tocking a science center gift shop may be as scientific an endeavor as defining the exhibits themselves. Souvenirs, Gifts, and Novelties magazine spoke with four store managers at science center across the country to discover their formulas for success.

A look through the display window at Boston’s Museum of Science gift store. Photo by Eric Workman, Museum of Science.

The Launch Pad Science Store is the gift shop adjunct for Santa Ana’s Discovery Science Center. The shop features up to 1,500 different fun, scientific and popular items for toddlers to adults in all price ranges. Purchases support the Discovery Science Center’s educational programs so parents have the satisfaction of knowing that the item they buy to “extend their visit” also helps the science center’s mission. Patrons who hold annual memberships to the center also receive 10 percent discounts on Launch Pad purchases.

Cathy Frazier, retail manager at the Launch Pad, said the store keeps a lot of “science favorites in stock like astronaut ice cream, dig into fossils, glow in the dark stars, rock candy that looks just like real rocks, noise putty, pig catapult, handblasters, magnetic shapes, books and toddler toys.

When it comes to trends, Frazier commented that kids continue their enduring love affair with “all things dinosaur.” “Dinosaurs are always big and that will continue,” remarked Frazier. “Pirates are also huge. I see so many catalogs showcasing pirate-themed merchandise. According to Frazier, plush sales are holding steady with book sales, possibly because it gives even the littlest scientists something to hold and see while the parents reads the story. But, Frazier said traditional plush isn’t the end of the story. “Soft everything is really in. Not only in stuffed animals but in science kits, impulse items and games. The softer the better!”

The dramatic exterior of the Santa Ana’s Discovery Science Center’s gift shop in California.

Frazier is always on the look out for more educational games, toys, plush, impulse items and souvenirs. She continually adds items that complement the center’s educational programs and tie-in with the California Science Content Standards. A savvy shopper, Frazier visits local discount stores like Target and Wal-Mart to see what they are selling.

“I won’t compete with the mega-retailers. I check out their inventory so that we don’t overlap or get undersold,” she said.

Current and future science center exhibits drive the store decor and impulse items. Upcoming exhibits include Sesame Street Presents: The Body, BubbleFest and a pirate exhibit, which is still in the naming stages. In the coming months, the store will be filled with Sesame Street finger puppets, bubble toys, pirate hats, eye patches, and more. Educational items will include books and science kits or games related to the human body (for the Sesame Street exhibit) and various topics related to pirates such as navigating the night sky, artificial body parts (springboarding off the classic pirate with the wooden leg,) geology and gems (treasure,) and exotic birds.

The Launch Pad Science Store at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, Calif. The shop features up to 1,500 different items for all ages in all price ranges.

As for more generic items, Scoggins said school kids want sweets and “whatever they can get for the $5 mom gave them.” “Right now, magnetic rocks (magnetized hematite) are a big seller,” noted Scoggins. She expected that trend to continue. During the holidays, Scoggins stocked a few more higher-end products than usual for gift giving to adults interested in science and scientific things.

Continuing the “body theme” but with a very unique twist is Pacific Science Center. On January 27, the center will host “Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body.” Visitors are invited to come and discover the delightfully disgusting world of the human body to get answers to the questions that everyone is too embarrassed to ask. Exhibit experiences include becoming a dust particle to explore inside a giant nose, finding out what causes acid indigestion by putting a "Burp Machine" to work, and examining blisters, scabs and more while climbing a large-scale replica of human skin. Store manager Philip Pickens planned to stock educational and fun toys for this exhibit. Toys, that like the exhibit, may be smelly, sticky, slimy, and icky.

In general, educational and fun seem to be Pickens’ two main guiding principles. “Items have to be fun, yet something kids can learn from,” Pickens said. “Customers tell us they are looking for toys that will have an emotional remembrance, not something that they will, in a short time, forget why they bought it.” Pickens says parents prefer to spend their money on something educational with an element of interactivity like a science or experiment kit.

An exterior view of California’s Discovery Science Center, where purchases at The Launch Pad Science Store support the institution’s educational programs.

The California Academy of Science is currently highlighting new information on an old favorite with its Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries exhibit. The exhibit shatters many preconceived notions by presenting some of the most recent dino discoveries in the fields of paleontology, biomechanical engineering, and paleobotany. It includes a stunning 60-foot-long model of an Apatosaurus skeleton, based on new drawings produced by DinoMorph software, a full-size cast skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex, and a robotic six-foot-long mechanical T. rex skeleton walking in place that is the most accurate three-dimensional representation of a dinosaur in motion ever created.

Academy Store supervisor Robby Howell said that while the shop always stocks educational gifts and souvenirs, many of the items currently dovetail into the dinosaur theme. The Academy Store offers an outstanding selection of merchandise that reflects the mission and spirit of the Academy. Popular items include jewelry, books, plush and games. A 10 percent discount on purchases by members spurs both purchasing and memberships. All proceeds support the research and educational programs of the Academy.