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.)
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 $34.95 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Alternate Payment: If you wish you can pay with a personal check or
money
order. Please call for amount of shipping to include. If you are
uncomfortable with making payments over the internet, it is fine to
call us up and pay with your credit card over the phone. Our phone:
765-563-3504 during business hours 9-5 EST. Our mailing address is:
Prairie Wind Toy Co., P.O. Box 428, Brookston, IN 47923-0428. Questions?
Don't be bashful about calling -- real people answer our phones!
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