Top positive review
656 people found this helpful
Excellent science starter kit
By Z Hayes on Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2010
I got this kit for my 5-year-old daughter who loves doing little experiments and I decided to try this kit out. It comes with a set of items that facilitate a range of relatively easy and fun experiments. The kit contains: red cabbage juice powder, citric acid, baking soda, color tablets, cross-linked polyacrylamide crystals, vegetable oil, corn starch, 2 sheets of goldenrod paper, 2 cotton swabs, 3 test tubes and caps, 3 clear plastic cups, 1 pipette (in the form of an eye dropper), 2 stir sticks, 1 small plastic scoop, and 1 medium plastic scoop. The experiments also call for some basic and easy-to-find household items such as water, baking flour, plate/tray, tape, red and blue pens, grape juice, coffee filter paper, etc. An older child may be able to conduct these experiments by him/herself though I feel adult supervision is necessary (it is also recommended by the manufacturer). I had to help my daughter with some parts of the experiments, especially those involving the use of citric acid. The experiments included here are: Dancing Powders Color changing liquids Acid or Base? - involves testing some safe household liquids to determine if they are acids or bases. Colorful Jiggle Crystals - we had so much fun with these! It does require patience as it takes up to 2 hours for the crystals to absorb the water and form into soft crystals. Test tube sunset Giant Jiggly Crystals Color Changing Volcano - this was awesome! We started on a modest scale making a small volcano, then I adapted the recipe and made a bigger one with bigger fizzy effects, to my preschooler's delight! Underwater Volcano Color Changing Paper Color Changing Grapes Magic Ooze Mix Colors with your eyes - mixing colors without them touching each other. Each experiment comes with detailed step by step instructions, and also a segment titled "Mind Blowing Science Secrets" which I found quite educational. Final verdict - this is an excellent beginner science kit that will motivate young children and enhance their interest in science. The experiments are easy to produce and great fun - definitely worth the money!
Top critical review
6 people found this helpful
Not busy-parent-friendly
By Joel and Heather on Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2018
Just wanted to warn any parent with lots of little kids under foot, I got this last Christmas and the instructions are so crammed and poorly laid-out, it was hard to decipher. I typically have a one-hour shot at doing something with my oldest child each day before the twins and baby are up from naps, and it rarely worked out because I couldn't grab the kit and quickly put an experiment together. I wish the design of the instructions was more like Klutz press. The few experiments we did manage to do were a huge hit, but the booklet that comes with it needs an overhaul. Try one experiment per spread, predictable sections like "what you need", "set up", and simple steps that are easy to follow visually while in the midst of an explosion of lab materials. It should stay open to the right page easily and not keep folding up, and the experiments should be clearly labeled with photos so that if the child sees something fun on the box, it is easy to locate and do. She kept asking about some rainbow on the box and I couldn't even locate it in the directions. There's my earful for you!
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