Science Mad SM40 Chemistry Lab Kit For Kids - Learn About Chemicals With 80+ Safe, Educational Fun Experiments - Includes 10 Chemicals and Real Flame Burner, 10+ Years,Multicolor,39cm

Reviews

D. K. Taulbut

The methylated spirit burner is excellent and burns with a sensible flame - though I did pull the wick back and trim the fluff so only a couple of mm was showing before use. ), melted it and filled a small drinks bottle to use as a "lab squirty bottle".

She is very interested in science, goes to science after-school club but is driven to distraction by what they do in "science lessons", so has taken to this set like a duck to water. The set also encourages initiative by requiring the use and adaption of household items to expand the range of possibilities - the first thing to disappear out of your kitchen drawer will be an old dessertspoon! Do buy it if your child is interested in science and you want to spend quality time with them, and enjoy learning new things together.

The makers have my sincere congratulations! The instruction book teaches techniques such as how to heat test tubes safely, good practice with reagents, etc, and gives experiments which encourage observation and deduction to teach chemistry facts progressively, beginning at solubility and solutions.

It is a million miles from one of those hyped-up kits which turn out to be mostly fresh air inside and some food colouring and sodium bicarbonate. Everything does require constant adult supervision for safety (various aspects - not just the child's safety - keeping the kitchen environment safe, too) and to help with the learning. This set is fabulous!

For instance, we made some de-ionised water by taking some frost from a freezer compartment (they missed that trick in the book! It contains equipment and instructions suitable for learning how to do proper chemistry. Having done A-level chemistry myself, I knew we could use it safely. A good notebook is needed for writing down experiments and observations.

The box states age 10 up but my soon-to-be-9-year-old had this for Christmas and loves it. I'd also advise buying a proper lab coat to go with it - not just to protect clothes but to make your child feel the part and take it seriously.

It has serious chemicals, some of which are toxic. But that's one of the joys of the set - whilst it gives you some fab stuff, it expects you to use your brain, too, to create your own well-kitted science lab. !