Kids can learn anything they put their minds to. Science kits are a great way not only to entertain the young ones while also exposing their minds to something educational. As a child I remember my first science kit, it was a simple microscope and old fossils. Getting that gift for my 10th birthday may have been the spark to ignite my career in medicine as a Family Medicine Physician. I cannot promise the same thing however a science kit can open an entirely new world for your child and is worth consideration as a gift for birthdays or Christmas.
The list I made is some of the most popular and best science kits for kids to enjoy.
What Things Should You Look in the Science Kits for Kids?
Here are 4 things you need to consider before purchasing your child’s first science kit
- Age Group: Is this kit for young kids or is it for teenagers?
- Preparation time: Are the activities very hands-off or does it require a lot of assembly?
- STEM focus- Is this kit more for entertainment or are you trying to get something more educational?
- Price: Are you trying to spend frugally or does not price not matter?
The 15 Best Science Kits for Kids
- The Magic School Bus Chemistry Lab
Pros: Great price, a very nostalgic chemistry kit for those who watch the show, very simple experiments to do
Cons: Small parts that are a choking hazard for young children, made of cheaper plastic, could have more experiments
What Customers Say: “This was such a great choice! My son (8) is getting more and more interested in science, and this seemed like the best bang for the buck. It arrived in excellent time.”
[amazon box=”B00H1C749K”]
Average review: 4.5 stars
- Learn & Climb Kids Science Kit
Pros: Over 65 experiments, made of durable plastic equipment, includes experiments for biology, chemistry, physics and earth science, very simple and quick experiments
Cons: Expensive, so many pieces can make parts easy to lose
[amazon box=”B077LV5ZP1″]
Average review: Reviews not available
- Scientific Explorer Magic Science Kit for Wizard
Pros: Very professional looking kit, made of good materials, easy to follow instructions
Cons: Have to buy some of the basic ingredients, experiments can be repetitive
What Customers Say: “The kit comes with everything you need, and all of it comes in cute little pouches or bottles. You also get four big test tubes with a stand, two mini scoopers, and a plastic wand..”
[amazon box=”B000NQMAFO”]
Average review: 4.5 stars
- Ultimate DIY Glow in the Dark Slime Kit
Pros: Over 10 recipes to make slime, very fun for kids of any age, simple to follow instructions
Cons: May not have enough supplies for all 10 experiments, will have to buy another kit as one box will only be enough for one child
[amazon box=”B072MPJ3TW”]
What Customers Say: “Bought this kit for my 9-year old son’s birthday, and he loved it. Everything you need was right in the kit, and portioned out so that he didn’t have large containers of “ingredients” to deal with. He was able to make it by himself, without a lot of mess.”
Average review: 4 stars
- Playz STEM A+ Kids Chemistry Junior Experiments
Pros: Over 32 experiments, for kids who truly are interested in STEM fields as it talks about pH, bonds, and states of matter, comes with lab coats and goggles to make it look very professional
Cons: It is an expensive kit, not as fun for younger kids
[amazon box=”B075RKPBYN”]
What Customers Say: “We purchased this for our 9-year-old grandson. He did several experiments with Grandad and they both enjoyed themselves so much. The goggles, lab coat, and gloves were a hit with our grandson – definitely made him take his science experiment more seriously and added to the fun. Great purchase!”
Average review: 4 stars
- SmartLab Toys Ultimate Secret Formula Lab
Pros: People love the volcano reaction, a wide variety of experiments
Cons: Due to its price a lot of the parts are reported to break including the plungers and seals
[amazon box=”B0176IESBK”]
What Customers Say: “My son loves it. There are a few small things I’d change about it, but for a 9-year-old, it’s fantastic. He has a lot of fun with this. There are all kinds of things for him to learn about.”.
Average review: 3.5 stars
- Fun with Fragrance Perfume Science Kit
Pros: A perfect kit to get girls into STEM, over 13 experiments, not only perfumes can create bath salts and fragrances
Cons: A lot of assembly time will take the fun out, not a wide variety of fragrances as you would think
[amazon box=”B075RMXTJS”]
What Customers Say: “Bought this for my daughter. She is 11yrs old & loves making slime so this is along the same lines of mixing chemicals. It is very easy for her to mix her own fragrances and she is happy with the results.”
Average review: 4.5 stars
- National Geographic Crystal Growing Lab (Comes in Blue, Red, Green as well)
Pros: High-quality material guaranteed by National Geographic’s 100% satisfaction guarantee, very good price
Cons: Harder to do with younger children, does take one week for the crystal to grow, the crystals do not glow in the dark that well
[amazon box=”B01C3DSKTY”]
What Customers Say: “This is perfect. I love that I can put the day in my purse or pocket and I am set for the day. As a side note when you pull out your new pill pod you know what day it is.”
Average review: 4 stars
- BOOM! Kids Chemistry Science Kit
Pros: Over 25 different experiments, can make rockets for boys or sparkling effects for girls, has a link to Stem.Org for further explanations into the science of the kit
Cons: The experiments are not that exciting, for the price the parts are cheaply made
[amazon box=”B01L2SFD14″]
What Customers Say: “. It comes with salt, baking soda, iron, and citric acid for your “chemicals” as well as a ton of pieces of “lab equipment” there is a book as well that has a lot of experiments listed which also explains why the chemical reaction is happening.”
Average review: 4 stars
- Swpeet 240 Piece Molecular Model Kit for Chemistry
Pros: An advanced kit for the serious young chemist, as fun as Legos but more educational
Cons: The containers are too small, the pieces are choking hazards for younger children
[amazon box=”B072BY1YG4″]
What Customers Say: “A very nice kit for molecular demonstrations/visualizations. If you have many molecules to construct as I did for a chemistry lab, you should order more than one kit.”
Average review: 4.5 stars
- Yellow Scope Foundation Chemistry STEM Kit for Girls
Pros: Award-winning kit as Best Educational Toy, over 19 experiments with fun facts and quizzes, the perfect kit to expose young girls to STEM
Cons: Not as challenging for older kids over 8, it is one of the most expensive kits out there
[amazon box=”B00WLB025O”]
What Customers Say: “My niece wanted a niece kit for her birthday. I wasn’t sure she would even give it the time of day. The next morning she was doing experiments with her Mom and Dad.”
Average review: 4.5 stars
- Crayola Color Chemistry Set for Kids
Pros: Over 50 total activities to do, great interesting and educational kit for kids 7-10, made by Crayola scientists to make it as fun and educational as possible
Cons: Not all of the experiments are successful especially the ones with the silicone compounds, some parts of the kit get used up quicker than others
[amazon box=”B07B958BPR”]
What Customers Say: “The main reason is that the kids are still just in love playing “science”. The directions have been thrown out and they just go to town and are completely entertained. Both the 4 and 8-year-old are in love. Complete imagination takes over and it’s lovely.”
Average review: 5 stars
- Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing
Pros: STEM science kit that is cheaply priced, very easy to do experiments that are colorful and exciting
Cons: Experiments are not very creative, not all parts included with the kit
[amazon box=”B000BURAP2″]
What Customers Say: “This science kit is perfect for my son. I got it for his 6th birthday and we’ve been having so much fun doing the experiments. It came with nearly all of the supplies except for simple things you have in your home like baking flour and water.”
Average review: 4.5 stars
- Be Amazing Toys Big Bag of Science
Pros: Over 70 total activities, a wide variety of activities including instant snow to gravity goo to fizzing solutions, very affordable price
Cons: Not made for children older than 7, the instructions are very long at times
[amazon box=”B0034N7OZO”]
What Customers Say: “I would highly recommend this kit. I don’t understand how people are labeling it overpriced. Getting the test tubes alone is almost half of the cost. By the time you find all the chemicals and magnet and iron filings that come with it – you are probably looking at $50 or more.”
Average review: 4.5 stars
- FIZZ! Chemistry Science Kit
Pros: Very interactive and entertaining experiments, over 30 activities
Cons: The kit does not last for long, small on print on the instructions can make it hard to follow the experiments
[amazon box=”B074CFWD8R”]
What Customers Say: “Adorable travel pill case – easy to remember your vitamins all week. It is small and convenient and I have gotten a lot of compliments on it. Highly recommend!”
Average review: 4 stars
Author BIO
Dr. CHRISTIAN-JEVON BRAMWELL MD
Christian Bramwell, MD uses his own weight loss story as teaching for people struggling with their own weight through blogging, teaching, and writing. His mission in life is to promote health and education, that is why he has chosen to be a family physician and found his own nonprofit Project RAK based on education and empowerment.
NPI (Doctor proof number) – 1336632918 NPI Number: