Backyard Safari gear for young explorers.

• Position: Scientific toys - What's New?

There's a big world out there waiting to be explored. For a child, that means grabbing the Essential Field Gear from Backyard Safari Outfitters, Summit Toys, Birmingham, Ala., and heading outside to examine some bugs and frogs, follow animal tracks, or comb the beach for treasure. With rugged, functional equipment perfect for backyards, parks, campgrounds, and seashores, kids can discover creatures on land, in the air, or under water.

The first piece of equipment needed in the collection of essential field gear is the Power Field Binoculars. Boasting 5 x 30 power crystal clear optics, all in nature is brought up close in crisp detail. Designed for the way children play, the binocs feature rubberized grips, safety lanyard with break-away buckle, and flexible eye cups, and are waterproof--just in case.

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The Super View Mega Magnifier has a huge 13" x 10" viewing window with a durable lens, rugged frame, and rubberized sure grip hand holds. It is great for viewing at any angle, and it floats, so kids can examine objects in creeks, streams, and tidal pools.

The battery-operated Bug Vacuum allows kids to suck up live bugs and play with them without ever actually having to touch the things. It features a capture and release core with a built-in magnifying lens and a bonus extra nose cone and capture core for bigger insects. They can be released back into the outdoors, or the capture core can be attached to the 2-in-1 Habitat, which provides a lifelike environment and is great for frogs as well as insects. The 7" x 13" x 8.5" Habitat comes with a coupon to send away for some tadpoles, to provide hours of educational fun as the children watch the tadpoles develop into full grown frogs. It has a removable water area for easy cleaning and a bug identifier on the back panel.

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To reach out to nature and get those critters that are just out of reach, the Super-Reach Grabber has sturdy 26" long sure-grip handle with a lock and release mechanism. Kids can grab frogs, lizards, crawfish, bugs, and even snakes without harm by using the soft padded claw. The pads remove and store in the handle, so hard items like rock and shells can be picked up with ease. Captured objects and creatures can be placed in the Clear View Magna Bucket that allows explorers to carry and observe their catch, whether wet or dry. It has a carrying strap and a vented, flip-up hinged lid to allow...