Sunday, May 23, 2010

Science Kits Worth Buying For Your Children



You might have noticed, that I don't often use boxed science kits for our experiments. Mainly, that is because after you have worked through a few, you begin to realize you can put the same experiments together yourself, and find the science to back them, for a lot less.

But, there are times, when it is good to have everything together in one nice, neat, and organized box. This is especially true if you are just starting out with young children, and don't have all the little pieces of equipment, like magnifying glasses, test tubes, scales, magnets, and the like, that make experiments fun. However, not all science kits are created equal - some are more toy than science, like the Spa Science Kit by Scientific Explorer. While others, like the kits from The Young Scientists Club, are excellent teaching tools.

We have not worked through all of The Young Scientists Club kits, only about half of them. We had a move, that prompted us to interrupt our subscription, and we just never got around to going back to it, but they are excellent kits for younger children, ages 5 and up. They come by mail, either once, or twice a month, whichever you decide, and each contains several experiments around a particular theme such as measurements, electricity, fungi, etc. You can read all about them, see samples, and a list of themes, on their website (by clicking the link above).

Each kit contains everything needed for the experiments, except for a few household items. And, what is really nice, is that there is a list of the household items included, that will be needed for the next kit. So, if you don't have bendy straws, or paper clips on hand, you can pick them up ahead of time.

There is also a booklet, laid out like a scientific notebook, for the children to read through, and fill in, as they work through their experiments. And, there is a separate sheet for parents, filling in extra detail.

I really can't sing the praises of these kits high enough (and, this is just an honest recommendation, they didn't ask for my praise, and aren't giving me anything for it). Children love to get things in the mail. And, my children, loved doing the experiments in these kits. They cost around $15 a piece, by the time you add in shipping, which is pretty reasonable, as far as kits go. And, they provide you with a number of science supplies, that can be saved, and reused, for your own experiments.

I'm linking this post in with the Science Sunday link-up, at Adventures in Mommydom, where you can find more fun with science.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

5 comments:

Debbie said...

Thank you for the information. I am bookmarking that site for future reference.

Ticia said...

I'll ditto Debbie's comment. I'm bookmarking this for future reference. It looks super intriguing.

Unknown said...

I have used these kits before, and yes they are awesome. Our museum here in Michigan sells them. Thanks for reminding me about them.

Unknown said...

Oh, I love this!

Natalie PlanetSmarty said...

Thank you for this - this site looks very intriguing. So far I've been spending firm against any science kits because of Anna's tender age. When she is 5+, I want to revisit that science kit program. I am adding them to my evernote for future reference.