22 replies to this topic

[OhNoNotAgain]

I'm going to guess this isn't interesting to many regulars but if you know little kids who are, this is a nice change of pace from the usual Barbie.

 

Doesn't come with plastic ants (seriously a bummer), but does come with other critters, plus the picture of an Uncle Milton ant farm (in photo). It's also in association with National Geographic.

 

https://barbie.matte...d-playset-gdm49

 

I dunno about anyone else, but getting kids interested in bugs is good in my book. I imagine this set isn't going to be one of Mattel's best sellers, which is a shame, so IMHO consider getting it for your favorite kids/nieces/sisters/cousins/neighbors/yourself/whatevs.

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Edited by OhNoNotAgain, February 20 2020 - 12:11 PM.

[ANTdrew]

I bet my niece would like this. I could get one for my daughter, too, in a few years.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Gotta start 'em young lol. As a wise sensei trained by a wise sensi once said, "train and obtain"

[OhNoNotAgain]

I bet my niece would like this. I could get one for my daughter, too, in a few years.

 

Because all these sorts of things are limited run (whether Lego or Mattel or whatever), I would get one now and hide it somewhere for a few years. 

[Manitobant]

Like this will actually get girls into bugs...

[justanotheramy]

Like this will actually get girls into bugs...

 

Girls love bugs.

There's a Barbie beekeeper, too.

The only disappointing thing about these "career" sets is that they're almost always the skinny blonde Barbies; but I have bought other Barbies from the Fashionista range, swapped them out, glued the box back together, and donated the blonde.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

People's beliefs are what they make it. People like you would make good parents...

[AntsDakota]

Like this will actually get girls into bugs...

Honestly, I don't understand how women can sometimes see ants as disgusting. 

[justanotheramy]

Honestly, I don't understand how women can sometimes see ants as disgusting. 

 

 

 

 

 

From having an ant farm in a primary school classroom last year, I can tell you that heaps of the dads were freaked out by ants and other bugs.

[OhNoNotAgain]

Right, I know of households where it's the woman who's into bugs and the man ... less so. Hahaha.

 

Oh by the way, JustAnotherAmy, I guess I didn't mind this entomologist Barbie so much because she looks kind of like a young Jane Goodall. 

[justanotheramy]

she looks kind of like a young Jane Goodall. 

lol. true.

but it is still important for kids to see not just woman doing science, but all kinds of women.

[OhNoNotAgain]

Yeah I guess I have to agree, as someone who saw zero representation of my own background in the American toy world of my youngest days (this has changed, thankfully). That said, as my background also includes science, I am just plain excited about seeing something about science at ALL.   I guess maybe I'm speaking from an American perspective - science doesn't seem well respected in our culture, currently. Not that science is perfect; I'm very aware of its limitations and that human ignorance and politics and money play into it, but it still seems so much more constructive and useful to me than so much that passes as popular in this day and age....

[OhNoNotAgain]

Hah, so close to this topic I have to post this:

 

"Girl bullied for her love of bugs is now a published children’s author"

 

https://www.ctvnews....SAIilhHbLdsiJls

 

"Hoping to encourage her daughter’s interest in insects, Sophia’s mother Nicole Spencer wrote to the Entomologist Society of Canada (ESC) to request an entomologist speak to Sophia to encourage her interest in the study of insects." Go parent, go!

Edited by OhNoNotAgain, February 20 2020 - 11:35 PM.

[ANTdrew]

I literally just saw this set at Barnes & Noble today. It was priced at $32. I may buy it for my niece’s birthday if my brother thinks it’s something she’ll enjoy.
I definitely need that girl’s picture book for my kids, too.

Edited by ANTdrew, February 21 2020 - 1:57 PM.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

yes, start 'em young! Make ant keeping a family tradition lol

[AntsDakota]

I was thinking- if you kept a species that accepted new queens and was fairly common, you could pass the colony to your children and grandchildren, and it would be a trans generational colony.

[OhNoNotAgain]

Along with your decades-old dubia roach colony, custom-bred isopod morphs, and terrariums of plants that have miraculously survived through the years. 

That would be pretty cool, actually. Somewhat less intimidating (I hope) than inheriting a 60 year old African Grey parrot or something.

I also hope we pass along a planet that still supports interesting life forms!

[Ants_Dakota]

Kids seem to always enjoy watching ants scurry around and drink honey and the like. They just don't seem to have the chance to learn to like ants, as most people crush their nests and kill the workers when they enter their house.

[justanotheramy]

Not all kids will stand for it — I got such a telling-off from my daughter for feeding maggots to the fish, because they were "baby flies". She was 4 at the time 

[AntsDakota]

Now if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s maggots. I still feed flies to my ants, too. But it’s great your daughter developed a love for insects at such a young age, even if the insects in question are more on the disgusting side, lol.

Edited by AntsDakota, February 23 2020 - 3:42 PM.