The Elements: A Visual Exploration

THE ELEMENTS is an electronic version of the popular hardcover book that lets kids explore the periodic table of elements by interacting with 500 high-resolution animated images that can be rotated and viewed in true 3-D (with glasses). Informative text summaries dole out factoids -- like that arsenic is used as both a paint pigment and rat poison, and that boron is the key ingredient in silly putty -- but not all information is accessible unless you're connected to the Internet. The app is also large and pricey, so parents might want to make sure there's more than just a passing interest in the subject matter before committing to the download.