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Solar Toys & Kits

Harness the power of the sun in a small way!

Each solar item comes with educational sheet on the development of photovoltaics, the same principle used in these solar toys and being used on a large scale to generate electricity today. (Click on photos to see larger picture.)

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Amazing Tiny Solar Car Item number: SC Great fun! Just set this little guy in the sun and off it scoots. No battery, no gas or oil -- it's only power is the sun's light. Block the sun and it comes to a stop. An excellent demonstration of solar power. (Also makes a wonderful cat toy.) It's a lot of fun to take two or more and race them. We setup a six foot drag race track at our local annual festival, the Brookston Apple Popcorn Festival, and race them all day long. The kids love it, and for many of them it is their first exposure to the principles of solar power. There's no question that solar is going to play a big part of our kids' furture. Check out this video of the Purdue Solar Racing Team's solar car. It won the competition in 2009, getting 4913 miles per gallon! Our Tiny Solar Car is really the bare essentials - the solar panel converts the rays of the sun into electricity. The direct current is fed via two wires to a tiny DC motor mounted on the chasis with its 2 axles and 4 wheels. The rotation power of the motor is transferred to the two rear wheels by two tiny nylon gears. You could soup it up and decorate it (please send us a photo if you happen to decorate yours so we could put it on the web site), but it is pretty cool just the way it is. The Amazing Tiny Solar Car is a VERY cute little guy that fits easily in the palm of your hand. Put the power of the sun to work today with your new tiny solar car! Only $14.95 USD

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Solar Windmill Item number: WSP This is a 1/250th scale model, so if you stacked about 250 of them on top of each other, they'd be about as tall as the real thing! It is powered by a solar panel located on it's base. When the sun shines "the windmill turns at 18 rpm", according to the manufacturer. We've found it can turn anywhere from slow, slow, slow to REALLY FAST, depending on how much sun it is getting. It does need to have pretty direct sun to work. The closer to 90 degrees the sunlight is to the solar panel, the faster it goes. I have one at home on my south-facing window sill, and when the sun gets up above a certain point, it starts going. Nice! This is a fun little item to play with at work when you should be doing more important things. Unfortunately all of the windows at my work face north, so I can't really get one going there. It seems a little ironic that solar power is used to turn this windmill's rotor, but the way the blades are made on the latest model, they will turn in the wind. That said, it is a nifty piece to demonstrate solar power to kids and introduce how photovoltaic materials convert solar radiation into direct current electricity. In assembling it (the assembly is simple and quick, perhaps 5 minutes at most if you take your time) it's clear how the parts relate -- the wires go from the solar panel up to the DC motor which turns the rotor. Effect of the angle of the sun to a solar panel becomes obvious when moving it about. When you block the sun with your hand the rotor comes to a stop, and if you block it only partially the rotor slows down. Fun stuff! The Solar Windmill is 10.25" from table to top of nacelle, the rotor is 8.5" in diameter, and the overall height is 14". The nacelle can rotate. The solar panel is 2.5" x 2.25". The Solar Windmill ships disassembled so it is less costly to ship. Assembly is simple and quick, perhaps 5 minutes at most if you take your time, and requires not no special skills or any tools. An illustrated instruction sheet and an illustrated historical and contemporary windmill information sheet are included with every Solar Windmill. Only $24.95 USD

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6-in-1 Solar Kit Item number: 6in1 The 6-in-1 Solar Kit will give you hours of fun. With a nice 1 x 1 1/8 inch solar panel, small electric motor, gear box and all of the parts you need to construct six cool projects, the 6-in-1 Solar Kit will give you hours of fun. This educational kit has everything you need to build: a solar windmill, solar revolving plane, solar airboat, solar airplane, solar car and even a solar robot puppy! Recommended for ages 10 and up, it could also be fun for younger children with adult help. (WARNING: This kit is NOT safe for children under 3 years of age as it contains small parts which could present a choking hazard.) No glue, batteries or tools are rquired, as all parts snap together. A clear 26 page manual illustrates in pictures how to make each project. These are fun projects and a great introduction to experimenting with and thinking about how solar power can be used. Only $19.95 USD

Solar Grasshopper Item Number: SG Grasshopper fun! This green guy has a small powerful one and an eighth by five eighths inch solar cell on his back. When you put him in the sun, watch out! He wiggles and jitters all over the place. His long antennae can be bent into any shape you like. No insect collection is complete without a this cute critter. Only $9.95 USD

Solar Racing Tractor Item Number: SRT Great fun! The competition will eat your dust when you are driving your sleek Racing Tractor! Just set this little guy in the sun and off it scoots. Lots of fun to take two or more and race them! No battery, no gas or oil -- its only power is the sun's light. Block the sun, and it comes to a stop. An excellent demonstration of solar power. Solar power is even better than ethanol -- you are converting the sun's energy directly into electricity! This sleek little tractor sports a massive 1" by 1 1/8" solar panel which sends direct current electricity straight to its motor. The motor powers the large drive wheels through a set of nylon gears. Front wheel can be set for various angles for driving in a circle, or straight for drag racing. A nice little outfit. Only $16.95 USD

Solar MiniVan Item Number: SMV It's BIG - big enough for a whole tiny family and their tiny dog and cat! Hey, hop in, everybody -- we're going on a tiny vacation in our Solar MiniVan! Over 5 inches long with a solar cell that is 1"x3", this minivan is our largest solar vehicle. We had one person order it just to tear it down and re-purpose the large solar cell and motor for their own custom design little solar car! We have the Solar MiniVan in an assortment of colors, including: red, green, white and blue. (Then again with a little Testers brand model spray paint it could be any color you want...) If you have a color request, we will try to fill it, but if unavailable will send you a color we have. Won't you look cool flying down the deck in your new Solar MiniVan? Only $19.95 USD

Solar Camo Hummer Item Number: SCH How did they ever get a Hummer to roll with solar power? Easy - just shrink it down really small and then it's no problemo! This would be a great solution for our military except for the tiny gears which have "issues" when they get a lot of sand in them. Put the sun to work and own the flashiest thing wearing camoflage today! Only $16.95 USD

Solar Green Hummer Item Number: SGH This pint-sized green Solar Hummer may not get you the respect you deserve, but it IS extremely economical to operate, unlike the larger model. Be GREEN - drive a Hummer (a tiny solar-powered one.) This is the "must have" accessory for the owner of a real Hummer, or the closest thing we may ever have for the rest of us! Only $16.95 USD

Solar Cockroach Item number: SC Just like the real thing, when exposed to the sun's powerful light, this little guy becomes quite agitated. Unlike the real thing which scurries for some dark recess, this photo bug stays out in the open and does a frantic paced dance. Just the thing to scare squeamish adults AND learn about solar power! Only $9.95 USD