MEL STEM (formerly MEL Kids) is a subscription box for children ages 5-9+ that delivers educational activities and everything you need to safely perform hands-on STEM projects at home. There is also an augmented reality portion you can access via their app for more learning fun!
This is a review of MEL Science's MEL STEM box (ages 5-9+), which costs $34.90 per month.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
This month it looks like we are making our own infinity portal using lights and mirrors. I actually made a similar device with the MEL Physics subscription so I knew that this would be a fun project for my daughter!
They provided a little card that we can scan with the app to directly access the lesson.
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Here is a look at the AR (augmented reality) section accessible from the MEL STEM app. This portion of the project is so unique and always very educational! They show you exactly how your project works and what happens, making sure to explain it in scientific terms. It is interactive and provides a great visual for kids to engage with. Now let's get into this month's project!
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This thick, colorful booklet contains all of the information needed for this month's project. The beginning shows the contents of our box followed by a comic story introducing us to the project. The rest of the book is filled with directions and some extra activities to complete. The directions feature large colorful illustrations and numbered steps making it easy for kids to follow along. This month our booklet felt extra full of helpful educational information!
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Everything came packaged neatly for us with all of our components tucked inside these two boxes. There were plenty of mirrors, wooden pieces, a string of LED lights, stickers, and a few other items for our project.
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Since the directions are all visual and larger than your average instructions, my daughter is easily able to follow them and complete the steps on her own. She always begins by checking to make sure she has all of the components listed on the table of contents.
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The first step was to tape two of our rectangle mirrors together and then open them up to do some mirror patterns.
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We also counted the reflections at different angles. I loved how these activities served as an introduction for us.
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Next, she used the rectangle mirrors and the base paper they provided to make her own kaleidoscope. There were a few stickers that she was able to put down on the clear circle they provided and that just got stuck to the end of her triangle tube. I loved how simple this was and she loved the result!
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Now it was time to build our portal. She took the frame and added some sticky squares to it before placing one mirror on top. Then she peeled the adhesive from the light strip and secured it to the inside edges of the frame. This was easy because it was cut to the exact length for us. Lastly, she placed another mirror on the other side.
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She assembled the frame and placed the unit on top.
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Then she was amazed at the results! it really was pretty cool! So simple, but such an effective lesson on reflection!
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They even included some extra materials so that she could wear the mirror. It also included two different frame-type pieces she could slide in to make it look more stylish for a new effect.
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They included these challenge cards that we decided to explore with our larger rectangle mirror.
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I loved that there were even more activities to explore between the cards and the booklet!
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $34.90
I thought this was a really great MEL STEM box and my daughter had an awesome time with it! I loved that there were so many different projects and ways to explore reflections. The booklet was chock full of information and not only did we make an infinity portal, but she also made a small kaleidoscope and had an extra mirror to work with for her challenge cards.
Key Takeaways
This box had a really fun and engaging theme, was well organized, and it had so much educational information to use and explore in different ways. This was a fun box that we definitely enjoyed!
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To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, this box is still available. From MEL STEM:
"Your first package will arrive within 2 weeks of registration. Subsequent monthly packages will be delivered within 2 weeks of each monthly charge."
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