Do you know how the universe started more than 10 billion years ago with a Big Bang? Also do you know that the sun is one of a 100 billion stars in this one galaxy? I have a space mad son who loves to learn about the solar system and one day when he grows up, he wants to become an astronaut. Earlier in April, we had even turned Easter eggs into the solar system.
He was so pleased to receive this Illuminated Solar System by Brainstorm Toys for review. It comes with a remote controller and is suitable for 6 years plus. Inside this box, it comes with eight planets with wires, 85 cm diameter solar system mobile, ceiling fixings and booklet.
The eight planets will orbit the sun which can illuminate. The sun is powered by three AA batteries and the remote controller uses two AAA batteries. There are no batteries included in the set. It also features auto shut-off after 15 minutes to save battery life. The remote controller comes with three buttons: Light, Orbit and Sleep.
Please beware that this solar system is to be mounted on a horizontal drywall ceiling. Mr K wanted to put it in his room but his room is too small to accommodate it. So we placed it in directly outside his room, on the ceiling in the landing. We used 3M double-sided tape on the mounting plate and string to keep it safe. When choosing a right area, make sure you have plenty of space for the planets to rotate, away from light fixtures, wardrobes or curtains. It is best to fix the planets on the sun before you mount the sun on the mounting plate. I made this mistake and had to take it down and fix the planets.
All eight planets are made from plastic and covered with printed plastic sleeves for each planet. They each have different lengths of wire to represent their different orbits too. The Saturn card ring is made from coloured paper. Once inserted, it will stay on the planet. I love the attention to detail on the sun. Also the sunlight is quite dim which provides a nice ambient glow at night. My son is fascinating with it. It is great that we can teach our children about our solar system in the comfort of our home. It is also a very engaging way of teaching science.
When the planets orbit around the sun, there is some background noise from the motor but it’s not too loud. I rate this 4.5 out of 5. It’s not strictly scientifically correct but is a great gizmo for any budding astronomers. This would definitely make a great gift for Christmas or a birthday! The RC Illuminated Solar System is available from Smyths, Hamleys, Amazon, Harrods and selected Toymaster stores. For more information about the product, please visit Brainstorm.
Disclosure: We received the sample for the purposes of writing this review, however, all thoughts and opinions remain our own.
Sounds like a great thing to get children thinking about the solar system.