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Looking for a gift that won't be tossed aside a few days after the holidays? These affordable and educational boxes are the perfect option! Some of the included links are affiliate links. This won't cost you anything, but it will help me to purchase more of these products in the future.
I am a chemistry teacher, science enthusiast, and mom to three curious kids. I was a virtual chemistry teacher through the pandemic, with two toddlers playing with molecular model kits at my feet. My now 5 year old loves learning about "mol-e-cools," and his sisters love anything that he's into. The messier, the better!
Needless to say, we are all about science in our house. Over the past year, we've tried every science kit on the market, and I want to share our favorites.
What do I look for in a science kit? Science should be exciting. I'm a fan of the wow factor, and sometimes, attaining that involves making a mess. Don't like messes? I get it. I'll include the mess level with each review because the amount of time you spend on set-up and clean-up might determine which kit you want covering your kitchen table. Connecting to that is the amount of parent involvement required. An independent activity for quiet time is very different from a full blown chemistry lab.
Most Fun: Steve Spangler Science
String Slime Goo Kit
Suggested Age: 4+
Cost: $32.99
Includes: Lesson cards and materials for several experiments
We have had so much fun with this kit! The box includes 4 separate experiments, all of which can be performed multiple times. Perfect for when the little sisters want to join in.
Mixing mysterious liquids to form long, worm-like polymer strands definitely checks the "wow factor" box. But, this can also get messy. The kit comes with cups for the various liquids, along with syringes. As long as nothing gets knocked over, the mess is fairly contained though. Once my son saw the process, he was able to complete the experiment independently. And with fairly safe materials, I felt comfortable with my daughters jumping in and experimenting too.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Best Variety: KiwiCo
Paleonotologist Kit & Marine Biologist Kit
Suggested Age: 6+
Cost: $29.95+
Includes: Illustrated instructions with all materials for 2-3 activities
My son received these crates for his 5th birthday. He was eager to start working through them, and thankfully, each crate contained enough materials to complete the activities multiple times. He constructed a skeleton, excavated fossils, made impressions, crafted a heat sensitive coral reef, and learned a lot of biology in the process!
These kits make the perfect gift and can be completed as singular activities. (The subscription doesn't necessarily build on previous boxes, which is nice for a one-time purchase). The kits we tried were focused more on building processes than experiments, but they still had the wow factor for my son. They were pretty messy, but we just used baking trays to try to keep the dust contained. As a new 5 year old who wasn't reading yet, he needed a good amount of assistance with these kits.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Most Exciting: MEL Science
But will it burn? Kit
Suggested Age: 10+
Cost: < $40 (Ranges from $29-39, depending on length of subscription)
Includes: Lesson cards and materials for 2 separate experiments
As a chemist and slight pyro, I was excited to try this one out. (Note: this one was purely for my enjoyment, though I did make sure the kids got to watch the reactions too). The box contained two quick experiments, along with relevant background on the chemistry involved.
This kit was well designed, and I am eager to try one of their kits designed for younger kids.
Overall Rating: 5/5
Widest Age Range: CrunchLabs
Disc Launcher Build Box
Suggested Age: 8+
Cost: <$30/ box
Included: Instruction booklet, video instructions, materials to build a working toy
I was beyond impressed with this kit. My son constructed the disc launcher independently, went through 2 test runs, and then spent the rest of the day perfecting his disc launching technique. I was impressed with the power of the little motor as I watched the discs fly across our yard.
Overall rating: 10/5!
Best Curriculum: Home Science Tools
Blast Off! Kit
Suggested Age: K-2
Cost: $44.99
Includes: Teacher handbook, student workbook, and materials for 5 separate lessons
This was the most hefty kit, with handbooks for both the teacher and student. The box is filled with supplies for the various lessons and includes plenty of extra materials. My son enjoyed having his own safety goggles, but the straps did pop off after a few wears.
This is intended as a homeschool curriculum. As a teacher, I love that everything is planned out for me. This kit does require more assistance than the others, so I intend to work through it on weekends or during holiday breaks. I think Home Science Tools does a great job of making the lessons relevant and engaging, and I'll definitely try more of their kits in the future.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 (this is solely based on the quality of materials. We had a few issues with our experiments, but we just swapped out the included materials with household items and still enjoyed the activities).
Struggling to choose between these 5 awesome options? Me too. I'm tempted to send a BuildBox Subscription to my nearly 30 year old brother. My nieces and nephews will be getting slimy with the String Slime Goo Kit from Steve Spangler. My friends who are homeschooling now know about and are using Home Science Tools. And MEL Science will be what I send myself this Christmas.
To be honest, you can't go wrong with any of these! Have questions on our experiences? Have suggestions for other kits we should review? I'd love to read and respond to your comments!
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