MEL Chemistry is a subscription box for kids ages 10-16+ from parent company MEL Science that sends all of the materials you need to complete 2-3 chemistry experiments every month. This is perfect for kids who are interested in science or for homeschool students!
This is a review of MEL Chemistry (for ages 10-16+), which costs $34.90 per month.
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This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
Check out our reviews for MEL Physics (ages 8-14+) and MEL Kids (ages 5-9+) to see what else MEL Science has to offer!
First Impressions
Everything was packaged neatly and wrapped individually. This made the setup for each experiment easy to navigate.
Starter Kit & More
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Before we get into this month's box, I want to quickly highlight a few of the extra features that we have access to. Firstly, your free starter kit (valued at $50.00) will come in your first shipment. It includes all of the equipment you'll need to conduct your experiments each month and even includes some accessories for your tablet or smartphone to help you access all of the information they provide in their apps. To see more details about everything we received in our kit, you can check out our Starter Kit review here!
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Also included with our Starter Kit was this virtual reality headset. This cardboard headset folds up easily and then you slip your phone into the slot and use their free MEL VR app. The VR app opens up in a lab where we have the opportunity to learn about different molecules and atoms and explore them closely.
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While they provide individual cards for each experiment, we also have the option of accessing the directions through the app, which provides a more interactive way to complete the experiments. Here is a look at how the app is set up. It's well-organized and easy to use with information on safe disposal, some troubleshooting tips, and a scientific description of what happens during the experiment. You can even set a reminder to start the experiment.
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The app gives so much detail about each of the reagents including a description, hazards, precautions, and even a link to the Wikipedia page for further information. So thorough! And it's even more fun if you interact through the VR app!
What's Inside the Box
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The back of the box gives a breakdown of everything that is included in the box for the experiments, and what we need to grab from the starter kit. I love that everything is listed so clearly on the box, it made preparation simple which I really appreciate since I had two impatient scientists ready to get to work!
My little scientists were in their gear and ready to explore!
Experiment 1: Igniting Iron
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Our first experiment was "Igniting Iron" where we discovered if iron wool would actually burn. We made a hypothesis and got started setting everything up. The booklet also recommends doing this experiment in dim lighting so we made our kitchen as dark as possible as you can on a snowy afternoon.
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We started by putting together the pocket stove that was in our starter kit. Once that was put together we placed the foil square inside. Next, it was time to fluff the wool before placing it on the stove on top of the foil.
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The next step was to light the wool and see if it would burn! The booklet notes that this can get really hot so you want an adult to do this part of the experiment. We made sure our kiddos stayed further back until we knew exactly what was going to happen in the little stove.
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What we found is that the wool did in fact burn, but not in the same way that say a piece of paper burns. Basically, the heat quickly builds in the fine threads of the iron wool. The iron reacts with oxygen which then produces heat, but the burning doesn't produce flames. The iron and oxygen bind together which makes the wool heavy so the iron isn't releasing particles (flames) - instead it all stays contained in the woven pieces of iron wool. It was amazing to see the wool burning, but the flames never got any bigger than what you can see in the photos. It was this sort of moving light of fire that would quickly get lighter. My kids really loved watching this experiment, and it allowed us to put our hypothesis skills to the test!
Experiment 2: Fire Foam
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The next experiment was "Fire Foam" where we make hydrogen soap bubbles and see if they will catch on fire. Bubbles burning? My kids were really excited to see what this was all about!
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Our experiment started by mixing the liquid soap and water together.
We built our makeshift gas generator with parts from this box and the starter kit. This is a very important tool in creating the bubbles.
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Next, we added water to our flask which we got from our starter kit. The first item we added to the water was sodium hydrogen sulfate, followed by sodium carbonate, and finally three strips of magnesium. Swirl everything in the flask together.
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Then we were able to put our gas generator to allow the hydrogen gas to fill the soap and water with bubbles. Once this is all together, let it sit for one minute.
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The final step was to ignite the foam and see if it would burn. This part was really cool, but it happens so quickly I couldn't get a great photo of it. It also happened so quickly that my kids barely saw that the bubbles do in fact burn! As soon as the flames hit the bubbles you see the burst of flames and hear a popping sound and then it smells almost like a burning sparkler. So what did we learn?! Hydrogen gas and oxygen together will create even a tiny spark!
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $34.90 per month
ACTIVE DEAL: Use code FREEBOX to get your first box free w/new subscription
CODE: BOGO
This box felt so professional! We received two experiments this month and were able to use tools that were very new and unique to all of us. While the experiments were hard for my kids to be truly hands-on with since they involved fire, they really loved getting everything together, creating a hypothesis, watching, and learning. We spent time as a family doing this together which was a lot of fun for all of us. Even though my husband and I were "in charge", we both were able to learn right along with our kids. This was such a quality box with clear instructions and all materials provided. What a wonderful value to have fun while learning!
Key Takeaways
My kids recently got hooked on a Netflix show called Emily's Wonder Lab, so they were very eager to do their own science experiments. This box really makes it easy as a parent to bring science safely into your home! I loved that everything was included and labeled well so I wasn't nervous navigating each experiment. I do hope that the next set of experiments allows the kids to be a bit more hands-on, but so far this was an amazing first experience for my family! If you have a budding chemist in your life, this box is such a great way to open their world to new and fascinating experiments that are safe and easy to do at home!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add MEL Chemistry to your subscription list or wishlist!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, it is possible that you will receive this set. From MEL Chemistry:
"The topics are looped such that the start date of your subscription does not matter; you will eventually receive all the experiment sets."
ACTIVE DEAL: Use code FREEBOX to get your first box free w/new subscription
CODE: BOGO
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