BuckyBalls are a really cool desktop toy that provide endless entertainment.

BuckyBalls: “The Amazing Magnetic Desk Toy You Can’t Put Down.” BuckyBalls are powerful rare earth magnets (216 per package!) that can be shaped, molded, torn apart, and snapped together in UNLIMITED ways. Make sculptures, puzzles, patterns, shapes, stick stuff to the fridge or even invent a new game! The staff here at Planet Fun was dubious about BuckyBalls at first, but now that they have tried them I can’t keep them from playing with them. It’s like they’re zombies! This is the hottest toy on the scene right now! Get your BuckyBalls today for just $29.95.

The new Hexbug Crab.

Hexbug Nano & Hexbug Ant: The two newest items from the Hexbug line are extra fun! The Nano is a cool little dude that skitters around like a cockroach! (only cleaner!) He is the lowest price Hexbug at $11.95. The Ant is this reviewer’s personal favorite. It has wheel type action instead of legs, so it really moves! Hexbug Ant senses if it runs into something and will back up until it’s sensor contacts an object, then it will move forward. Tons of fun for just $13.95.

After much review, we’re featuring our top 10 gift ideas, complete with a link to video taken at Planet Fun by our friends Fisher & Peggy from Today’s 106.5. Be sure to check out the video to see the shocking good fun they had while they were here.

Come by and test the products yourself; but if you can’t come in, be sure to browse our products at Planet Fun online, then call us to place your order.

Without further delay,  here are our top 10 gift ideas for this season:

10. Hoberman Spheres: These expandable spheres make engineering fun! The original Hoberman Sphere expands to 30” and kids and adults can’t put it down! Price: $34.95

9. Solar System in My Room: Cool Science and fun too! Solar System in My Room goes over the light fixture on the ceiling. You can then remotely control the movement of the planets. Price: $49.95

8. AirZooka: Laugh in amusement as you mess up someone’s hair or ruffle their shirt. AirZooka is the “fun gun” that blows a harmless ball of air towards any person or object.  Price: $17.95- $24.95

7. Science Kits: The perfect gift to spark the interest of a young mind. Our wide variety of science kits lets kids investigate everything from building an FM radio to performing weather experiments. Price: $9.95 – $49.95

6. Hexbugs: These cute little robotic critters are great gifts for the Kids! The Original Hexbug runs away from noise or your touch. The Crab Hexbug runs from the light or sound. The Inchworm Hexbug is remote controlled. Prices: $12.95, $16.95, and $22.95

5. Giantmicrobes: Shown at 1 million times actual size, these plush germs give you an up-close look at germs from typhoid fever to mad cow disease. It’s a great gag gift that provides laughs and learning. Price: $7.95

4. R/C Flying Saucer: This remote controlled copter-like flying saucer is a Planet Fun store favorite! The staff love to fly it and share with customers. With flashing LED lights, it looks like a UFO as it hovers! Price: $25.95

3. Lightning Reaction Revenge: Have a shocking good time with this new version of the Lightning Reaction game. Control who gets shocked, but beware of those who seek revenge. Price: $29.95

2. Telescopes: Let the staff at Planet Fun help you find the perfect telescope for your stargazing needs. With a wide variety of telescopes and accessories, you can find everything you need to view the heavens. Price: $249.99 – $1999.99

1. Clark Planetarium Gift Cards: Can’t decide? Give the gift of flexibility with a gift card. Available in the store or online in $20, $25, $50 and $100 amounts.

10. Free exhibits: With over 10,000 sq. ft. of exhibits to explore, this is a great no cost activity that can easily entertain visitors for a couple of hours.

9. Summer Camp: Back by popular demand, the “How to Build and Use a Telescope Camp” is a 3 day intensive 3-day astronomy camp for kids ages 12 – 17 that includes lots of hands-on instruction and a 6-inch Dobsonian telescope.

8. Matinee Theatre Tickets: All shows in the ATK IMAX and Hansen Dome Theater are just $6 before 5 p.m. every day. A complete list of show times is available here.

7. Rockets!: Planet Fun Clark Planetarium Store has  a wide variety of engine, chemical reaction and air powered rockets. Summer is a great time for building rockets and then getting a group together to launch them to see who’s will fly the farthest.

6. Star Parties: Our friends at the Salt Lake Astronomical Society have free public star parties on a regular basis. A complete schedule is available on the club’s website.

5. Connect Pass: If you are looking to experience a multitude of venues over a period of up to three days, the “Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass” allows you to visit Clark Planetarium and 12 other area venues for $40 for adults and $32 for children.

4. Bug Catchers: Explore the wonders of your backyard and beyond while collecting bugs. Planet Fun has a wide array of butterfly pavilions, beetle barns and other bug catching containers.

3. Build your own planisphere: Download materials from the planetarium’s website to help find constellations in the nighttime sky.

2. Cosmic Light Shows: Cheaper than a concert and a great activity for date night, Cosmic Light Shows (complete with lasers and other special effects) play nightly in the Hansen Dome Theatre and feature artists like U2 and Pink Floyd.

1. Memberships: The best value for those who like to visit Clark Planetarium on a regular basis. Members get in to all IMAX and Dome theatre shows free for one year plus great discounts at Planet Fun, concessions and more.

Assembly: The kit retails for $19.95 and includes all the pieces you’ll need to create your rocket car. All you’ll need to contribute is some glue to place the fin on the top of the car and the baking soda and vinegar required for the fuel source.

The car is recommended for children ages 9 and up, but children will strongly benefit from having an adult help them with the creation process. Good news is that the instructions are self explanatory and easy to follow. Note: As you move to placing the wheels on the car, you will want to test the car on the ground to see if your wheels are aligned correctly and moving freely (a step I did not fine tune enough for my first car, resulting in it pulling to the left).

Performance: After your car is built, you will want to make sure to read and accurately follow the directions for the baking soda and vinegar mixture. Mike and I wanted our car to go farther and faster, so we added double the amount of vinegar which resulted in too much pressure building up in the fuel module too quickly and shooting it out the back of the car instead of propelling it forward.

When we correctly followed the instructions for our fuel ingredients and adjusted the dial on the back of the car, we had fun watching the chemical reaction bubble and fizz until enough pressure built up in the chamber and shot our car down the sidewalk and street. As we tested the car on the sidewalk outside the Clark Planetarium, we had many interested passers-by that got a kick out of the reaction. We did get some footage of a launch on the street which you can see here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pointers: Overall, this was a fun activity to get us outside with a chemistry/physics demonstration to boot. Things you’ll want to pay attention to when creating your own rocket car are, again, testing the wheels to make sure the car rides straight. Launching the car on a smooth surface also helps it go further. And lastly, don’t stand directly behind the car while you are waiting for it to launch. When it blasts off, it shoots a stream of the baking soda and vinegar mixture out the back of the car. We had one of our store staff get splattered with the stuff and while we all got a kick out of it, the mixture is pretty smelly. We got footage of that too as well as some other misfires we had while we were playing around…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Estes Ready-to-Fly Rockets

We have a wide line of Estes brand rocket kits with everything you need to fire off rockets from 200 to 1000 feet into the air. These launch kits range in price from $19.95 to $60.00 and are a blast (pun intended)! NOTE:  Mom or Dad will need to supervise as these use rocket engines.

Dueling Blast Pads

These foot powered stomp rockets are safe and easy for the kids to use. There are 2 side-by-side rockets to launch simultaneously to see who can make their rocket fly higher! The set is $34.95 and comes with multiple rockets.

Ram Rockets

The original Ram Rocket is a hand held pump rocket that can blast a missile up to 100 feet and is just $8.95! Also comes in “Light-Up” varieties. Check out our silly video of us using the Ram Rocket:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Aerobie Flying Discs

If you’re looking for non-explosive fun, try our super cool Aerobie Flying Discs. These easy to throw discs fly really well. Use them in your frisbee golf game and you will totally win! Prices range from $12.95 to $14.95.