Happy Engineers Week 2021 STEM Sparkers! I am busy at my day job (which is engineering!), so I didn't do the best planning for my blog Engineers Week. I wanted to review an engineering related toy or kit, but instead we're reviewing a lab kit that I bought in the Fall of 2020. Oh well, there's still a giveaway where one lucky STEM Spark reader will get the same Science Academy: Lava Lip Gloss Lab! So that's good, right? Alright let's get reviewing!
Will your kids like it and/or will you hate it?
Here's how experimenting with the Lava Lips Gloss Lab went:
Me: "Jack, want to make lava lip gloss with me?"
Jack: "No."
I start mixing the oils up.
Me: "Alright then. Jack what color should I use?"
Jack: "Gold."
Me: "Okay. What scent should I use?"
Jack: "Vanilla."
I poor the oil into the glycerine.
Me: "Look at the cool lava effect."
Jack: "Cool. Can I have it?"
Me: "Uh, sure. You can have MY lip gloss. You could also make your own."
Jack: "No, I like this one."
So in summary, my kid liked the lip gloss, but he didn't want to make it. Sometimes that is just how goes with, am I right educators and parents? I will say that I enjoyed making the lip gloss. It is also very satisfying and hypnotizing to watch the lava flow up and down in the lip gloss bottle.
How long will it keep them entertained?
It probably took me about 5-10 minutes to make my lava lip gloss. There is also two other experiments the kit has, as well as explains the science about what is happening (density of fluids!) and encourages kids to use the scientific method to hypothesize/predict what will happen in each experiment. I think it would take older kids (and yes my recommendation for this science kit aligns with Science Academy of 8+) about 20-30 minutes to do the whole kit.
Are they a good value?
I found this Science Academy kit on Mindware for $24.95. Since my child didn't have much interest in performing the actual science experiment/making lip gloss part, I'm going to have to say I wish I hadn't spent close to $25 plus shipping on something he had no interest in. But that's not to say that this science lab kit isn't a good fit for another child, and for that child it might make the perfect birthday/holiday gift.
Ninja-like STEM Skills
I already mentioned above how there are three science experiments with this lab kit, and kids are encouraged to make hypotheses. So yes, there are STEM skills in this kit. I also like that there's an explanation of density and how it relates to the different fluids in the experiment.
Overall, I'd give the Science Academy: Lava Lip Gloss Lab a 3 out of 5 stars (using the Amazon rating system). We've done some of the other Science Academy kits, like make your own squish ball, and those kits were better received by Jack. So compared to the other Science Academy kits, this one only gets 3 stars.
But on lucky STEM Spark reader has the chance to win a Science Academy: Lava Lip Gloss Lab and evaluate it for themselves! Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below (or link here). US residents only please. And Happy E-Week everyone!