play set: The Magic School Bus Engineering Lab

"The Magic School Bus" was an educational animated television series aimed at kids ages 5 and up, based on the best-selling series of books from Scholastic, Inc. which first appeared in 1985. The television series and a set of eductional software were released in 1994, when Scholastic Entertainment's president Deborah Forte sought to "help kids learn about science in a fun way." Forte had heard concerns from teachers and parents about how to improve science education for girls and minorities. And Miss Frizzle, the animated magic school teacher, was the closest approximation to an expert female host in a field dominated by male experts in science television. Science-themed play sets, such as this Engineering Lab set, were soon to follow.