When it comes to finding exciting and unique gifts for children, the Science Mad! Crystal Growing Lab will certainly fit this description. The kit is designed to help children learn all about and grow their own crystals with a series of different experiments. The kit enables children to grow different types of crystals and different coloured crystals which can then be displayed on the included display stand. The Science Mad! Crystal Growing Lab is part of a larger collection of products to help children explore and learn.
The kit includes a detailed instruction booklet which gives clear instructions of how to grow the crystals as well as the chemicals and apparatus needed. There is a lot included in the box which makes the retail price of £19.99 seem very reasonable indeed. Included in the instruction booklet are interesting facts about the science of crystals and a table to record your findings and progress.There were lots of exciting types of crystal that could be grown including an exciting crystal tree and crystal rainbow- I would have adored that as a child!
We decided to try activity 1 listed in the instruction booklet and here's how we got on.
Firstly we needed boiling water so it was vital I helped my little boy with this part to prevent an accident with the kettle. Next we added the specified amount of Ammonium Dihydrogen Phosphate and gave it a stir. Once it was cooled somewhat, we could pour it into the hexagonal container included in the kit.
We then were required to add some food colouring which would determine the colour of our crystal. We chose the bright blue colour! I found it quite fiddly to get the required amount out the bottle as it seemed a little thick so I believe a little more was added than specified but it didn't appear to affect the end result!
After a further 30 minutes, we could then add the required amount of Aluminium Potassium Sulphate which sank to the bottom of the container.
Now all that was left was to wait.
After a couple of days, we could see that something was beginning to grow. Over the next few days we could definitely see our crystal getting bigger and taking shape. After 7 days we were able to carefully pour away the liquid and were left with the beautiful crystal.
My little boy was thrilled with the crystal and is looking forward to taking it in to school to show his teacher and classmates.
I was impressed with the crystal growing kit and believe it's great value for money and something that will keep children engaged and interested. It's educational which is always a bonus as it helps foster curiosity and a passion for learning. Parental guidance is definitely needed for all the experiments and it should also be noted that there's a few experiments where you need a few more items than is included in the box- you can definitely get started on certain experiments though without these items.
The Science Mad! Crystal Growing Kit would make a great gift for children and they will just love showcasing their crystal creations. You can shop the Science Mad! collection which includes the Science Mad! Chemistry Lab and the Science Mad! Planetarium Star Globe at Smyths Toys.
For your chance to win a Science Mad! Crystal Growing Kit, just enter via the widget below! Good luck!
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