Science Kits Review - CSN Stores

I posted just before Christmas that I was given an opportunity to do a review for CSN stores and gladly accepted the chance. I decided to get my kids each a science kit by Thames and Kosmos. The sets are from their little labs collection for ages 5 and up. My 5 year old is definitely better suited for the comprehension of the experiments but my 3 year old is enjoying joining in even if she's not quite grasping the why of it all.

Being that I have younger kids I wanted kits that had to do with life and earth science. My two love exploring and learning about nature. So the two kits I selected were 'Little Labs Plant Science' and 'Little Labs Weather science'.


Now I must confess, science was never one of my strongest subjects. I'm not the Mom that can just pop into the kitchen or garage assemble some materials and then wow my kids with a fun and educational science experiment. So these kits are perfect to me. They come with a book of experiments that include step by step instructions, questions about the experiments for the kids to ponder and of course the explanation. The kits also come with pretty much everything you need to do all the experiments. For example the plant kit does require you provide some seeds for a couple of the experiments. There are around 10 - 11 experiments for each set and we're still working our way through them. We have enjoyed the ones we've completed (some were more successful than others). My kids light up when I get out their science sets and can't wait to figure out which one we should attempt next. I also love that you can repeat all the experiments again and again. I know we'll get a few years out of these sets and each year I'm sure they'll grasp more about the concepts we're exploring. I loved getting the supplies too because I'm sure I'll be able to use them for other experiments we might want to try that we find from other sources. I'm very happy with our kits and plan on buying more in this series.

When the Wind Stops

Yep, we've been reading up on the wind around here and today I have another windy read. When the Wind Stops by Charlotte Zolotow and illustrated by Stefano Vitale, is another picture book read that leans towards science. In this case its a great intro to natural science. The story centers around a conversation between a mom and her son. He's inquisitive, as kids are, and not wanting his day of fun to come to an end asks why the day has to end. His mother tells him that the nothing ends, that the day is just beginning somewhere else. Their discussion flows from one natural occurrence to the next touching on topics like the cycle of seasons, the rain cycle, when the wind stops, mountains to valleys and so on. Striking, bold, modern illustrations accompany this story of the natural cycles of our world.

I shared another windy read on my post titled 'the seasons', check it out here.

I Face the Wind - science concepts

I Face the Wind by Vicki Cobb and illustrated by Julia Gorton is a great early science concept picture book. It's one part simple story and another part science book. Geared towards ages 4-8 this book will get kids excited about science and the world around them. Concepts and principles about air are clearly and simply presented as a great first introduction to young kids. Oh and did I mention engagingly presented? This is not the non-fun science book I read back in school. The illustrations are bold and colorful. They add another wonderful layer to this book that help reinforce the concepts being presented. It's filled with facts and experiments that flow together with the story. The simple supplies you'll need to the handful of experiments include: a clothes hanger, a pencil, a large plastic (grocery) bag, two identical balloons, tape and a ball. Who doesn't have these items on hand? It's great hands on fun and learning!

Try out these great books also by Vicki Cobb for more science fun: