Oyster is a monthly STEAM-based "profession" subscription for kids ages 5-8. Each month you will receive an educational kit that was made with the help of professionals and was rigorously tested by kids, which includes equipment, information, and experiments to try out a different profession. According to Oyster, kids closer to 8 will be able to complete the tasks independently, while younger kids will require participation from their parents.
This month's box is being reviewed thanks to MSA reader request!
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Oyster
The Subscription Box: Oyster Kit
The Cost: $39.95 a month + free shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: A new profession to explore every month through STEAM learning materials, online tests, and DIY projects
Ships to: The U.S. only
Oyster "Doctor" Kit Review - November 2019
My kids were soooo excited to have the opportunity to review Oyster kit! We have seen this box pop up on Instagram and just had to check it out! Hank and Charlie are 6 and 4 and love learning through play. I can't wait to check these professions out and learn along with them!
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Safety first! Because this kit has a lot of small pieces, it is recommended for kids 5-8. Charlie is only 4, but I felt comfortable letting him participate because I was there to supervise. Some of the experiment cards include bonus material that can be found on their website. On the back of the safety instructions, they have given us information on how to access those using the QR codes.
Onto the fun stuff:
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Professional Record
The first item we received in this box is a professional record book. This cute little pamphlet has enough space for information about 12 different professions. Each month you receive a sticker based on the profession you received to apply to this book, along with what you did, and what skills you learned. I love this book and how kids can keep track of all of the "jobs" they have held! My kids loved filling this out!
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Exam Package
How cute is this envelope?! It features multiple professions through clipart and is jam-packed with the essentials to be a good healthcare professional. We received 3 X-rays, 5 patient examinations forms, 4 different healthcare-related badges, experiment cards, and the doctor sticker. We especially loved the X-rays and the patient examination forms. I suggest copying one for future printing because we had all of these filled out in no time! The experiments were also very fun, and educational (as you will see below).
How cute are these exam forms? Definitely make copies of these!
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Name Badge/Lanyard
No healthcare professional would be complete without their name badge! I am loving that they included this because I happened to be a Medical Technologist for 6 years, and my kids thought it was awesome!
Stethoscope
What kind of doctor would you be without a stethoscope?! The best part is that it really works! There is a disclaimer that advises you not to "thump" it or place it next to sound sources such as TVs or speakers. All of us loved listening to each other's heartbeats, especially after doing the jumping jack experiment.
Dr. Hank performing Charlie's check-up!
Now it's Dr. Charlie's turn!
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Cardboard Splint
Next up is this cardboard splint. While it is cardboard, I have to say it is really well made. I love that they attached snaps to create a very realistic splint! It was easy to fold, and the instructions were very helpful. My son asked if he could wear it to school, but decided that would be a poor decision for gym class!
I love how it can be folded to fit a child or an adult!
All bandaged up and ready to go!
Bandage Tape
To operate the splint correctly, you need bandage tape. I am thankful they sent 2 rolls, and the 2 different colors were really fun! My kids are pretty much splint experts now because of this!
Dentist Tools
I think this may have been Charlie's favorite tool in the box! Having just been at the dentist last week, he was absolutely stoked to have his own mirror just like Dr. Gustafson!
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Doctor Costume
To top it off, they sent a light lab coat, a pair of gloves, and a mask to complete the doctor ensemble. We received the lab coat in a size small and it fit perfectly, but I would be a little concerned about it not fitting an 8-year-old. Besides that, it was great and the kids were taking turns to wear it.
Hank MT, ASCP certified.
Charlie MT, ASCP certified.
Teeth and Filling Material
Isn't this cool?! I love that they sent a plaster mold of teeth with "cavities" and the filling to fix them! This was definitely Charlie's favorite. He spent over an hour playing with this!
Charlie was concentrating very hard on the cavities laid out before him!
Being a dentist is tough work!
"Open up, Hank!"
This is the page you are brought to when you scan the QR code on the Dentist experiment card. I am definitely going to try this once I have the ingredients. Watching the video was such a great visual for why we brush our teeth! I don't think they will be asking for a drink of soda anytime soon!
Blood Cells
As a Lab Tech, I lovvvvvved working in the Blood Bank, so seeing these test tubes filled with little plastic balls representing the different types of cells was a little magical for me. My kids know my passion for these sorts of things, so they really thought this was neat.
Petri Dish
Here is where the mixing happens- check out below for what on earth we created in here!
Plasma (slime)
Slime is all the rage in our house, and this snotty consistency really worked well in place of plasma!
Following the directions of the cards above, we opened the "plasma" and some in our petri dish.
Then it was time to add the blood cells! (This was definitely my favorite part!)
Here is our blood cell slime! I love that they included the 4 main components of blood, but would have liked a little more info about what each type of cell does. With my background, I had answers to my kids' questions, but feel some people may not.
They also included an experiment to do with sugar. You pour a small amount of "blood" into a test tube, add water, and pour in the sugar. After letting it sit, you will see particles forming which are "cholesterol plaques." It is a great visual of what happens when we eat lots of candy and don't exercise. A real eye-opener!
They also have included a QR link on how to make a model of the heart pumping blood. While I didn't have the materials to create this, it was really interesting to watch!
Verdict: This was my first month of Oyster kit and I loved it! They really pulled out all the stops with this kit. Not only were my boys able to be doctors, but they also were dentists, lab technologists, and therapists as well! It really opened their eyes to other healthcare professions that some people might not know about. I feel this box was very well curated, very educational, and very fun. There were a variety of experiments, and pretty much everything could be used over and over again. I can't wait to find out which profession we will get to try next month!
It took my boys a couple of hours to do all of the experiments in this box once. With the quality of the physical items received, the education factor, and the overall curation, I feel the $39.95 price point is fair. I wish they would have printed more exam sheets and sent another pair of gloves, but overall I feel it is worth it.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Possibly; it depends on kit availability.
For more great options for kids, check out our list of the best subscription boxes for kids for 2019!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of Oyster?
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