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Anyone who has ever watched a baby drop something to the floor over and over again knows that children are born scientists, always observing physics, natural phenomena, and human behavior in action. While we recognize that STEM education in school is essential, we also are coming to realize that one of the best ways to encourage children to love science is to make it something they can play with at home, too. That’s why science kits and toys can be both fun and beneficial to children of all ages. Consider your child's science interests, such as nature exploration or chemistry, and check the manufacturer's age recommendations for science kits and toys. Remember: These toys are only good if they’re easy enough for kids to understand, don’t require a lot of extra parts or ingredients, and remain engaging without getting bogged down in textbook-like instruction. In order to select the best science kits and toys for kids, we spoke with a university science professor and reviewed guidance from the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) on the benefits of STEM education. Moreover, we carefully considered age recommendations, contents, subject matter, and value when reviewing products. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Best for Preschoolers: Just Play Ada Twist, Scientist On the Go Lab Set at Amazon ($46) Best for Nature Exploration: Best for 5-Year-Olds: Best for Coding & Robotics: Best for Electricity: Snap Circuits Pro Electronics Exploration Kit at Amazon ($86) Best for Reluctant Scientists: National Geographic Super Gross Chemistry Set at Amazon ($30) Best for 8-Year-Olds: Best With Microscope: In This Article Our Picks How We Selected What to Look For FAQ Why Trust Verywell Family Pros Unusual projects AR & VR lessons Easy instruction Cons Some projects are short MEL Science kits offer some of the most interesting and engaging projects we’ve seen, with easy-to-follow instructions and scientific explanations, earning it our top spot on this list. Along with the monthly box that contains two to three experiments, the accompanying app allows kids and their grown-ups to view instructions and lessons, some of which use augmented reality and virtual reality. This latter element is why it earns Emdin’s seal of approval. “I’ve seen them, I love them, and they work really well,” Emdin tells us. “Anything that incorporates the actual doing with the digital. What it means is that the [makers] are thoughtful about where young folks are interested.” After receiving free samples of MEL STEM (for ages 5-9), MEL Physics (ages 8-14+), and MEL Chemistry (ages 10-16), we have to agree. Even kids who may be too young to study physics in school get a kick out of building a hydraulic lift and a solar-powered buzzer, and they’re not likely to forget what it’s like to put on a VR headset and zoom through atomic structures or play around with electrons. Older kids will get a kick out of mixing real chemicals and even lighting them on fire. Our one complaint about the kits is that some of the projects are over too quickly, and there’s not much you can do with them other than clean up and wait for the next one. But when the next month comes around, it’s exciting all over again to open that box and learn something new. Pros Inspires imaginative play Ties into book and TV character Self-contained box for storage and travel Cons Experiments require adult’s help Based on the Michelle and Barack Obama-produced Netflix show, which is based on the children’s book by Andrea Beatty, this Ada Twist kit continues to inspire young children to view science as something fun and exciting that is within their reach. It’s a colorful wheely case that opens up to reveal test tubes, a beaker, safety goggles, a working scale, and other tools. Little ones can play with it on their own, or they can get a grown-up’s help to conduct preschool-level experiments according to the six instruction cards. Pros Encourages open-ended exploration Doesn’t harm insects Doubles as magnifying glass or night light Cons Not great for squeamish adults If you’ve got a budding entomologist on your hands or just a kid who loves the outdoors, this light can enhance their experience—without hurting the insects or letting creepy crawlies loose in the house. This is a big improvement over the jar with holes poked into the lid. The light doesn’t get hot, and there are built-in holes for oxygen. The lid is a magnifying glass, allowing kids to examine their specimens at eight times their actual size. When they’re not observing insects (or anything else small that fits inside), they can also use this as a portable night light. Pros Easy instructions Extra booklets and comics included Projects become toys to play with again Cons Only some kits available without subscription Materials aren’t durable KiwiCo has become one of the most well-loved subscription services for children, as the brand has perfected its model of compact monthly projects. The Kiwi Crate, aimed at 5- to 8-year-olds, is particularly good at letting children believe they’re just building toys when they’re really getting a lesson in science and/or art. The included instructions are very easy for kids to follow on their own, but adults can then help them read the accompanying booklets that explain the bigger concepts behind the arcade claw, rocket, or garden they’ve just made. Unlike many other science kits, KiwiCo’s projects are toys they can play with after the lesson is over. This allows them to absorb what they’ve learned and continue to mull over those scientific concepts. When they outgrow the Kiwi Crate, they can move up to the subscriptions designed for older kids. The Best STEM Toys for Kids to Enrich Creativity and Critical Thinking Pros Research-backed toy Screen-free coding Customizable design Cons Upfront investment There are a lot of coding robots on the market right now, but Emdin says his own kids have particularly enjoyed Kibo, a robot designed by early education researchers at Tufts University. This little screen-free toy allows kids to manipulate input and output ports and to program its actions with a sequence of coding cards. Kibo also encourages creativity, as kids can attach paper designs to its top and change them out whenever they like. If Kibo’s price tag seems a little too much, we also recommend Botley, the coding robot from Learning Resources. Pros Safe way to learn about electricity Illustrates concepts clearly Can combine with other Snap Circuit kits Cons Some parts break easily Since we don’t actually want children to be messing with dangerous wires and outlets, or to take apart the gadgets we might want to use, it’s great to know there are kits from Snap Circuits that can teach them how electrical circuits really work. As the name indicates, the parts snap into place on a board and connect to each other, linking a battery pack (four AA batteries not included) to lights, a fan, AM and FM radios, a voice recorder, and more. This kit includes instructions for 500 different experiments, but kids can come up with their own designs and even add to this with other Snap Circuit kits. There are smaller kits for younger kids, too. The Best Toys for 4-Year-Olds to Match Their Creative, Passionate Spirits Pros Unusual experiments Easy instructions All ingredients included Cons Messy Only 15 experiments included Some kids may already be under the mistaken impression that science is boring or just for kids who like sitting in the classroom. This kit, which includes all the ingredients and instructions to make things like a jiggling, squishy “brain,” “farting” slime, a “vomiting” test tube, and boiling snot bubbles, may make science geeks out of those kids yet! They’ll really be learning about polymers, phosphorescence, and other chemical reactions while mixing up all those gross concoctions. Just make sure they promise to help with the cleanup, too. Pros Fun experiments AR and VR lessons Clear explanations of science Cons App requires adult help Extra household ingredients required Those of us who grew up on Bill Nye the Science Guy will appreciate this opportunity for our children to do so too—only this time with a much more hands-on experience than we had watching TV. This 50-piece set includes plenty of scientific lab tools like a beaker, test tubes, an eyedropper, and more materials necessary to conduct 30 experiments, though you’ll also have to use some basic items that are probably available around the house. You can find all the instructions for the experiments—like creating a homemade “volcano,” a lemon battery, and homemade perfume—in the included spiral-bound book. But for the full experience, adults can download the app and point their phones at the instructions to see Nye himself pop up to talk about what’s going on. Then, place the phone in the VR headset, so the kids can continue the lesson on the larger concepts involved. After receiving one of these kits free to test out, we learned that this combination of VR and real life helped keep an 8-year-old’s attention for much longer than just one or the other would, and a year later, he still remembers much of what he learned. 18 Subscription Boxes That Will Entertain, Nurture, and Inspire Your Kiddos Pros Two microscopes in one Includes eight experiments Three magnification levels Cons Difficult to see some specimens No storage case We think the JuniorScope is cool because it’s two microscopes in one—and we’re pretty sure kids will agree. It features a lower-power microscope for analyzing solid objects, like leaves or insects, while the high-power microscope handles transparent objects, like bacteria or cells. The microscope adjusts to three different magnification levels (40x, 100x, and 400x) so kids can see their objects more clearly. Each microscope kit includes several special experiments, which make use of the included petri dish, forceps, dropper, test tube, slides, and more extras. The microscope requires three AA batteries (included), and it is safe to use for outdoor experiments as well. We researched dozens of science kits available through major retailers and direct-to-consumer sites, looking at cost, covered subject matter, age level, and consumer reviews. Our own kids have also tested out several of these kits, and we’ve seen how well they engage children, teach them scientific concepts, and excite them about science in general. We also consulted with dad and science education expert Chris Emdin, PhD, Robert A. Naslund Endowed Chair in Curriculum Theory, and professor of education at the University of Southern California, who is also the New York Times best-selling author of “For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood and the Rest of Y’all Too” and “STEM, STEAM, Make, Dream.” “When children play in science, they're creating all sorts of powerful cognitive anchors,” explains Dr. Emdin. “[Through play] they're able to witness the phenomenon in real-time, manipulate variables and see their effects." Toymakers are catching on to this concept and have recently realized that there is a good market for science-related toys for kids, so you now have a wealth of products to choose from, in a variety of subjects and age levels. Here are some criteria to help you narrow down your choices. What should be in a science kit? There are standard science kits that come with common tools, such as beakers, test tubes, safety goggles, and certain safe chemicals. But this isn’t to say every science kit should have all of those things. A science kit for physics could have nothing but wooden or cardboard parts that fit together. What’s important is that the packaging or product description is clear about what is included in the kit and whether you will need to add other supplies to conduct the experiments safely. One thing you can’t do without is a set of instructions that are easy to follow. How do you make a homemade science kit? Science is everywhere, and so are the materials you need to teach your kids about it.However, Dr. Emdin says the ultimate science kit is actually your refrigerator, with contents like eggs and milk. Combine these ingredients with other contents like twisty ties for bread and dishwashing detergent, and you've just created a space to let children play and ask questions. On the other hand, you can buy a few tools to help with that exploration, such as a reliable kids’ microscope, but there are plenty of experiments you can complete with only household materials. Visit websites for organizations like the Boston Children’s Museum or PBS’ DIY Science Time for some ideas. Sabrina Rojas Weiss is a parenting editor at Verywell Family and the mother of a 9-year-old boy. Not so coincidentally, she’s been writing about parenting for nine years, following a career in entertainment journalism. It wasn’t until adulthood that she realized she loved science, so she’s doing her best to make sure that doesn’t happen with her son. His favorite kits of the moment have been the MEL STEM and Physics kits, mostly because he loves the VR elements.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/best-science-kits-for-kids-5225137-a3e391be84354117ac3ffd0dbf68c699.png "The 9 Best Science Kits for Kids of 2024, According to a Science Professor (1)")
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MEL Science Kit
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Just Play Ada Twist, Scientist On the Go Lab Set
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Abacus Brands Bill Nye VR Science Kit
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