Young Scientists Club Plant Kit

Today I am presenting you the second review of The Young Scientists Club I was assigned earlier this summer.  The plant kit is part of the Set #10 – WH-925-1110 from the Young Scientists Series.

Each set in the Young Scientists Series contain three complete science kits (3 manuals/3 supply bags). You can decide to complete the sets in order to experience the ultimate in science adventure. However, the sets can also be done individually. The Young Scientists Club recommended to start with sets 1, 2 or 3 for kids ages 5 to 8 years old and for children ages 9 to 12 it is recommended to start with set 4 and up.

Each set comes in a specially identified envelope which contains all you need.

For the plant kit, here’s what was included in the envelope.  You will find some 2 beans, a magnifying glass, charcoal, peat pellets, 2 pieces of tubing, cotton, 2 paper towel wicks, wheat or rye seeds, and a seed mixture.  All these will be needed for the experiments contained in the kit.

The instruction guide for parent or teacher will explain all the activities that can be done with plants.  You will find a variety of experiments to do relating to plant.  The first experiment will allow you to observe the baby plant inside a seed.  The second experiment will show how the water travels up to the leaves of a plant by using coloration on a celery stick.  This is a very common experiment that is found everywhere on the internet. The third experiment will allow the young scientist to learn and label the different parts of a plant.  The fourth experiment will encourage the child to look at a flower with a magnifying glass and try to identify the different parts of it.  The fifth experiment will demonstrate the difference between seeds, fruits and vegetables.  The sixth experiment is all about seed germination.  The seventh experiment will guide the child into growing roots from a garlic glove.  Now this particular experiment did not work well for us probably because our garlic clove was not fresh… 

But the experiment that my daughter particularly liked was creating a terrarium inside a jar.   It also demonstrate how the water cycle works. My daughter enjoyed preparing our jar for the terrarium – putting the coal, spreading the dirt and the seeds – before closing the jar.  Now the waiting period had started.  We placed the jar near our backyard window so that the sun can make its magic.

It didn’t take long…  within a couple of days you could see the seeds had sprouted and that the jar was transforming into a terrarium.  You can see how the water cycle works inside the terrarium.

 

We let more days go by and the plants were thriving in their environment – making roots and growing steadily.

At the end of the instruction booklet, you will also have information about weather and how it works.   All the observation sheets are also included in the document.

I find these activities to be fabulous for children who desire to learn more about plant life and see plants growing.   It is a fun kit to have at hand when you desire to keep the kids busy when the weather is not fabulous outdoors.   Learning some science while having fun is always great!

The Young Scientists Club kits are available on their http://www.theyoungscientistsclub.com/retailstore/retail-youngscientist.htmlor on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

Disclaimer: I received this kit for review purposes from KidStuff PR and Young Scientists Club. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Young Scientists Club–Eggs kit

Today I am presenting you the second review of The Young Scientists Club I was assigned earlier this summer.  The Eggs kit is part of the Set #10 – WH-925-1110 from the Young Scientists Series.

Each set in the Young Scientists Series contain three complete science kits (3 manuals/3 supply bags). You can decide to complete the sets in order to experience the ultimate in science adventure. However, the sets can also be done individually. The Young Scientists Club recommended to start with sets 1, 2 or 3 for kids ages 5 to 8 years old and for children ages 9 to 12 it is recommended to start with set 4 and up.

Each set comes in a specially identified envelope which contains all you need.

For the eggs set, here’s what was included in the envelope.  You will find some brine shrimp cysts, yeast, tubing, a magnifying glass, an eye dropper, some pH paper and a pH chart as well as rock salt.  All these will be needed for the experiments contained in the kit.

The instruction guide for parent or teacher will explain all the activities that can be done with eggs.  You will find five experiments included in the document.   The first experiment will require you to put a raw unbroken eff in a small bowl with hot tap water.  You will be able to explain why there are bubbles coming out of the egg.  Experiment two will allow you to see the effect of salt in water when you put two raw unbroken eggs in two separate jars – one containing salt water and the other containing regular water.  The third experiment will require the parent to make a hard-boiled egg.  The student will be asked to spins the hard-boiled egg then a raw egg to see what is the difference between the two.  The fourth experiment will show you how a hard-boiled egg that is peeled can be sucked into a bottle which contains a burning piece of paper.   The fifth experiment will demonstrate how the shell of an egg can disappear when you let it sit for a few days.     The last experiment will allow you to hatch the brine shrimp in order to do some other experiments with them.  In the process you will also learn more about brine shrimps.

We have done some of these activities in the past but I think my favorite is always the disappearing shell on an egg.  I just find it fascinating that we can do this and seeing an egg without it’s protection but still being able to hold it is always fantastic in my eyes.

I find these activities to be fabulous for younger children (kindergarten to grade 2) as it will allow them to discover fun experiments with mom or dad while learning some cool things too.  It is a fun kit to have at hand when you desire to keep the kids busy when the weather is not too good outdoors.   Learning some science while having fun is always great!

The Young Scientists Club kits are available on their http://www.theyoungscientistsclub.com/retailstore/retail-youngscientist.html or on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

Disclaimer: I received this kit for review purposes from KidStuff PR and Young Scientists Club. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Young Scientist Club Owl Kit

Ever since my daughter has read the book series “Guardians of Gahoole” she has been fascinated with owls.   She was delighted to learn that during my unit on zoology for homeschool coop the older kids will be dissecting an owl pellet.  However, the place where I ordered them would not send real ones for the kids to dissect.  Instead we ended up dissecting some that looked like the real owl pellets.  It was a disappointment but the kids were able to experience the dissection and learned quite a bit about owls.

So when I got the opportunity to review some products from The Young Scientists Club I was delighted to be assigned the Owl Kit which is part of the Set #10 – WH-925-1110 from the Young Scientists Series.

Each set in the Young Scientists Series contain three complete science kits (3 manuals/3 supply bags). You can decide to complete the sets in order to experience the ultimate in science adventure. However, the sets can also be done individually. The Young Scientists Club recommended to start with sets 1, 2 or 3 for kids ages 5 to 8 years old and for children ages 9 to 12 it is recommended to start with set 4 and up.

Each set comes in a specially identified envelope which contains all you need.

For the owl set, here’s what was included in the envelope.

Four experiments are included in the kit.  The first one was about dividing the animals from one of the pages by groups – herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.  The second experiment will guide you to make a simple food chain.  Experiment three will guide you to build up a food web using all the animals except the ones used during the second experiment.  Finally, the last experiment was the one my daughter was looking forward to – the owl pellet dissection.

My daughter was excited to start.  But this excitement turn quickly to a comment about the smell and how it was gross to touch it.   I told her to get a mask to isolate the smell from her nose which she promptly went to get.  And then I encouraged her to pursue the dissection as planned.

Tweezers are included which could help you to open the pellet and start “digging” for the bones.  At some point she asked if I could help her doing it.   I jumped at the opportunity because I had never done this before.  It take patience and gentleness to find all the pieces and avoid breaking them.

As we continue digging in the owl pellet, we came to the conclusion that there was more than one animal in there.   Owls would eat rodents, shrews, moles, and birds.   The more we looked for remains, the more we realized that this particular owl had a special taste for rodents.   We found a few skulls belonging the the rodents categories.   My daughter also proceeded to try to build the skeleton of one rodent.

 

In the end this was a great experience and I am very pleased with the fact that they have sent a real owl pellet.  We could feel the fur and the bones as we searched the owl pellet.  If you desire you can also bleach the bones but we decide not to do this.  The instruction book also contains some information on owls that the child can read.

It was a fun kit to do on a very humid day.   We had a great time finding the bones and trying to identify them.   It is a great way to get your kids to do something out of the ordinary and learn some fascinating things about owls and the kind of animals they eat.

The Young Scientists Club kits are available on their http://www.theyoungscientistsclub.com/retailstore/retail-youngscientist.htmlor on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: I received this kit for review purposes from KidStuff PR and Young Scientists Club. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Smithsonian Maker Lab Books

DK has published some very neat book on science in partnership with the Smithsonian.  Each of the books contains some fun experiments that can be done at home.   I had the opportunity to review two of these books.

Maker Lab – 28 Super Cool Projects offers step-by-step activities appropriate for kids ages 8–12.  Each activity is ranked easy, medium, or hard, with an estimated time frame for completion. Each of them also require only household materials that your children can use to build an exploding volcano, race balloon rocket cars, construct a solar system, make a lemon battery, and more.   The book contains four sections: Food for Thought, Around the Home, Water World, and The Great Outdoors.   Each of the experiments included in this book will open up the world of science for your child.

Maker Lab Outdoors – 25 Super Cool Projects contains projects that focus on Earth and the environment, plants and animals, weather, water, and physics, bringing science learning home and into the backyard. Young scientists can build a wormery and learn about compost, crack rocks with water and learn about freezing and thawing, build and launch a water rocket to see Newton's laws in action, and more.  Through the pages of this book you will have the possibility to explore nature in ways that are mind blowing.  The child will be encourage to experiment with nature watch, with the world of weather, with water power and with earth and sky. 

  

My Thoughts

What I like about the DK books is that not only does it gives the instructions to complete an experiment but it also explains the science behind it.  Both books also have incredible photography to illustrate the experiments.  A step-by-step comprehensible instructions and detailed explanations make these books a must for fun activities to do with your kids.   There are even explanations on how it works and real-word science tidbits to make the child realize that you can find the reaction of the experiment in the real world.

One of the book also contains experiments done with food – like the baked Alaska for example.  It is an amazing way to make the child to make food and also discover the science behind it.   Seeing the instructions makes it possible to do it without worrying to mess it up.   It is a more difficult experiment for sure and I would strongly suggest the presence of an adult when doing it but reading the science behind it will encourage you to do a little magic trick for your family one evening.   A cool magic trick if you ask me.  Your kids won’t believe their eyes when the ice cream won’t melt when you put the cake in the oven!  Not only will you be able to explain why the meringue acted as an insulator for the ice cream but you will be able to tie this to the awesome explanation why igloos do keep the warmth as well.

These books are also great to keep your kids busy during the summer months or during PD Days or holidays.    Nothing can build more memories than to spend time with your children doing quick and fun experiments and discover why it does what it does.  

And if these two books are not enough, DK also has published a Star Wars Maker Lab which contains 20 amazing projects.  This specific book will teach your budding Padawan how to become a Master of science, in both the real world and the Star Wars galaxy. Using clear step-by-step instructions, the book guides home scientists and makers through each exciting experiment–from making Jabba's gooey slime or a hovering landspeeder, to an Ewok catapult and a glowing Gungan Globe of Peace. Each experiment has fact-filled panels to explain the real-world science as well as the Star Wars science fiction from the movies.

 

These books are available at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for allowing me to promote their books. I was not monetarily compensated for this post . Please note that the post was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Mason Jar Science

Mason Jar Science – 40, Slimy, Squishy, Super-Cool Experiments
By Jonathan Adolph
Published at Storey Publishing

Summer has arrived and with it school’s out which means your kids are at home.   What can you do to keep them busy and learning at the same time (without them figuring that out…)?   Simple do some cool science experiments when they are bored or the weather is not allowing them to go outdoors.  Today I am presenting you an awesome book which will allow you to do some fun things using the good old Mason jars that are hiding in your cupboards.

The book starts by presenting the scientific method which is followed to solve mysteries and then is separated into five sections.  Through the pages of this book you will be able to do 9 experiments based on Chemistry, 10 experiments based on Earth Science, 8 experiments based on Botany, 8 experiments based on Biology, and 8 experiments based on Physics.

Each experiment lists the materials and the instructions needed to complete it.   It will also guide your “student” for what to watch for and explain what is happening.   Like it or not, this book will help them to visualize some concepts seen at school or concepts that will be presented in the upcoming school year.   Personally, I think it is a great book to help them experiment fun things in science when they desire to learn more about something.  However, I would strongly suggest that they ask an adult before making these experiments and that the child do clean up afterwards.  Nothing is more frustrating for a parent that to clean up after a child has decided to do some science but left the mess behind. 

However, this book is fun to explore whether you desire to cover all the experiments in one specific section or if you prefer to go randomly.   There is something fun to learn for each of the experiments.   As a plus side, the child can explain back to the parents and siblings what he/she has learned while doing the experiment during supper time. 

This book is definitively great to keep your kids busy this summer and to explore fun activities that involve science.

Mason Jar Science is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore as well as Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned book for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The Young Scientists Club–Funtastic Robotics

I was recently approached to review some cool products from the Young Scientist Club.   In the next four months, I will present you four different products offered by the Young Scientists Club for kids to do at home.  These fun products will help to discover the world of science and robotic in a fun way. 

The first product I would like to present to you today is a member of the Funtastic Robotics line of products that The Young Scientists Club offers

INFRA the robot moves when receiving an IR (Infrared) signal from any home remote control. This build-your-own robot kit is one of the products from the Funtastic Robotics series.  This series of projects that your child can do at home will introduce him/her to the exciting world of robotics.The box contains a double-sided 24 in. x 24 inches colorful instruction and activity poster as well as all the components such a computer module, motor, chassis, gears, and colorful unique shaped cover to build your robot. Detailed illustrated instructions for building the robot are included on one side of the poster and learning activities are located on the other side of the poster.  This specific product is geared for children ages 8 and up.  We also received a set of screwdrivers and batteries for the purpose of this review.

I asked my son, Jérémy, to work on this project on a greyish day.   First let me tell you that part of this robot is already build up.  What I mean by this is that the computer module, the motor and gears are already set to be used.  This project will allow your child to put all the parts together, use the screwdriver to assemble the parts and insert the electrical cables in the appropriate places.      The whole process can take 15 to 30 minutes depending of the child.    The instructions are pretty clear on the poster and it is easy to assemble.

Once the robot is assembled, it is time to test it.  For this specific product, we needed to take a remove control we had in the living room and click toward the robot.  The remote control needs to be within range for the robot to work.

Here’s how Infra reacts to the remote control.

As mentioned, the other side of the poster has activities that can be done.  You will be encouraged to calculate the speed of the robot, investigate if a different remote control will affect the mechanism of the robot,  determine if the number of remote controls will affect the result, and you will be encourage to create your own activity.  Here’s a look activities suggested for Infra.

Note that three other robotic projects are also available.  Metali the robot buzzes and lights up when metal objects are detected. Sunny moves upon receiving artificial and natural light signals.  Hurdle the robot will stop, back up, and change direction when sensing an obstacle.

In conclusion, for my son who is 12 years old, this project was easy to put together.   It would be interesting if one day Young Scientists Club decide to put together other robotic projects that a bit more complicated for older children.  The kit is very creative and encourage children to explore new areas of science from the comfort of home.  

The Young Scientist Club Funtastic Robotics kits are available on their website as well as on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

INFRA

 

Other Robots are also available.

SUNNY

 

HURDLE

 

METALI

 

Disclaimer: I received this kit for review purposes from KidStuff PR and Young Scientists Club. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The Curious Nature Guide

The Curious Nature Guide – Explore the Natural Wonders All Around You
By Clare Walker Leslie
Published at Storey Publishing

About the book

With dozens of simple prompts and exercises, best-selling author, naturalist, and artist Clare Walker Leslie invites you to step outside for just a few minutes a day, reignite your sense of wonder about the natural world, and discover the peace and grounding that come from connecting with nature. Using stunning photography as well as the author’s own original illustrations, The Curious Nature Guide will inspire you to use all of your senses to notice the colors, sounds, smells, and textures of the trees, plants, animals, birds, insects, clouds, and other features that can be seen right outside your home, no matter where you live. Sketch or write about one exceptional nature image each day; learn to identify cloud types and the weather they bring; or create a record of what you see each day as you walk your dog. Easy, enjoyable, and enlightening, these simple exercises will transform your view of the world and your place within it.

My Thoughts

I love nature – exploring the woods or walking in the neighborhood is always a fun activity to do whether alone or with family/friends.

So I was curious about this book.  How could it make exploring nature more fun and entertaining.   As soon as I grabbed the book and started reading it I was hooked.  

The author has beautifully reduced the table of contents to three sections – begin, discover, connect.

Begin – first, you need to pause.  Wherever you are, open your senses to the world of nature around you.   This section will give you some tips on how to pause and enjoy what is around you whether you are in the woods or in a park in the downtown area.  There is always something to enjoy.

Discover – This section will help you identify what trigger your curiosity.  Take a closer look at the clouds, the night sky, the plants and animals, rivers, rocks and so on.  This weekend I was doing Uber and a young lady requested a ridesharing.   At some point she simply said “I love the clouds.”   I lifted my eyes and looked at the clouds – they were ok but not the beautiful white puffy ones.  Then she proceeded to tell me that she came to Canada from India back in December.  In India there is so much pollution that they do not see the clouds.  Then it dawned on me…. for us Canadians we probably take the clouds for granted because we see them all the time.   I am thankful for her comment because it made me realize that we are blessed to be able to see clouds on a daily basis.

Connect – This section is interesting to me.   The author encourages you to journal and meditate on nature.  Personally I would prefer just drawing what I see but everyone is different.   I would also bring my faith in my drawings and observations of nature.   But the author encourage you in developing a new way of connecting with what you have observe – could be drawing, writing a story or a poem, using photography, anything.

 

 

Through the pages of this book, the author is slowly expanding your senses and your observation skills in order to help you to be more aware of the nature surrounding you on a daily basis.  This would also be a great book to discover as a family, for homeschoolers, or within a class.

The Curious Nature Guide is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned book for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Animal The Definitive Visual Guide

Smithsonian Animal The Definitive Visual Guide
Published at DK

About the book

With more than 1 million copies sold, this updated and revised celebration of the animal kingdom features photos and descriptions of over 2,000 species and habitats.

Bringing animals, habitats, and up-to-date research to life for readers around the world, Animal explores the creatures that have fascinated and inspired humans for years, from intrepid Emperor penguins to fierce Siberian tigers, to the very intelligent and highly communicative humpback whale. This updated edition introduces the olinguito, the adorable, recently discovered mammal that looks like a cross between a cat and a teddy bear, and the Skywalker gibbon found in the tropical forests of Yunnan Province in southwest China and Myanmar. Perfect for gift-giving.

Produced in association with the Smithsonian Institution.

My Thoughts

This is a marvelous book that presents animals found on planet Earth.   From the habitats to the various kind of animals in the animal kingdom, this book will provide information for your personal knowledge.  Whether you desire to learn more about a particular species or simply like to peruse in a book to learn whenever you feel like it, this book is a gem to have in your living room.

For each animal you will discover a map indicating where it is found, some data field highlighting the length, weight and so on as well as habitat symbol and information about the animal.    The book also provide the Latin name as well as the common name of the animal.

 

  

The book also contains a multitude of illustrations showing the animals in their environment.  Sometimes, you will have the opportunity to read a bit more about a certain animal due to the fact that a species might have different kinds.   For example, the elephants information covers about a page and a half.  The other half of the second page will present the African savanna elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asiatic elephant.   The main information highlights what is common about the three different kinds of elephants and then each section presenting a specific elephant will highlight what is particular for this specific kind.

From as far as I can remember, I always loved looking and reading books about animals.   This book is fabulous in many ways because you can sit by yourself or with your children in order to read from it.   It is a great book to have while researching a particular animal too.   The cover of the book is special too because some of its details is slightly above the regular cover.   Through the pages of this book, you will discover the fabulous world of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and invertebrates. 

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for allowing me to promote these books. I was not monetarily compensated for this post . Please note that the post was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.