Cider Mill Press

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What’s even better than a green thumb? A MAGIC thumb, of course! Kids who want to amaze friends and family with their incredible powers of prestidigitation need only say abracadabra and open this wonder-filled gift book—which comes complete with a 48-page book plus a performance-ready magical thumb and silk handkerchief.

Written by a professional magician, the guide contains the tricks of the trade would-be conjurers need to show off incredible sleights of hand and make all kinds of things (money, scarves, rope, string) appear and disappear at will. In fact, with just a little practice, any kid can perform a complete magic show with the secret knowledge revealed in these pages.

To make things easy for novices, more than 75 illustrations capture all the necessary moves and details.

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Beautify America! All across the country, people are taking pastels to pavement, decorating the avenues with stunning images. Now, would-be artists who would like to literally paint the town red—and blue, yellow, green, and a rainbow of other colors—can find out how with this essential guide to street art. It’s filled with basic tips, techniques, and designs for beginners who want to become part of this popular phenomenon, as well as blueprints that pros can use to create the ultimate street painting: The Emerging Elvis. In addition to suggestions for finding good locations to work and examples of the very best street art around, the kit includes a set of quality chalk pastels, the street painter’s preferred medium. And for those who’d like to go beyond their own hometown, there’s a list of websites for street art festivals throughout the U.S.

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Where will YOUR bottle go?

What an amazing, hands-on way for kids to learn about oceans and ecology! Written by Susan Hom with one of the world’s leading oceanographers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute — the largest private, nonprofit ocean research, engineering, and educational organization — this unique gift set sends young conservationists on a virtual adventure.

The fun begins when a child registers the enclosed watertight bottle on a special website. Then he or she fills out the first entry, including location and date, in the kit’s logbook. That log goes into the bottle, and the child seals it up and drops it into the nearest river, stream, ocean, or canal. As others find it, they can record their own data in the log and register their information on the website. Every time someone does, the site notifies the original bottle-sender, who can plot its progress through the world’s waterways — and see how the tides work and just how interconnected we all are through these bodies of water.

In addition to the bottle, the set features a 96-page book; waterproof two-sided travel document, with a map on one side and the log book on the other; marker pen; and a label that goes inside the bottle bearing the words “Message in a Bottle” in several languages.

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Kids will agree: This is one of the niftiest sets they’ve ever seen!

Following last season’s terrific license plate collection, here comes another Nifty Fifty and all across America, children will cheer for their own home state and its flag, while discovering fun facts about all the other states. The engaging and entertaining gift set features a 16-page booklet, 50 cards, a map of the USA, and a pad with colored paper so kids can design their own flag. Each of the colorful cards displays a state flag, while the opposite side has detailed information on why it looks the way it does, what some of the flag’s symbols mean, and odd facts about that state. Kids will love finding out about towns with silly names (including Belchertown, Massachusetts and Bummerville, California), as well as unusual laws, cool sites to visit, and other great state stuff like its official song, dance, animal, and mineral. Many of the cards also feature entertaining family activities to try!

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What’s Idaho’s nickname? (The gem state.) What’s New Jersey’s state bird? (The Eastern Goldfinch.)

More than 1,000 fascinating facts are packed into this cool travel kit for kids, which contains an informative book, 50 die-cut color license plate cards, a map of the USA, and four pencils and pads kids can use to track each state’s license plates whenever they’re in the car. (Whoever identifies the most plates from different states wins!) All cards include the state capital and an image of the state flag, along with historical tidbits, current statistics, and notes on each state’s most famous residents. And to keep things organized, the cards are tied together with nylon cord and packaged in a license plate designed box. No parent should leave home without this!

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Interactive, educational, but most of all...FUN!

Getting today’s high-tech, computer savvy kids to exercise isn’t easy — but this kit will do the trick! That’s because it includes a cool gadget and the activities seem just like games. And to kids, that spells FUN. Walk the Walkis jam-packed with creative and entertaining ways to use the child-friendly pedometer that comes attached to the colorful book. See how many steps you take walking the dog — or figure out how many it would take to walk across the ocean if you could. Or give your favorite sport a cool twist by bringing the pedometer into play: first calculate the average number of paces from home plate to first base in baseball or softball. Any runner who can’t reach the base in that number of paces (or less) is out, no matter what. And there’s a plenty of other great stuff to do inside, too.

New pedometer-philes will learn how to make the most of this handy gadget, from online pedometer challenges to walk-racing mom and dad.

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The one and only official, authorized book on learning and using a Hacky Sack®! Many publishers have tried, but Cider Mill Press is the very first to offer an official book, DVD, and Hacky Sack® from its one and only creator: Wham-O! An international phenomenon, Hacky Sack® sells in the millions each year. Now true fans and would-be Hacky Sack® athletes alike can get in the game with this 78-page spiral bound instructional book and hour-long DVD, plus the footbag. Beginning with the basics, the book and DVD walk new players through all the techniques and moves they need to become super shredders. Before long, novices will become experts, having mastered the more challenging techniques you need to hang with the champions. Competitors will also enjoy the great resource section on clubs, organizations, and tournaments around the world. The extra good news is...this package is the start of agreat program, with many more exciting Wham-O® items to come!

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This officially licensed book unlocks the secrets of what is said to be “the most fantastic ball ever created by science!” The Wham-O® company introduced the SuperBall® in 1966 — and it was an accidental (but happy) invention. Find out all about this spectacular feat of engineering, and everything you can do with it as an officially trained SuperBall® operator!

The SuperBall® Operator Manual — which comes complete with a full-size ball — reveals the history behind this amazing piece of rubber and the Wham-O® company. But most entertaining of all is the extensive chapter on “Fun Facts & Favorite Games.” Of course you can just bounce it up and down, but it’s so much more enjoyable to watch it bound wildly off walls, ceilings, and other surfaces. Try long-lobbing it, or even using another object, like a baseball bat, to propel the SuperBall® almost into “super space.” There’s no limit to the ways the SuperBall’s power can be unleashed!

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Play the ULTIMATE game!

Plain Frisbee® just wasn’t enough for them! In the 1960s, college students who loved the popular game decided to take it to another level — and Ultimate Frisbee was born. Now it has evolved into one of the most fast-paced and challenging sports played worldwide. Incorporating the nonstop action of soccer and the tactics of football, Ultimate Frisbee® can be enjoyed equally by casual or competitive players - thanks to Wham-O’s colorful flying disc.

So join in the fun with this kit that has everything needed to get the game going. The handbook explains all the basics as well as more advanced techniques. It also includes information on organizations and tournaments around the world. Plus, there’s a DVD that makes it easy to follow every move, and an actual FRISBEE® to toss!