Experimenting with the Solar Science Lab
My kids were so excited about reviewing the Discovery Channel Solar Science Lab since they are always doing their own experiments. Freezing things or making snow are their favorites. Finding frozen bug ice cubes or bowls of frozen colored water in our freezer is a weekly occurrence so I knew the Solar Science Lab would be their kind of toy.
You’ve got to be kidding me was my first reaction upon opening the kit. There are so many parts and pieces that I feared I would be doing all the experiments. Luckily my kids weren’t intimidated and got right to work. Turns out they didn’t need much help from me other than to be their gopher to retrieve an egg, a casserole dish and felt tip marker.
The Science Lab offers kids a hands-on lesson about the power of the sun as you cook an egg, create weather in a casserole dish, power a mobile and more. There are 31 activities outlined in the included activity giude. Because each activity builds on the previous ones, it is recommended that you complete the activities in the order they are presented. My rebel children chose to pick the activities that looked the most interesting which was The Propeller, Can You Cook An Egg?, Weather in a Casserole Dish, and Burning a Feather.
My eight year old daughter was able to assemble all the parts on her own for The Propeller activity. The object was to get the propeller to spin using the heat from a bright electric bulb. She tried a couple light bulbs, a flashlight, and the sun but she was never able to get the propeller to move.
She moved onto the egg cooking activity and this time her experiment was a success so she moved on to burning a feather. We couldn’t find a feather so they settled on a dead leaf which burned quickly. A whiff of the smoke brought out my six year old son’s inner pyromania. He spent the rest of the afternoon trying to burn any object he could get his hands on. Once bored with that he moved on to burning bugs and an egg with the magnifying glass.
I like how the solar lab got them thinking outside of the box (literally) and making up their own experiments. My son has used the included parabolic reflector for several of his own experiments and found a place on our deck to hang the thermometer. He’s our very own weatherman and checks the outside temperature every morning.
The Weather in a Casserole Dish activity was great in helping them understand how the circulation between hot and cold areas cause storms and tornadoes. We have had a lot of severe weather lately which has prompted a lot of questions from them about tornadoes. Understanding how tornadoes form seemed to give them some control about something they can’t control.
Overall the Solar Science Lab was a big hit with my kids. It will entertain them for a long time as they try the different activities as long as we don’t lose any of the pieces. I can see many of the included parts taking part in future school science projects.
My only con is the price. The retail price of $24.95 seems a bit steep. This is an item that I would love to give as a gift if it were in the $15-$20 range. I shy away from spending more than twenty dollars on “toys” since most have a tendency to live a short life with kids.~Kristie
*This review was brought to you courtesy of Parent Bloggers Network*
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