The Science Mad Chemistry Lab set for ages 10 and up is a great way for kids to learn at home. With over 80 experiments included in this set, there is a lot to work through and completing these experiments will give your child a great foundation in chemistry. The set includes good quality equipment, and a fully comprehensive instruction manual which guides you through each experiment in terms of what to do but also in what exactly you will be learning from each one.
The set includes plenty of chemicals, and the basic equipment required such as a burner, test tubes, test tube holder, pipettes and more. However, there are also a fair amount of ingredients and chemicals which you will need to buy separately. This is because they would be dangerous to include within the packaging (such as methylated spirit for the burner), so this is understandable although at first was a little frustrating as there were certain experiments we weren’t able to jump straight into due to this. You can get around this by planning ahead, and there are still plenty of experiments that you can do just with the chemicals and supplies included within the set.
These are real chemicals (10 included) and as you can see some have warnings on them so it’s best to do this activity with adult supervision. It is great for children of 10 and over, as it will help them get prepared for science at secondary school where they will be starting to use chemicals, and equipment like Bunsen burners. It’s also a nice way for parents and children to learn together. I have to admit I’ve forgotten lots of the chemistry I learned in school (it’s been a while!) so we gained new knowledge together.
We used this set with our 10 year old boy who is in year 5 at school, and he really enjoyed working through some of the experiments and learning new things about chemistry.
If you want to plan ahead with your science and chemistry learning, check out this homeschool chemistry curriculum for high school.
Some of the experiments he has done so far include making lime water, and then doing a follow up experiment to blow into the lime water using glass and rubber tubing, so see the effect of carbon dioxide (from your breath) on the lime water.
He also really enjoyed using the universal indicator to learn about Ph levels and acidity. Continuing our work on carbon dioxide, we tested the Ph level of the carbon dioxide in his breath and saw the universal indicator change from green (neutral) to yellow to show some acidity.
Studying these topics pushed us to research together and find out more about exactly air is made up of, how much carbon dioxide there is, how much oxygen… and found out that air is mostly made up of nitrogen! We found when using the booklet that lots of the experiments follow on naturally from each other, so you will expand on similar topics, and explore something from a few angles helping to get a good understanding around the topic rather than just looking at one experiment in isolation.
The booklet is easy to follow, and gives you a good amount of information to help with understanding. This is really useful to help us get the most out of the set and use all of the tools given to their full potential.
If your child is interested in science and wants to move onto a more serious and grown up science set, then I would recommend this as a great way to give them a good introduction into the area of chemistry – but do make sure to stock up on any extra supplies needed such as methylated spirit in order to make the most of this kit!
Science Mad Chemistry Lab is a Gold award winner from Madeformums and Dads Choice Awards.
Find out more about this set on the Trends UK site. It is available to order online on sites including Amazon for around RRP 29.99
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
