Although it’s got a nifty handle, so that if your child prefers (which mine does) he can hold it like a gun and pretend that it is indeed one!

Here’s the breakdown: This gun shoots safely, can be used indoors or out, is spotless, dry, doesn’t  knock over furniture, and nobody gets hurt because it shoots air! A parent’s dream come true! It is a wide tube you put together and sends out powerful yet harmless blasts of air. Pull back on the elastic air launcher and poof. Good, clean (literally) fun.

Age: Six years and older.

Time required to assemble: Easily assembled in 30 minutes or less by arranging the interlocking tubes and attaching the handle.

Cost: $14.95.

Best Features: This easy to put together air blaster shoots a safe puff of air strong enough to mess your hair or wake you up. But nothing to clean or sop up.

Difficult Features: Finding something wrong with this toy, it’s all good and easy to put together.

You can get it here.

Writing this blog and immersing myself and my kids in the all the really cool and educational science products that Edmund Scientific and Science Kit offer has fortunately spurred us all to become quite an inquisitive bunch!

The AntWorks project a great new space inspired ant farm which uses a gel medium instead of the old fashioned sand, peaked my daughter’s curiosity about the secret life of ants and had her bubbling over with questions like; which ant is in charge, which fueled a major discussion and research about the different roles ants assume in a colony like the workers and Queen.

While our evaluation of Ward’s Landfills and the Environment Lab Activity really brought out the environmentalist in her and sparked a big discussion about saving our environment. And now she has us all committed to banning Styrofoam and plastic bags from our household. Pretty cool for a seven year old!

So now, instead of trolling the internet for the best deals on used Manolo Blahnik strappy heels—yes I am a sucker for gorgeous, unaffordable shoes that are easily equal in value to a mortgage payment- my daughter has pulled up a chair next to me and we’re both on a joint mission to uncover websites that will keep the science discussions in our house alive and well.

Here is one of our favorites: Education.com which offers some pretty cool science experiments that you and your kids can get started on, utilizing ordinary household materials. These activities leverage the fact that children have an innate curiosity about the way things work. Ask kids if they want to do chemistry and they may balk but ask them if they want to:

-Watch an explosion as you drop mentos into coke?

-Fill a kiddie pool with different textures (shaving cream, beans, water, food coloring) and all sorts of containers, funnels, and other measuring things, and let kids have at it.

-Make oobleck (a mushy icky substance that changes from liquid to solid) in your kitchen for some gross out fun.

- Launch a pop bottle rocket… and they’re HOOKED!

Science is everywhere once you start looking for opportunities to use it. And many of these experiments are chemistry, it’s just presented differently. Considering that more and more jobs of the future will require scientists, it’s important to get kids to realize that science can be incredibly cool, and as a parent, you can make it so. This site has got activities from preschool, all the way up through high school and they’re fun. Promise!

Make a Soda Bottle Greenhouse – everything is Green these days, but what a fun way to bring environmentally friendly into the home in a way that kids can enjoy and understand. This fun activity will let you bring the green inside, and teach your kids to appreciate nature at the same time. This is a truly hands on activity that kids can do with parents and see results in front of their eyes. Children will foster seedlings into full grown plans, watching roots spread, leaves sprout and flowers blooming – all in a soda bottle! This is perfect for ages preschool thru kindergarten. Parent perk – you probably have all the ingredients already to create a miniature garden right in your own house. No extra shopping or supplies will need to be purchased. For one step of the experiment children’s hands will be off limits – parents will want to handle scissors for cutting away label from soda bottle, as well as poking holes in the bottom of the container for drainage.

Make Your Own Cloud – summer days are often spent on the grass, enjoying the weather, watching the clouds go by. But what is a cloud exactly? We look at them every day, but few of us realize what they are made of. There are details on the website on how to explain how clouds are formed, but a picture is worth a thousand words. Rather than tell your children how clouds are formed, show them! Parent perk – instead of being caught up in wondering just how to explain how a cloud is formed, take the time to show your child. Extra plus – all supplies are most likely in your home, so no need to run to the store for extra supplies. This is perfect for 3rd graders. For one step of the experiment children’s hands are off limits – there’s a match involved, so a grown up is a must.

Make Milk Glue – children often have sticky fingers, from food, dirt, playing, and in school, from glue. Has your child ever asked, what makes glue, paste or tape stick? Well, did you know you can make glue from milk? Yes, you can. Using a simple carton of milk, you can show your child how milk becomes sticky. This is a fun experiment that can take minutes and uses ingredients in the fridge and cabinet – parent perk! This is perfect for 5th graders – at an age when they’re about to head into preteen years, this is one experiment that may leave them wondering why it is their parent is so cool.