Science Kit Review and Giveaway from Toys and Games Online

Hello all! My name is Donna, and my crew and I are looking forward to helping out here at Sara's Toy Box with reviews and fun -- I have four little girls who are all curious and creative ladies.

Recently we had the pleasure to review the Space Exploration Kit ($31.40) from Thames and Kosmos that was sent to us from Toys and Games Online


As a homeschooling family we're always on the look out for interesting, fun and easily accessible science kits that are also reasonably priced! The prices at Toys and Games Online for this science kit were similar to what I'd found elsewhere.

We are already familiar with the brand Thames and Kosmos and their science kits because we ordered their Chem 2000 kit for our oldest daughter's chemistry lab this year. She's starting 6th grade and she needed some serious science – that science kit is going to work out GREAT for her and for her sisters as they get older. I can tell already that it's well worth it.

The Space Exploration Kit is recommended for kids aged 8 and up.

We had to do this review over the course of a few days because there are just SO many things to do in this kit. There's still more we need to cover, but we're going to have to wait until it gets dark earlier so we can see some stars before bedtime!

Today you'll get to meet my twin daughters ... they are goofy 8 year olds who aspire to be on Mythbusters when they grow up ... Rachel and Mara -- this was their favorite constellation they learned about ... Gemini, the twins.



We began our cool science kit by reading some directions. They're rather easy to follow but there are a number experiments that require adult supervision. And, if left to their own devices my girls might not actually learn WHY something happens; it's all the better if I'm there to get them to listen to an explanation as well.

We put together a simple telescope and tried it out – learned about how the lenses work …



Then we put together a pretty nifty model of the solar system that now hangs in the girls' room below the ceiling that already had glow in the dark stars all over it … We talked about the phases of the moon and watched it changed in by putting together a little flip book.



A few days later we got some free time to open up the kit again, this time we got to learn about rockets, which I couldn't get a good picture of – that little thing really took off! The girls also loved being able to go check the time on the sundial and learn about some constellations – we've hung the pictures of them in their window and they're hoping when they can have a nice starry night they can find some constellations all on their own!



Want to go back to school with your own space exploration kit? Sara's Toy Box is giving away a $40 gift card to Toys and Games Online. To enter, go to their website and pick which awesome educational games or educational toys you'd get for the little scholar in your life. Then come back here and tell us what you would pick and why; add some contact info in your comment and we'll choose a winner next week! If posting your contact info makes you uncomfortable, you can also enter by sending us an email or a message on Facebook.