Exploring Sound Waves with a MEL Science STEM Kit

We recently explored the science of sound waves with a MEL Science STEM kit. My kids built a music box on their own with supplies from the kit. They also learned about vibration and sound waves with a lesson on the free MEL STEM app. They definitely learned a lot and enjoyed the activities in their STEM kit. Then we extended our learning with one of my favorite easy sound wave investigations. 

MEL Science offers monthly subscription box STEM kits for kids. The kits come with everything kids need to complete a STEM project. My children loved doing the activities and made some great science connections and discoveries.

This post contains affiliate links meaning I receive a small commission from purchases made from these links at no additional cost to you. Please see disclosures for more information.

Find out what we thought about our MEL STEM kit below. I've included a discount promo code so that you can try out MEL Science too! 

You will also find out how you can teach about sound waves at home or school, whether you have a subscription STEM service or not. 

Exploring Sound Waves with MEL Science

We were excited to dive into our MEL Science STEM kit. The box came with everything necessary to complete the project, including some extension activities and access to digital resources. 

Our box, "Sound Waves" is part of the MEL STEM subscription box line. This subscription is designed for kids ages 5 and up. It was perfect for two of my children, ages 5 and 8. 

We really liked that the instruction booklet included a story. As the kids built their music box, the story played out. It was an engaging way to connect with the science concepts in a kid friendly way.

By taking turns the kids were able to work together independently to complete their task with very little arguing! They are familiar with LEGO and the instruction booklet is laid out in a similar way to a LEGO kit. Each page had a diagram for a single step and the materials needed to accomplish it. 

Want to try a MEL Science STEM kit, too? Take 50% off your first box with our exclusive promo code: SHAREITSCIENCE Click here to get started.

Building a Music Box

The music box activity was a great way to connect the concept that vibrations make sound to a real life scenario. The kids were able to create their own songs by moving around the pieces that would make the hammers strike. 

In the finished product we wished the hammers hit the bars more accurately and firmly so the sound was louder and more consistent. However, this did give us the opportunity to think like engineers and discuss how we might redesign that one element to make it better. 

Augmented Reality Sound Wave Lesson

In addition to the hands-on STEM project, we had access through the free MEL STEM app to a short science lesson on sound waves. We watched our interactive lesson using Augmented Reality (AR). The kids really got a kick out of seeing the animations sitting right on our kitchen table. We liked the characters and kid-friendly explanations.

While building my kids connected the concepts from the AR science lesson to their build. They recognized that the different sized bars would make either low or high sounds based on how fast they were vibrating.

MEL Science Perks

The instruction booklet offered several ideas for extension activities. With some adult assistance, kids can get a lot more out of their MEL Science STEM kit. 

MEL Science also offers subscription plans and bulk prices for schools and other groups. You can learn more about school and bulk ordering here.

Want to try a MEL Science STEM kit? Take 50% off your first box with our exclusive promo code: SHAREITSCIENCE Click here to get started.

 

We Recommend MEL Science STEM Kits

We really enjoyed our MEL Science STEM Kit. I asked my kids what they liked best about it compared to other subscription box kits we've used before and they said they liked that there was an illustrated story in the instruction book. I agree that the story was a fun way for the kids to engage with the project. 

I liked that my kids could easily work together to build something that they could use again later. Through the sound waves augmented reality science lesson on the free app they connected with science concepts in a fun and accessible way. The MEL Science Sound Waves box inspired some curiosity and a desire to continue to explore and play with the concept of sound waves. 

We would highly recommend MEL Science to other families and students who enjoy hands-on building projects!

If you'd like to learn more about MEL Science kits, check out our review of the Heat Transfer physics science kit.

Dancing Salt: A Sound Waves Experiment

We played around with the concept of sound waves some more. Here is a little experiment I have used in the traditional science classroom. 

For this sound waves experiment you will need:

• A speaker or device that can produce loud sounds
• An empty plastic container, like a yogurt tub
• Salt, sugar, confetti (something small and light weight)
• Plastic wrap or aluminum foil
• Rubber band

Put some plastic wrap or foil over the opening of the recycled container. Set the container on or very close to your speaker. Sprinkle just a bit of salt, or something small and light weight on top of the plastic. Start your speaker at low volume and slowly increase. 

What happens? Can you make the salt dance? What happens when you change the type of music? How does the vibration of high notes and low notes differ? Do you notice any patterns or interesting motion as you experiment with volume and music type?

Here is just a short clip of our experiment. In this clip we are using a microphone that is attached to the speaker.

Try it! 

10 FREE Online Science, STEM, STEAM Classes for Kids- September and October 2024

If you are looking for a little something extra for your kids in the science, STEM, and STEAM department, then this post is for you! I've rounded up 10 different online classes that your child can try for FREE this fall. 

Science inspired book clubs, princess and wizard STEM, dinosaurs, biology, current scientific research and more! 

Use my code: MSSARAH2020 for a $20 credit you can use towards any class on Outschool. (New enrollments only.) Each of the classes I've listed in this post are $20 or under. Use your credit to try a class for FREE! 

STEM, STEAM and Science Fantasy Fun!

Who says you can't mix in a little fiction with your science? Check out these magical classes: 

Science is Magic: STEM Alchemy for Young Witches and Wizards

In this class for ages 7-10 kids will complete fun STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) projects through scientific spells, potions and alchemy! Learn more here.

Zoey & Sassafras: A Hands-On STEAM and Book Club Experience 

This class/book club combines reading comprehension with STEM and STEAM projects for ages 6-9. Learn more here.

We love the Zoey and Sassafras books! A great combination of fantasy and science for young readers. 

(Learn more about this book series in these blog posts: Design an Insect Investigation with Zoey and Sassafras: NGSS Linked Activity and this one, perfect for fall: Monsters and Mold: An Apple Experiment)

Princess STEM Club- A Magical Hands-On STEM/STEAM Club with a Princess

Hands-on STEM projects with a princess!! For ages 4-9. Learn more here. 

STEM-ology (a Hands-On Exploration of Mythology and Fantasy + STEAM challenges) 

Hands-on STEM and STEAM projects through storytelling for ages 7-11. Learn more here. 

Use my code: MSSARAH2020 for a $20 credit you can use towards any class on Outschool. (New enrollments only.) Each of the classes I've listed in this post are $20 or under. Use your credit to try a class for FREE! 

Classes for Kids Wild About Animals and Dinos

Junior Paleontologists: Dinosaur Collectors' Club (STEM Science for Dino Lovers) 

Students travel back in time to learn about dinosaurs and fill in their dinosaur field guide along the way. For ages 4-8. Learn more here. 

Ocean Animal Inspector Club: Show and Social 

Investigate a new ocean animal each week in this science and art class for ages 4-9. Learn more here. 

Use my code: MSSARAH2020 for a $20 credit you can use towards any class on Outschool. (New enrollments only.) Each of the classes I've listed in this post are $20 or under. Use your credit to try a class for FREE! 

Free Online Science Classes

Maybe you're looking for a science curriculum. Check out these Hands-On Science courses. 
Hands-On Science 4/5! for ages 8-11, or Hands-On Science 6/7! for ages 10-13. 

In Biology for Beginners: Life Science for Curious Learners students learn the basics of life science, including classification and observation skills, etc. For ages 7-10. Learn more here. 

Build the Human Body with Clay- Learn Anatomy, Biology and Life Science 

Learn about the human body by building models with play dough for ages 6-11. Learn more here. 

Science Journal Club: Let's Discuss Current Research Articles Like Scientists! 

What an awesome opportunity to think like a scientist! In this class for ages 10-13 students discuss current scientific research in articles adapted for kids. Learn more here. 

Use my code: MSSARAH2020 for a $20 credit you can use towards any class on Outschool. (New enrollments only.) Each of the classes I've listed in this post are $20 or under. Use your credit to try a class for FREE! 

Funding for Online Science Classes

Be sure to use the code: MSSARAH2020 when you checkout on Outschool to redeem your $20 credit. This code is only valid for students who have not enrolled in an Outschool class before. If you did not see something you liked in this post, there are so many other courses available! The $20 credit will work towards any class, in any subject.  

If you are in search of additional funding for Outschool online classes, and live in Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Indiana or New Hampshire you can use your ESA funds through Classwallet for Outschool Classes. You'll find more information here. 

Summer Olympics: Science, STEM and STEAM Activities

The summer Olympic games are about to begin in Paris, France and we are so excited. The games teach us so many life lessons: perseverance, camaraderie, grit, trust, hope, sportsmanship, honesty, compassion...etc.

Olympic sports can also teach us some really cool science! In this post I've piled together some fun ideas for Olympic science, STEM and STEAM activities. Perfect for home, camp or summer school while you wait for your favorite summer Olympic sport to compete. 

Olympic Games Science Activities 

First things first, let's light the Olympic torch! Check out this cool static electricity Olympic flame experiment. 

Try this Olympic flame spin on the popular "fireworks in a jar" science activity. 

Experiment with the physics of spinning and reaction time here. 

Learn how to experiment with and build a shot put catapult here. 

You will find a ton of Olympic sports science activities and experiments from Science Sparks here. From javelin throwing to rock climbing, some super projects to keep the kids busy.

Ibex73, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

STEM Activities for the Summer Olympics

This a great article highlighting three approaches to bringing the summer Olympics into your STEM curriculum. 

You'll find a series of videos highlighting engineering in the summer Olympic sports from the National Science Foundation here. 

Here are 10 excellent summer Olympics STEM challenges here. Hours of building and experimenting fun organized for different learning levels. 

Which turf is best for playing certain sports? How does your heart rate compare to an Olympian's? Answer these questions and more with the sports STEM activities here.  

Tons of STEM challenge ideas organized by sport. 

Summer Olympic Inspired STEAM Activities

Get drawing, designing and flex that creativity with these fun and free Olympic game inspired STEAM activities. 

Build an Olympic torch with circuits! 

Use this post to help you build the Olympic rings out of LEGO, or take it a step further and create your own design for an Olympic logo out of your bricks. 

I hope you are inspired to learn while you enjoy your favorite sports! Let the games begin!

STEAM Summer: Online Camps and DIY Activities for Summer Vacation

School is out! Do you have kids at home this summer? Maybe you will be teaching at a STEAM summer camp. I know that you will be eager for activities that minimize screen time and maximize creative thinking and some ingenuity. Even better if those activities are affordable, planned out and don't need a bunch of crazy materials. Good news, we have got you covered with tons of STEAM activities, online STEAM and science camps, and even a STEAM inspired summer survival freebie! 

Get ready for a fun and engaging summer of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math!

This post contains affiliate links meaning I receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. See disclosures for more information.

Online STEAM Camps

I'm over the moon excited to be offering 2 online STEAM and science summer camps on Outschool this summer. They are designed to teach kids fun activities that they can do independently outside of brief, live online sessions. You can see all of my Outschool science and STEAM class listings in addition to coupon codes here.

Nature Art, Science and Engineering

In Nature Art Camp: Art, Science, and Engineering Fun! kids aged 8-12 will will tap into their love of nature and inner artist. In this three-day camp, students will be inspired to engineer and build rock sculptures, experiment to make their own nature watercolors and natural paintbrushes, explore well-known nature artists and create their own nature journals. 

New students can try any course or camp on Outschool, not only mine, for $20 off by using my referral code: MSSARAH2020.

Any student can save $10 on either of my camps with coupon code SARAHCAMP10 until Aug 31, 2024. Get started here and enter the coupon code at checkout.

Spy Science for Kids!

In Spies and CSI's in Training: Science Camp kids aged 7-11 will discover 2 different kid-safe techniques for making and revealing invisible secret messages, as well as the science behind them. They will learn methods for creating codes and ciphers. Learners will find out all about fingerprints and learn an easy way to take a fingerprint (without ink!) to create their own fingerprint database. 

New students can try any course or camp on Outschool, not only mine, for $20 off by using my referral code: MSSARAH2020

Any student can save $10 on either of my camps with coupon code SARAHCAMP10 until Aug 31, 2024. Get started here and enter the coupon code at checkout.

Fun STEAM Activities for Summer

Summer is the perfect time to engage your kids, campers or students in some Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. These STEM and STEAM activities will get them thinking, engage them for extended periods of time and can be extended beyond the original activity. Bonus, a lot of the materials can be found around the house!

Check out these favorites:

• Design, engineer, build and cook in your own solar oven!
• Build your own"cold-blooded" creatures with temperature sensitive dough
• Monsters and Mold food science experiment
• Make a light-up firefly life-cycle diagram with paper circuitry
• Create some sculptures out of nature with these engineering challenges
• Design and build a seed model- more nature inspired engineering!
• Create your own insect investigation
• Build your own zoetrope and create some animation
• Make your own light-up board game

The Ultimate STEAM Summer Survival Guide Freebie

Check out this freebie from Green Kid Crafts: The Ultimate STEAM Summer Survival Guide. There are some super ideas for engaging summer fun in this 11-page guide. 

If you are looking for fun STEAM activities sent right to your mailbox, check out a subscription to Green Kid Crafts this summer. 

The first box of the summer is an awesome dive into electricity: What is electricity? What's a circuit? Ohm’s Law? Kids will find the answers as they build an electric propeller car, learn how motors work, engineer their own fiber optic lights, connect circuits and build their own food powered clock! Use code SUMMER15 at checkout to get 15% off any monthly plan.

DIY STEAM Camp Ideas for Home or Traditional Camp 

If you want to create your own STEAM camp experience at home, or try some new ideas for a camp you are working with this summer, look no further. 

We are big fans of the STEAM Kids books, and love this Camp STEAM digital resource for 5 days of STEAM activities for kids ages 4-10. It's all planned out for you, easy peasy!

These are also great free resources for summer STEM and STEAM activities! 

Check out a great collection of summer STEM activities here. 

Fun ideas for DIY STEM at this link. 

Another plan for STEAM summer camp.

STEM activities from Backyard Summer Camp.

STEM activities for summer camps.

K-12 Enrichment Company Brains & Motion Education (BAM!) Launches Today

I'm excited to have Brains and Motion Education (BAM!) as a guest blogger. Read on to learn about the new STEM, arts, and sports enrichment after-school and summer camp programs they are offering nationwide. 

After-School and Summer STEM, Arts and Sports Programs

Today marks the launch of enrichment provider Brains & Motion Education (BAM!), a tech-enabled company unlocking the potential of students year-round through after-school, structured recess, and summer camp with STEM, arts, and sports programs. As the only nationwide provider with a focus on whole-child development, BAM! aims to stimulate young minds while keeping growing bodies joyfully active. 

This post contains affiliate links meaning I receive a commission from purchases made from these links. Please see disclosures for more information.

 

In an ideal world, formal education inspires students and prepares them for the future in ways that build social and emotional skills, confidence, and subject matter expertise through a wide variety of hands-on, project-based activities. In reality, too much of the formal school day is boring for students due to constraints caused by standardized testing, teacher shortages, and how difficult it is for teachers to provide differentiated instruction to large groups of students. Additionally, more than 25 million students have no place to go after school and lack access to structured opportunities to develop skills outside of the school day.

“Many schools would love to teach students how to play chess, program robots, develop computational thinking skills, create sophisticated digital artwork, become strong creative writers, and provide students with meaningful exposure to artificial intelligence systems through project-based learning,” said Bart Epstein, BAM!’s CEO. “There just isn’t enough time in the school day. These types of enrichment activities can and should be available to every student, regardless of their zip code.”

Epstein, an education industry veteran, was brought in to launch the company from the assets of an enrichment company. An entrepreneur with decades of experience, Epstein’s work has impacted over twenty million students through his leadership at companies including Tutor.com, The Jefferson Education Accelerator, The Princeton Review, ASCD, ISTE, and as the first general manager of a Department of Defense education program that supports U.S. military families worldwide. During his years as a professor at the University of Virginia School of Education, Epstein founded and ran a national nonprofit that helps schools learn how to effectively implement complex STEM programs.

Epstein credits much of his success in life to the teachers who sparked his curiosity and confidence through an after-school aviation and rocketry enrichment program. Twenty years later, he became a commercial pilot and civilian test pilot for NASA, and then an educator and entrepreneur.

The BAM! leadership team features other executives with extensive experience driving growth, scale, and successful implementations, including COO Kristopher Kasper, CMO Christina Yu, VP of Sales Lori Todd, VP of Product Jody Nova, and CFO Jennifer Thresher.

Due in part to the success of its after-school programs, BAM! has received extraordinary interest in its summer 2024 camp programs that include RoboKids, GameCraft, and MakersQuest which reflect new career exploration curriculum and new interdisciplinary STEAM programs, including animation, game design, creative writing, and machine learning.

For schools, offering high-quality enrichment that includes a mix of physical activity and inspirational hands-on learning addresses an array of challenges in an easy, practical, and cost-effective way. “Providing our families with access to enrichment activities after 3 pm and during dedicated break times throughout the academic day helps us with some of the biggest problems in education at a fraction of the cost of formal education and at a small percentage more than basic after-care,” said Lesem Puerto, Community School Partnership Manager at the Children's Institute. “Students who attend inspiring project-based enrichment programs during recess and lunch, and beyond, are more engaged during the school day. That’s something that we all love to see.”

The company currently has a presence in ten key regions - notably San Francisco, San Diego, New York, Chicago, Boston, Denver, and Seattle - and intends to scale its after-school, summer camp, and structured recess programs nationwide.



BAM! is supported by institutional investors including New Markets Venture Partners, LearnStart, Sand Hill Angels, Women’s Venture Capital Fund, JFFVentures, and Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, whose collective investments in the venture now total more than $18 million.

The company’s Board includes Gerard Robinson (former Secretary of Education in Virginia and Commissioner of Education in Florida), Juan Zavala (New Markets Venture Partners), Mark Chernis (Princeton Review, SchoolNet, Pearson), and Rob Cohen (2U, Princeton Review, Oasis).

“We believe there is strong demand for BAM!’s products and are excited to support the company in driving improved academic outcomes and equitable access to enrichment beyond the school day for students across the country”, said Juan Zavala, Principal at New Markets Venture Partners, the lead investor in BAM!. “Bart and his leadership team have deep industry expertise and experience in scaling solutions for student success. Their mission is perfectly aligned with New Markets Venture Partners’ double-bottom line investment goals.”

“In after-school and summer programs, students are given the chance to discover their strengths, explore their interests, and connect the dots between disciplines in a safe, supportive, and fun environment,” said Gerard Robinson, now professor of practice at the UVA Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and former Virginia Secretary of Education. 

 

 

STEM Learning with Makeblock's mBot Ultimate 10-in-1 Coding Robot Kit

We have been enjoying playing with our new mBot Ultimate robot from Makeblock. I was fortunate to be asked to review this product, and the kids and adults in our house have had fun building and experimenting with our first build, the "Robotic Arm Tank" robot. 

 

Makeblock creates products for STEAM education that help people turn their "ideas into reality". The mBot Ultimate 10-in-1 coding robot kit will certainly inspire teens and families who love to build and engineer to explore robotics and coding in depth. Read on to find out what we liked best about this robot building kit.

 

 

Please note: I was given this product free of charge and invited to honestly review this product and become an affiliate of Makeblock. I was not otherwise compensated to write this post. This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission from purchases made through these links, at no additional cost to you. Please see disclosures for more information.

Unboxing mBot Ultimate 10-in-1 Coding Robot

The mBot Ultimate comes with a ton of pieces and components to build 10 robots with different features. It's essentially a modern erector set with metal support pieces, motors, sensors and a circuit board. 

 

 

The box consists of 2 layers of pieces. The instruction booklet has a detailed listing of parts with illustrations. After building our first robot, I would highly recommend familiarizing yourself with all the parts prior to building. Some of the hardware is very well organized and labeled, while other parts are not. If I was going to use this in a classroom, after-school team or club setting I would be sure to either label the hardware in advance or dedicate time to allow students to identify which piece is which. 

 

The instruction manual has the directions for the Robotic Arm Tank, which is what we built, the Beverage Robot, and the Camera Dolly.  You can follow a link in the manual to directions for the other builds, however if you speak and read English you will have to translate the page to English with your web browser. In order to download further instructions you must create a free account on the site. After quite a bit of digging, we found easier access to the additional builds. You can find the instructions for the additional robots here in .pdf form. 

 

You can also find additional help and resources for the Ultimate 10-in-1 Coding Robot here.  

Building the mBot Ultimate Robot

This was not a quick build, but it resulted in a sturdy robot that my kids want to keep playing around with. I would highly recommend this kit for the teen who has a vested interest in engineering and robotics. Like any building project there is some trial and error especially when building with so many small parts. Patience and the willingness to make adjustments as you go is key! The mBot Ultimate would be perfect for an older child who has experience creating with LEGO, or building with tools. However, it would also be a great project for any age with help from an adult. 

Even my preschool and elementary school aged children enjoyed tinkering around with the pieces and built their own creations as we went. 

 

There are no special tools needed to assemble the robot. The one screwdriver needed is included in the kit. 

Coding and Playing with Makeblock's mBot Ultimate Robot

Once the robot was built, it was not difficult to get it up and running. There are many options for coding the mBot Ultimate robot. Beginners can use the mBlock app for simple block coding. For more advanced coding it is compatible with Arduino or Python coding combined with Raspberry Pi. 

We used an iPad to remote control our robot with the app available from Makeblock. Here is a peek into what the app looks like as you are using it to control the robot, and while you are coding. 

https://www.makeblock.com/?ref=UJWJzPw-bQClUh&utm_medium=5544&utm_source=influencer 

And here is our robot in action, helping us tidy up! 

 

 

Makeblock mBot Ultimate 10-in-1 Robot: Summary

Overall, we really enjoyed the process of building, coding and interacting with our Makeblock mBot Ultimate robot kit. I would recommend it based on the quality of the parts, the versatility of the components and the ability to build 10 different projects with one kit. I liked that the compatibility of the robotic components with various coding apps and languages, such as Arduino, Python and components compatible with Raspberry Pi, gives basic coding options for beginners, and gives experts the opportunity to try something new. 

 

The robot kit is STEM through and through with a good combination of each STEM discipline: technology through coding, science and technology through the use of sensors, math in the measurements and sizes of components, the engineering process through building, testing, trial and error.

The kit comes at a higher price point, but for the right kid or family the mBot Ultimate would be a great investment as there is a lot of play and learning value here. There are also many other robots and products available from Makeblock in a range of prices that would meet the need of different budgets, ages and learning goals. 

Use code: SAVE10 for $10 off your first purchase!

Teachers can join Makeblock's discount program and purchase kits for their classroom. Learn more here.

Would we recommend Makeblock's mBot Ultimate 10-in-1 Robot Kit? Definitely. We are already thinking of what we might be able to do with our next mBot Ultimate build. Check out Makeblock! I think you and your favorite little (or big!) engineer will be glad that you did.

Two Thumbs Up for Generation Genius Home Science Kits!

I don't know about you, but I think it's pretty cool to get fun projects and activities in the mail. It beats junk mail and my kids certainly look forward to receiving them. We have used a few subscription boxes over the years and were very excited to be invited to review the new subscription home science kit from Generation Genius! The home kit is designed for kids aged 9 and up, and delivers three fun, safe and engaging science activities to your mailbox each month. With an option for a 3-month subscription, these are great activities to keep the kids busy over summer vacation. The children (and grown-ups!) in this house had a blast exploring the activities included in our sample, and we are sure you will too.  

Please note: I was invited to honestly review this subscription box and become an affiliate of Generation Genius. This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission from purchases made through these links, at no additional cost to you. Please see disclosures for more information.

Engaging Science Activities at Home

 

Generation Genius home science kits are the most recent product from Generation Genius, who has been successfully creating standards aligned science and math lessons in partnership with NSTA. Teachers rave about the science and math videos they have been successfully using in their classrooms. So, it is exciting that there is now an opportunity for taking part in similarly engaging science activities at home.

Short on time? Here's the quick review:

If you are in a hurry, we get it! Here is the bullet point version of our review. Read on below for a more detailed review. 

 

Did we like the Generation Genius home science kit? YES!! 

 

• The projects were fun and interesting.
• Everything necessary for completing the project was included in the box, no running around the house to find anything. 
• The cost of the subscription is reasonable considering what was included. You wouldn't be able to DIY your own project for the price right now.
  
• The video directions were clear, easy to follow and well-paced.
• There are enough materials to complete each experiment more than once or have more than one person participate.  
• The chemicals for the experiments were fairly common household materials that when used properly were safe but kids still got that real science lab feel.

What is in the Home Science Kit Box?

Upon opening the box I was instantly impressed with how much was crammed into it. 2 pairs of safety goggles, three pairs of latex gloves in various sizes, a sticker, all the materials needed for three activities. I love that we didn't have to find any other supplies around the house before beginning the projects, it was all included and we could just begin. 

 

We received Science Kit 4, which included the following experiments: "The Disappearing Beaker", "The Goldenrod Paper" and "Make Branching Colors". My kids decided to try the 2 colorful experiments first, so those are what I will share here.

I thought it was great that more than one person could participate. There were enough supplies to have two people complete the project more than once. It was really nice not to worry we were going to accidentally use something up before we were through. 

 

The directions for the projects are given via video by Dr. Jeff, creator of Generation Genius. You can learn more about Dr. Jeff here.  The directions are demonstrated in a clear and understandable way and you can turn on an auto-pause feature to pause the video at each step. The pacing of the instructions was perfect, it worked out great for us. 

The Science Experiments

Here are some images from the two of the projects in our science kit. My kids gravitated immediately to the colorful experiments in the box: "The Goldenrod Paper" and "Make Branching Colors."

The Goldenrod paper experiment explored pH and using indicators to learn more about the properties of liquids. I have found that pH experiments are usually a hit as they tend to be interesting and fun as the color changes are instant and fascinating.

The first step was to see what happens when you add different liquids to a universal indicator. The kids were so excited to use the chemicals. Although these were all common household liquids, the little bottles and containers are so alluring!

After making a rainbow of different liquids with the universal indicator, they investigated how a baking soda mixture interacted with the goldenrod paper, which also works as an indicator.

It was cool to see the prints left behind after spraying hands with the baking soda mixture. They do look a little bloody, and it instantly made sense to me why people like Steve Spangler always use this as a Halloween demonstration. Will have to keep it in mind as a way to make some fun decorations next October. 

In the branching colors experiment the kids played around with what happens as food coloring spreads through liquids of different viscosities.

It was so interesting to watch the colors branch out. It reminded me of fractals and the similar branching we see inside out own bodies and elsewhere in the natural world.

It was great that there were enough supplies and the invitation in the instructional video to continue to explore and play around with the color branching. It kept my kids engaged for quite some time!

Generation Genius Home Science Kit Review

I would highly recommend the Generation Genius science kit. They are reasonably priced and you have the choice of three different subscription plans including a 3-month. 

My kids enjoyed the projects. They were interesting and included enough supplies to do the experiment more than once. Each project was open-ended to keep kids engaged for a while, it wasn't just a quick one and done. 

 

Try out Generation Genius! I think you'll be happy you did!