Planet Rollers: Introducing 9 New STEM Toys from Uncle Goose

Your Uncle Goose is introducing 8 new toys that are out of this world — plus one new toy that’s decidedly down to Earth. Take a gander at our latest line-up of STEM toys and gifts for 2020 and beyond: Rollers!

What are Rollers? In a phrase, they’re push toys. We re-imagined the 8 planets -- plus the dwarf planet Pluto -- as personality-packed push toys.

Planet Rollers are 100% Made in the USA from hard maple. They're 5 x 5 inches on 1.5 inch wheels. Every individual Planet Roller comes in its own muslin storage bag with a draw string. 

You can push each Planet Roller around in orbits. Assign them different personalities. Create stories and adventures with Planet Rollers as they move around your space.

But, wait. Do planets have personalities? You bet they do!

As you play with your planets, get to know their moods. Throughout the millennia, people made up adjectives to describe planet personalities.

Mercury, for example, is mercurial. This means the planet Mercury is clever, lively, and quick. People noticed how fast Mercury speeds around the night sky — and how at certain points, it even seems to go in the opposite direction. That’s Mercury for you: fast-moving and nimble.

From Saturn, we get the word saturnine. Saturn is gloomy and grumpy. Ancient people could see Saturn with the naked eye: but it's far away from the sun and Earth. Saturn seemed chilly, distant, and aloof. That's how Saturn became the sour puss at the planet party.

Throughout the centuries, other planets have also earned reputations. People have assigned personality quirks to each of the planets. Here’s a run down of some of the most pervasive planet personalities.

1. Mercury is Mercurial: Clever, Lively, and Quick
   
   
2. Venus is Lovely: Beautiful and Delightful
   
   
3. Earth is Motherly: Grounded and Comforting
   
   
4. Mars is Brave (but something of a Hothead)
   
   
5. Jupiter is a Big Shot: Abundant and Generous
   
   
6. Saturn is Saturnine: Gloomy, Grumpy, and Scowling
   
   
7. Uranus is a Free Spirit: a Radical Who Challenges Authority
   
   
8. Neptune is Way Out There: The Original Trippy Hippy
   
   
9. Pluto is Adorable: Small Yet Mighty and Thoughtful

Of course, you need to exercise your imagination to assign personalities to the planets. That’s what the ancient Greeks and Romans did. Many of the stories you see in the theater and films are based on stories the ancient Greeks made up to explain planetary and celestial behavior.

How will you use your imagination to come up with your own stories about the planets and their behaviors? Let all 9 Uncle Goose Planet Rollers inspire your imagination.

And when you’re done playing, your Planet Rollers can serve as conversation-worthy decor. In your next Zoom meeting, someone may even ask you “hey, what’s that in your background?”

You might truthfully say, “Why, that’s Uranus!” with a big grin on your face. 

Have fun playing with the new Planet Blocks from Uncle Goose! Collect all nine starting on September 30, 2020.