STEM gifts are popular right now. I know, because my son received 6 different science kits for his fifth birthday. I was happy, because he has enough toys and experimenting with science would be a new adventure. Over the last several weeks, we tried two of the science kits. It appears the go to place for science kits is Amazon. Both gifts, My First Science Kit and the National Geographic Amazing Chemistry Kit are both “Amazon’s Choice” recommended.
This was the first time my son and I sat down to do a science experiment. My son had a blast. Seeing him have fun, made me have fun.
The materials came neatly packed. The experiments were simple and easy to follow. My son’s favorite experiments involved chemical reactions that would fizz – it is amazing how much fun you can have with baking soda and vinegar. My son was also intrigued by the making perfume experiment – it was a bit silly to me, but he was so curious about it. Just an FYI, you can expect a mess when you do the experiments.
My First Science Kit comes with two booklets. The first booklet contains numerous experiments. The booklet makes use of all the products in the science kit. But, you will need some additional household items like water and oil.
The second booklet is a “bonus,” containing 50 additional experiments. We never got to this book. Just a heads up, it appears that most of the experiments in the bonus booklet require you to use additional household items or purchase additional items, e.g., balloon, tape, coffee mug, etc.
Let me reiterate, the experiments were very simple and fun. This product had a 4.6-star rating, from 1730 ratings. Pretty good. Some of the more negative reviews had to do with issues related to the product being damaged on arrival. Others complained that the kit was too basic for the price.
This product will DEFINTELY make a great gift. Also, if you want spend one to two hours of quality time with your child introducing him or her to science, this does the job – this was a really good bonding activity.
Don’t expect your child to be the next Marie Curie or Isaac Newton. But after using the kit, it is likely your child will ask “when can we do science again.”
The directions were simple enough, but the explanations about the experiments were hard for a 5-year-old to understand. In fairness, the age range for this set is 8 years and up. For a younger child, they will enjoy the process and have fun. My son had fun doing the experiments. And, yes, the experiments are messy.
Again, my son was captivated with the chemical reactions that cause fizz – carbon dioxide is a big deal to kids. Making a glow in the dark test tube was also a huge hit. One of the best learning lessons, was my son understanding, through trial and error, that he had to be precise with his measurements to succeed.
Negative Amazon reviews complained the experiments were repetitive and too messy. I acknowledge this, but my son didn’t seem to care.
One of the biggest sources of negative reviews, was the advertising on the box. The box does state there are “45 easy experiments.” While that is true, be aware that there are 15 experiments contained in the first instructional booklet that you can do with the materials that come in the box. There is a second booklet that has 30 additional experiments. However, these experiments require other household items/goods or products you will need to go out and buy. For instance, the “[b]ounce an egg” experiment requires you to get an egg, white vinegar, and a bowl – none of which come with kit.
If you want to introduce science to your child this is a good product. It is the process of sitting and doing an activity together that is amazing. However, I would save this kit for children who are 8 years and older.