Yesterday morning was cold but clear. We got news that our old town had a dusting of snow and I worried if the kids heard it, they’d ask us to move back. 😉 I had sourdough ready to bake- a redeeming two loaves- and it made for a cozy breakfast after a bundled up sniffari with Finley.
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We all ate breakfast, got dressed, and started on our school day. The kids kicked things off with math so I could have a minute to comb through the science experiment I had planned. Saying those words honestly used to make me cringe. Here’s a little background:
I loved teaching the girls science when it was all baking soda and vinegar, flying tea bag ghosts, and walking rainbows. Simple experiments and nature walks were my jam. While they still like those things, my budding scientists have craved and asked for more exciting science as they’ve grown. The whole idea of looking up quality experiments, gathering supplies, and then understanding the why behind the to be able to explain it well left me mentally exhausted before I even began. And that’s why I’ve come to love and appreciate MEL Science.
In my own words, MEL Science is “next level” science. The kits are designed for ages 5-14+ depending on science subject. STEM (5+), Math (8+), Physics (8+), Chemistry (10+), and Medicine (14+) – yup, medicine, where they can learn to suture, fill a tooth, or make a real ascorbic acid tablet. Cool, huh?
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I was first introduced to MEL Science kits a year or two ago when we got it for Kaitlyn for Christmas but really have just got hooked on them recently. Can I admit why? I finally downloaded the app. Let me explain…
I despise having a lot of apps on my phone and nowadays everyone and their mom is saying- download our app! So when I first saw it on MEL Science, I ignored it thinking- ugh not another app. But trust me when I say if you have these kits, you want this app. It’s SO helpful. The app provides step by step directions, explanation of the science behind the experiment, and includes little extras that the kids like, like collecting coins for digital trophies after the experiment (this part means nothing to me, but the kids always like to chant- get the coins!– so I guess it works on them). The starter kit even comes with a phone stand to hold it up while you scroll through the step by step.
Also, with your first box, you’ll receive a starter kit valued at $50+ including cups, a glass beaker, safety goggles, and more.
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Yesterday we focused on clean water, which was engaging to us, as we just built a house, have a well, and had a lot of conversations about filters. The kids love that you use real chemicals and see real results (we’ve had a lot of dud experiments when I try to pick one off the internet and run it myself). I love that it helps me make science engaging and fun when it’s not my natural gifting. Kaitlyn (10) is especially science-minded and spends free time watching Mystery Science and experiments online. It makes me happy to get to provide her with these kinds of hands-on experiences.
One other fact I appreciate- each experiment is labeled clearly with degree of difficulty, degree of danger, and the estimated time it will take to do the experiment (helpful). Also, I focus on this as a great fit for homeschool science, but obviously you don’t have to homeschool to enjoy their experiments. It’s for any kid that loves science and they even offer bulk orders for schools and co-ops.
MEL Science is a subscription service, sending a monthly experiment to your door that contains everything you need, down to the cloves and wooden stick for shoving the provided cotton into the test tube. I really like it’s all-included set up. I don’t really love subscriptions if I’m being honest, but they do make it easy to pause or cancel at anytime, so it’s nothing sneaky.
Get more details and see if it might be a good fit for your science lover (or your hesitant science student that you want to encourage) here on their website. This review is not sponsored, but I am an affiliate for the product so they provided me with a discount code- AHS– for 50% or $20 off the first month if you are interested in trying it, however they sometimes run better deals so check their website for any additional discounts before checking out. And if you do give them a try, please report back and let me know what you think 🙂 Happy experimenting!
