pipe cleaner babies

My biology kids have an engaging lab today where we did a genetics lab.  They got to play the role of parents and had four pipe cleaner babies.  I think it really got the idea across of genetics for independent assortment, alleles, chromosomes, and more.  I had several comments from kids saying they liked it because they were so involved and hands on.  It was such a simple lab with simple materials, but they were asking questions, talking about it, doing calculations from it, collablorating, etc.  They were funny to listen to as they talked about their "kids."  I hope they dont get their parents upset when they tell them about what they did in school : )  I will deifinitely use this lab again.