Barir's World

For Your Little Scientist

Jakks EyeClops Bionic Eye | $50 | eyeclops.com

Anybody who has witnessed a microscope's hidden world knows how fascinating mundane things can be when you get really, really close. So having the ability to easily capture and share your close-ups is a boon to science geeks everywhere. The Jakks EyeClops Bionic Eye is a camera that plugs into your TV using basic AV cable, allowing you to magnify objects up to 200 times and output video of your microscopic findings directly to your TV.

In case your object of interest is in a dark corner, the device uses three LED lights to brighten things up. Sure, you might not like what you see (things that are gross from afar are VERY gross up close), but the EyeClops gives you a new window into everyday objects, whether they are hair follicles that look like tree trunks or clothing fibers that look like barbed wire. —W.M.

For Your Little Geek

Microbric Viper | $180 | microbric.com

Sure, there are plenty of DIY robot kits out there, but unless you trust your 10-year-old with a soldering iron, you're likely to pass. This kit is kid-friendly enough to assemble without having a Ph.D. in robotics or a knack for melting metal. The kit comes with everything a would-be Asimov could need, including a microcontroller board, motors, LED modules, buttons, sensors and an infrared receiver. The pieces snap out and assemble easily with screws, and finished robots can be programmed with the BASIC computer language. Death rays not included. —W.M.

For Your Little Engineer

Eitech Metal Building Kits | $35 to $50 | eitech.de/english

I’m strictly old-school when it comes to toys—some of the best hours of my life have been spent building things with my son and daughter. So it comes as sort of a relief to find that old-fashioned, shiny metal Erector sets and model airplanes are still in vogue. Yeah, my Wii-raised kids have probably outgrown them, but I haven’t.

Take the Eitech Construction C07 trucks kit. This bolt-together kit has got to be the next best thing to actually owning a boxy tow truck. If you’re ready to toss the training wheels, pick up the more ambitious C14 version (about $50). It lets the young (or young at heart) builder construct a fire truck, over-the-road tow truck or crane. —Roy Berendsohn

Humanity To Others;Knowledge Is Not Ours To Keep Alone;Your Mind Is Your Most Precious Resource