NEW ACTIVITIES SPARK YOUNG MINDS.

Byline: Michelle J. Mills Staff Writer

The line between fun and learning has grown thinner.

Designers of activities and kits for children have realized that lessons are better absorbed when they are given through play. From just two companies, Creativity for Kids Faber-Castell and the Discovery Store, we found so many great offerings that we had to select just a few to provide you with an overview of items that both you and your children may enjoy over the summer ahead.

--You've read the books, now Grow a Lorax Garden. Suitable for ages 5 and older, the kit helps little ones discover the joy of nature and contains everything you need to create a tabletop dish garden with seeds and beans. For whimsy, it includes Truffala trees and Lorax and Humming Fish figurines. $20. Creativity for Kids. Toy and book stores. [phone]. www.creativityforkids.com.

--Impart financial lessons early with the Allowance Bank for children 7 and older. Children can paint the happy white ceramic pig however they wish. A passbook and job stickers help them track their saving and spending. $15. Creativity for Kids. Toy and book stores. [phone]. www.creativityforkids.com.

--From our planet to the stars, future astronomers and astronauts will find hours of delight with the Star Theater Home Planetarium. The battery-run mini-planetarium projects stars and constellations onto your ceiling and walls. Kids can have fun creating their own meteors and comets with a hand-held ``meteor maker.'' The kit comes with a CD, which provides an audio tour identifying the objects projected, and a Discovery Channel space DVD for inspiration. $30. The Discovery Channel Store. [phone]. www.discovery.com.

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(1 -- color) Grow a Lorax garden

(2 -- color) Allowance Bank

(3 -- color) Star Theater Home Planetarium