Club SciKidz Labs is a subscription box for children ages 7 and older. Each month your box will be filled with lab equipment and hands-on STEM activities, science experiments and engineering projects.
The first box that you will receive is the Welcome Box which includes an exclusive Lab Notebook you can use for experiments in future boxes.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
About Club SciKidzLabs
The Subscription Box: Club SciKidz Labs
The Cost: $29.95 per month + free shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 20% off your first box!
CODE: NEW17
The Products: Each monthly lab kit includes hands-on STEM activities, science experiments, engineering projects, nature crafts, lab equipment and various other items.
Ships to: U.S. and Canada
Club SciKidz Labs March 2018 Review
Included in the box is a card titled “What’s in the Box?” which lists the items, experiments, and activities included in the box. This month’s box is about Veterinary Medicine.
The included Welcome Activity Guide includes an introduction to Veterinary Medicine, a lab safety checklist, and a table of contents. They also include some science vocabulary related to the specific experiments and projects in the box. All of the information is incredibly useful and they even have a chart on the back describing Experimental Design which is a great reference to have.
The book details the experiments and projects in the box and includes several extension activities in the back which I think is great! There is a section of 20 Micro Experiments and Observations that provide fun ways to explore the projects further if you wanted. In your Welcome Box, you will receive a Lab Notebook that you can use to record these observations. The last section is entitled Scientists That Inspire and this month they featured veterinarian, Dr. Michelle Oakley.
Each month they include a “science surprise” in the form of a candy and a little toy. This month we received a set of cat eye marbles and a gummy gecko. Cute, fun and perfect for the theme!
Experiment #1
The first experiment in the book was Yeast Ear Infection. They discussed how dogs can get yeast infections and then listed the materials and procedures for the experiment. They keep everything organized by putting all of the materials for each experiment in its own bag. I loved that they put a little (you provide) emphasis on the materials that we needed to get ourselves. We just needed water, a spoon, a measuring cup and measuring spoons.
The directions were clear and easy to follow. We simply mixed up the yeast, sugar, and water and then poured it into the included tube. Then we put our balloon on top and set it aside until we were ready to observe the balloon filled with gas. Very simple, but we practiced some good skills such as measuring and observing. An older kid would be able to do this easily on their own. I also appreciated that they included two tubes and four balloons. Lots of extras for mistakes or for repeat experiments.
Nature Project
The next activity was our Nature Project. We got to make an endangered animal keychain. They included 4 animals and a name tag for us to color in. We had to provide the Sharpies, a baking sheet, foil, scissors, a hole punch and the oven. We colored in our animals and then I cut them out and punched a hole in the marked spot. Then we put them on the baking sheet in the oven for 1 minute.
I was surprised at how much these shrunk up! They were very small and thick which made them perfect for a little keychain. The only issue was that our hole shrunk too much and our chain didn’t fit through. I might have left them in the oven a little too long, but I think my husband can easily drill the hole a little bigger to fit on the keychain. I like that we got to create something that we can keep and use.
Heart Pump
The next project was a Heart Pump project. They discussed how pigs’ hearts work similarly to humans and how this would demonstrate how a heart chamber works. They provided everything except for the tape and water.
The first step was just to cut off the bottom of a balloon (again, they included extras which is awesome!) and then we stretched it over the included cup which we had filled with water. We used the skewer to poke two holes in the top and inserted our straws. Then we attached our “valve” which was just the cut off end of the balloon to one straw using tape.
Next, we got to see what happened when we pushed on the center of the balloon. Sorry, the videos aren’t the greatest, but my kids are little and needed some help pumping while I filmed! While they definitely didn’t understand the concept since they are 3 and 20 months old, they had a lot of fun pumping it and seeing the water come out of the straws. I feel like an older kid would definitely appreciate this activity and get a kick out of it.
Vet Emergency First Aid Kit
While this wasn’t exactly an activity, they included some supplies for a Vet Emergency First Aid Kit. It was just a little baggy with some alcohol pads, a spray bottle, cotton balls and a roll of bandage. They also had an emergency reference sheet that I folded up and put inside the baggie for my daughter to keep. There is an option to purchase a stethoscope for $5.00 from Club SciKidz Labs if you wanted.
One of the extension activities for the vet kit was to practice using it on your stuffed animals. My daughter LOVED this. We got her puppy and she pretended to spray him with the bottle, then wiped him off with a cotton ball and I bandaged him up for her. I love that the bandage was bright green and that it was the self-sticking kind so it was super easy to apply to even the smallest of pet legs. Several of her animals happened to need emergency assistance that day and their bandages are all still holding up.
Another item in the box was this bone shaped cookie cutter. They included this to use with one of the “Secret Formulas” for making homemade dog biscuits. We don’t have any dogs to make this for, but one of their suggestions was to make some for a local animal shelter which I think is a great idea that I would never have thought of. It would be a nice lesson on community service and a fun activity.
Verdict: This was our first monthly box from Club SciKidz Labs and I was impressed to see that it was almost as packed with materials as our Welcome Box. I think that the Vet theme was so much fun and again there was a broad range of activities to appeal to kids.This month we had to supply a bit more from home, but it was nothing that was too difficult or that most homes wouldn’t have readily available.
Everything was well organized, clear and easy to follow, which I appreciate as a parent. I love all of the scientific information that is included and kids are sure to love the science surprises, which are just a bonus on top of the activities. They really seem to think about what will appeal to kids and find a way to combine science and imagination to spark their creativity and inspire learning.
This box costs $29.95 and I think that was a great value for everything that was included, especially if you are using this as an educational supplement!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? All subscribers will receive this Welcome Box to get their labs started! Each month after there is a different themed box. Spoiler: see here for a complete list.
Coupon - Use code NEW17 to save 10% off your first box!
Check out all of our Club SciKidz Labs reviews and more activity boxes for kids ages 5-8 and ages 9-12 in the Kids Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of Club SciKidz Labs?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.