Pathfinders is dedicated to creating compelling, innovative, wooden science kits that challenge children of all ages to explore the link between science, design and technology in the world around us. We create quality wooden kits, which take some time to make, and improve the skills of kids, and provide a place for children and parents to spend time together in a common purpose. We do not make toys that are plastic and can snap together in a few minutes (the world is full of those!).

Our new Leonardo da Vinci Catapult is the best hurling kit out there, so if you like Leonardo inventions, this one is for you! It provides a nice contrast to the torsion medieval catapult we think! This was our first Leonardo kit, and we now have three great working kits originally designed by da Vinci, an Ornithopter (available at toy stores now) -and the Aerial Screw - available in February!

The Mini Hydraulics Kits are popular with teachers doing simple machines units or fluid studies. Pathfinders has some new products! We have a Class Pack (for teachers) to make hydraulic machines, a pteranodon automaton and 3 cool bridges!- A Strauss Heel Trunnion bridge, a Swing Bridge, and a Lift Bridge We will be updating our web site in the next few weeks and they will then be available to buy here - or ask for them wherever Pathfinders products are sold.

	Cool Science Kits. Pathfinders designs and manufactures a wide range of science kits for educational and recreational use. Browse the collection...

	Classes:We aren't offering any formal classes right now but we have a class pack so you can have your students make their own hydraulics machines! Teachers and home schoolers can contact us directly for more information

	Building a kit? The Pathfinders' Tips and Tricks page has plenty of hints to help you out...

	Interested in more? Visit the Pathfinders' Free Plans page and get ideas to build other structures while learning about science! There are also great links to sites that give you more information about the principles behind the kits! Have a look at the Trebuchet links, great for students!

Pathfinders is located in Metchosin, just outside of Victoria, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Our chief educator, Derek Wulff, teaches workshops in schools around Victoria. We are dedicated to making educational and fun wooden science (and other) toys that have no paint or coatings that will ever be recalled. Our products are untreated, natural wood, and all parts and glue meet or exceed ASTM and EN71 standards. Recently, some of our products have been copied by, (in our humble opinion), lesser quality knock-offs. If you are looking for top quality at a reasonable price, here we are! All prices on the website are in Canadian dollars, good for Canadians and even better for our American friends!

Pathfinders' News

January 2012: We will be at the Canadian Toy Show from the 29th to the 31st of January. Come by and see our two new kits, a Leonardo da Vinci Aerial Screw, and a great new Hydraulic Robotic Arm. You can find us at Booth 610.

January 2012: Trebuchets are back! Quick get one and keep the cats at bay!

Live in London (UK)? Buy the Trebuchet and Catapult at the Royal Armouries Shop. http://www.royalarmouriesshop.org/

November 2011: Live in New York City? (I bet some of you do!) The Metropolitan Museum of Art now sells the Leonardo da Vinci Ornithopter and Catapult. Don't move there just to get one, but if you are in the neighbourhood...

Back in the USA The Museum of Flight in Seattle (well, close to Seattle) now has the Ornithopter in stock.

October 2011: Pathindersdesign.net is here! www.pathfindersdesign.net We finally have our educational support site up and running. It has sketches of hydraulic machine ideas, videos of all sorts of machines working, bridges, and pictures of our kits and information about them. Plus a short blog about some of the things we are doing these days.

October 2011:The New Leonardo Ornithopter is here!. This is our second working Leonardo model and is inspired by the drawings done by da Vinci in the late 1400s. And it comes with a cool pilot that actually does the work for you (if you turn the crankshaft). We hope to have it up on our web site for sale soon!

October 2011: The new Leonardo da Vinci Aerial Screw is only a few months away, go out and get a helmet!

April 2011:Pathfinders has joined 1% for the Planet. We will be donating 1% of our sales to protecting the place where we live. We use natural untreated wood in our kits and want to help continue to make our products sustainable and recyclable.

Spring 2011: Free shipping for orders over $60! Call us crazy, but we want you and your kids to enjoy a variety of cool educational building kits at a great price. We will remove the shipping costs when we process your order and send you an emaill letting you know it has been done.

Looking to sell kits? send us an email and we'll connect you with a distributer in your area.

Looking for kits? Our kits are sold in local toy and science shops and museums around the world, or for canada and the US order on our secure online store right here.

September 2007 The Pathfinders Trebuchet was recently rated with three stars, the highest rating for a toy in Canada! The Canadian Toy Testing Council recently awarded our Trebuchet this honour after testing it earlier this summer. We can't think of a more compelling toy anyway, but now we have the stamp of a champ!

May 2008 The Pathfinders Siege Tower with catapult, and the new Mini Hydraulics Machines are now here! You can buy them here or contact your favourite toy or science store to get them!.

May 2008 The Pathfinders Flying Pig, and Running Horse automata are also available! You can buy them here or contact your favourite toy or science store to get them!. Noted Co.distributes them in the USA and Europe

Fall 2008 The Pathfinders Siege Tower with Catapult, is the most amazing siege tower available on the planet. It has a working drawbridge, removable ladders and a catapult in the top that really works (special medieval technology). If you have Lego toys, or the 1:18 scale knight figures, you have to have this model!