Tomy Gearation

Gearation amazes kids with its 11 brightly colored, turning, roataing, goofy gears. Turn it on and add gears and watch as they flip, turn and almost mesmerize. Control the speed with the fast or slow button.

With its ingenious design, the Gearation Activity Set lets preschoolers assemble clicking, whirring, googly-eyed machines all by themselves. Eleven colorful plastic gears adhere magnetically to a 14-by-16-inch easel, so kids are free to arrange them in any order they can dream up. The gear in the center powers the whole contraption. The various gears (each measuring from 1 to 3 inches across) all do something different, whether it's making a noise or just turning a brightly colored arm, and kids can control the gear speeds with fat, easy-to-grab switches. And since all the parts are cleverly connected by magnets, you don't have to worry about the motor burning out. --Paul Hughes