For kids who want to experience the magic of growing their own garden, this kit is a fun and inventive experience. It contains everything you need to grow a small terrarium complete with an entire community of tiny fantastical inhabitants. Paint the special planter with the paints (three primary colors included), fill with soil, and then plant the enclosed beans and grass seeds. Then it's time to arrange the tiny fairy cottage, use the green pebbles to make a tiny path, and decorate the garden with the rocks, shells, and plastic animals that come with the kit. As the beans sprout and grow, you can cut and shape them so they look like miniature trees--and for variety, add pepper, lemon, cantaloupe, and tomato seeds and watch just what comes up. --John Longenbaugh