Saturday 18 May 2013

Science Kits

Science kits are  both educational and fun.  Introduce your child to the basics of chemistry, physics, gears, electronics, vulcanology, paleontology and DNA. We've got some really good ones in recently from the Museum of Victoria and the CSIRO.

CSIRO Forensics Double Helix Science Kit ($29.99) - Age 10+



Become a forensics science specialist as you dust for fingerprints, analyse handwriting, examine hair and fibre evidence, trace secret documents using chromatography, make plaster casts of shoes, determine the chemical within some white powder and apply DNA profiling to solve a mystery!

17 science experiments in total.
Choking hazard: Not suitable for children 3 years and under.



Museum of Victoria Make Your Own Volcano ($19.99) - Age 8+





With this easy, safe and fun kit you can recreate the spectacular sight of an eruption of a mini-Vesuvius in your own home or classroom. 
Discover fascinating facts about volcanoes and learn more about them in four exciting volcano-related activities:
  • Make a simple lava lamp
  • Sticky runny stuff — viscosity, magma composition and lava flow
  • Honeycomb — produce your own edible version of gas filled volcanic rock
  • Food fun — replicate a bubbling mud pool
Great for school projects or fun anytime.

CSIRO Slime ($29.99) Age 10+





This is a kit with a difference - it's gooey, slimy and slippery - a specialist branch of science called polymers!
In this Double Helix science kit, you'll discover the properties of those strange fluids that don't obey the usual scientific rules!
Learn about silly putty that stretches, snaps, bounces and shatters. Extract plastic from milk, sizzle the flesh of a slime monster, and create your own slime gel!
The kit includes an easy-to-read instruction book, along with most of the equipment needed to perform the experiments at home.



Museum of Victoria Dinosaur Discovery ($24.99) Age 6+




Explore the prehistoric world of dinosaurs with this excavation kit. Find out about Australia’s own dinosaurs, where they lived, what they ate and how they nurtured their young. Also included is a life size replica of a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth which vividly shows the scale of the dinosaurs. The T-Rex skeleton is assembled from 13 pieces to make a model 34 cm in length. Great for school projects and budding paleontologists!


Jurassic Eggs ($16.99) Age 6+





Geo World is bringing the Jurassic world back to life with their fun and exciting range of dinosaur products.Kids will feel like real life paleontologist’s discovering, cleaning and assembling the 14-piece bone replicas! These semi transparent dinosaur eggs contain a skeleton that needs to be assembled creating hours of fun and entertainment. Each egg comes with an informational leaflet outlining fun facts on the replica. There are 12 of the most famous and interesting dinosaurs to collect!


Liquifly Water Powered Rocket ($29.99) - Age 8+





This seriously fun experiment uses air and water to power the bottle rocket more than 30 metres into the atmosphere. Within two minutes the Liquifly rocket is ready to launch - all children need is a windless day, an adult, a 1.25L soft drink bottle, a bike pump, 1-3 litres of water and a fun-loving and inquisitive attitude. Liquifly works on the same principles as other rockets, sourcing its energy from water and air to create a thrust to send it sky-high. Pack includes: fins, low launch valve, high launch valve, 6m of launch hose, release fittings and an instruction booklet.



Jitterbug Electronic Kit (14.95) - Age 8+





This robotic ladybug-will shiver and scamper her way across the room. She’s easy to assemble, requiring only the included screwdriver. A gentle introduction to the amazing world of robotics, kids of all ages will be fascinated by the jittering, skittering movement.


Construct-a-Clock ($24.99) - Age 6+








This easy-to-build clock whips up in a jiffy, and will fascinate young minds with its turning cogs and swinging pendulum. The clock is spring-driven, so requires no batteries, promotes cognitive development and is the perfect way to teach children basic mechanical principles, and how to tell the time.


Horrible Science - Shocking Rocket ($19.99) - Age 5+







Make your own water fueled rocket using the Horrible Science Shocking Rocket Kit. Simply prepare for lift off by attaching the nose cone, fins and stickers to the plastic bottle body. Fill your rocket with water, attach a bike pump and expect to get wet as you rocket blasts into the sky! The child friendly experiment leaflet explores how rockets work and includes crazy space shuttle related facts. In the box you'll find: 1 x plastic rocket, 1 x nose cone, fins, 1 x rubber stopper, 1 x valve attachment, stickers, sticky tape and an activity leaflet. The Shocking Rocket Kit does require a bike pump and bike valve adapter (not included)