Popular Mechanics For Kids - The Complete First Season - 5 DVD Set (Amazon.com Exclusive)

This series is a great educational tool for kids. The hosts explore a ton of different scientific subjects in a fun way that holds my sons interest while also teaching him about a wide range of topics. Within each episode there is some basic information as well as some pretty detailed science. My son started watching at about age 4 and some of the information was too complex for him, but I watched along with him and answered his questions and he learned a ton! I think older kids would be able to understand a lot more of the videos on their own, but would still come away with some unanswered questions which is great way to start learning more independently. We definitely did some internet searches after watching episodes to keep learning more.It is worth noting that season 1 of this show was made almost 20 years ago, so some of the information is a bit dated. This didn't decrease my son's interest at all, but did mean that some information is no longer accurate. For example in one of the episodes they talk briefly about electric cars--which at the time were not available to consumers. Obviously now electric cars are fairly common. At one point they mention the planned mission for NASA to send astronauts to Mars in 2014 (I actually don't recall what year they said, but it's in the past). So be aware that any scientific advancements/changes since the taping of the show will not be included.

My 11 year old daughter has LOVED this show since she was 5. It started when I came across a old 4 episode volume at a library sale and brought it home to her - she must have watched it 30 times in a row. Soon enough, my age 5 science buff was impressing dinner guests by explaining how dolphins use echolocation. Sadly, at that time, the whole series was not available on DVD, only certain episodes. We were ecstatic to find these complete sets on Amazon. The episodes cover a wide variety of topics that kids have questions about, and are rich with knowledge that applies to everyday life (for instance, did you know that polyester is made from recycled plastic?) Get this for the any and every child in your life, they will enjoy it for years to come. Also great for teachers - I have even used a couple of these in my high school science classes!

I am a special education teacher and use DVDs like this one, Bill Nye and The Magic School Bus to supplement my classroom lectures and LABS. I found these DVDs to be both educational and entertaining, and my student population enjoys them very much. They also cover the state standards and extended standards for my state (Ohio) for Physical, Life and Earth Science. I would recommend them to any (7-12 special education teacher) who wants to supplement their teaching. I think it is well worth the price! If it included an episode guide and teachers summary (like The Magic School Bus) I would give it 5 stars!

My 8 yo son loves it! I wish there be more educational shows like this for older kids to watch and learn. Meantime this show is educational, fun, easy to watch and informative. Few weeks ago my son watched episode about Police patrol boat and later that week he spotted the same boat in our harbor. He started telling me about this boat, quoting the show's storytellers and drew attention of the officers on the boat. He got invited to check out the boat from the inside and even got to drive it around the harbor. Thanks to the officers and thanks to the show for great learning opportunities!

This is my 8 year old daughter's favorite show to watch. The content is educational and she loves that it is hosted by kids. The only issue is that it is dated since they stopped filming in 2001. The Big Dig in Boston was finished in 2002 and it was being built when they filmed there. My daughter also got very excited about the Stratosphere roller coaster in Las Vegas which closed in 2005. Regardless, I still think it is a 5 star show with concepts that still work today. I think that I notice the issues with the timeliness of the content more than she does. Highly recommended!

It's amazing the opportunity these kids have with this show.. wish I had their job!!! They keep it light and funny but very educational. My biggest gripe is that they often go just shy of enough detail/explanation. I'm often left with a lot of unanswered questions about the topic being covered. I realize it's a kids show so there is a fine line between too much and not enough ... they seem to fall a bit in the "not enough" side.

My children ages 3.5-7 and love watching this show! They have learned a lot (and so have us parents). The best part of the shows are that they include children and introduce the material in an engaging manner. We are a homeschool famiky and my children have asked to go on several field trips to similar places. Can't wait to do that! Our 7to also gets books from the library on the topics shown do she can learn more. Great show for the entire family!

How can writers who normally do such a great job with this series, fall so short with the special effects show. Please be conscious of the frightening and upsetting nature of this episode. Why people think it's ok to terrorize children is beyond me! Many children watch television unsupervised and having an episode like this will do unnecessary harm. As for the other sterling episodes, they are wonderfully done.