The subject: One almost-6-year-old girl who just happens to live in my house.
The object: Hasbro's Martian Matter Alien Maker, provided by the company.
The results: The subject spent a good 90 minutes making aliens using the enclosed (and cleverly designed) goo-and-flying saucer toy. Mostly, she was able to squish the "Meteor Mud," which is like really wet Play-doh, into the receptacle and make her alien mold. The subject enjoyed filled the resulting mold with the "Lunar Lava," which firms up into a rubbery alien that can be dissected. The subject wasn't keen on cutting apart her newly made alien friends but did allow that it was cool. As was the whole endeavor, in the subject's opinion.
Notes: Mostly, the subject had the dexterity to handle the toy, which is labeled for kids 5+. It's always awesome when your kid happily amuses herself for the better part of an afternoon and the Martian Matter Alien Maker delivers.
There was just one little thing that bugged the crap out of me. In the PR pamphlet that came with the alien maker, it makes it clear that this toy will "provide boys with the ultimate intergalactic experience" and "boys can select two extraterrestrial half-molds" and "Boys can take their cosmic creations..." You get the drift. My girl, fortunately, never saw this pamphlet and didn't realize that she wasn't in the target demographic.
