Little Passports is a subscription box that helps kids explore the world through fun and educational activities and is one of the best subscription boxes for kids as voted by MSA readers. They offer a range of subscription options for ages 3-8+, as well as "Individual Activity Kits" that can be ordered along with any subscription at the time of purchase. This box includes science experiments, plus a comic book related to the monthly theme.
This review is of the Little Passports: Science Expeditions (recommended ages 8+) kit which when purchased monthly is $29.95, but is discounted with 6 or 12 month commitments.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
Science Expeditions: "Vision & Optics"
One would think that with spring starting over a month ago, that northern Minnesota would be seeing some warmer weather, but alas here we are in the midst of another snow storm. To keep my house from looking like a tornado after I just cleaned it, Little Passports: Science Expeditions just so happened to arrive! Featuring a theme of "Vision & Optics", my kids were excited to gain an educational background on the subject, and dive deeper into this fascinating topic. Read below to find out what we discovered this month.
Vision & Optics Comic and Activity Book
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Every month, Little Passports sends our monthly activity along with a really fun comic and activity book pertaining to the monthly theme. For the "Vision & Optics" curation, we read an exciting comic and learned all about optical illusions and laser bounce. This booklet is not only informative, but really teaches specific content using colorful and engaging story lines and activities.
Hank was a little groggy while reading this month's comic book because he had a sleepover with a buddy the night before. We are usually pretty consistent with bedtime, and it is evident how important that set schedule is. With one off night, it seems to take weeks to catch back up, and well, here we are!! While he was a little more on the cranky side than usual, he still enjoyed the comic story and the Japanese language lesson!
Vision & Optics Science Instruction Guide
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After reading through the comic book, the boys couldn't wait to dive in and see what kind of projects this month's theme would include. This month, we received the supplies for four different projects that had everything to do with vision, optics, and neuroscience. The projects have easy-to-follow instructions, and had an easy time figuring the projects out. I do want to note that these projects may require a few materials from home, so you probably want to read through the instructions fully before beginning.
Hank was my instruction reader this month, and had an easy time going through each step. Some of the information does go into quite a bit of detail, so younger kids might have a hard time processing all of the info, but should still take away the basic logistics.
Project 1: "Seeing Things"
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To create our very own camera obscura, we received a convex lens, sheet of vellum, and clay. We also had to utilize the cardboard shipping box our science kit came in. From home we needed a writing utensil, scissors, tape, and dark fabric.
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Using vision, optics, and neuroscience, Hank created a camera obscura. This device is a simple model for how your eyes work. Light enters a dark box through a small hole, and passes through a lens to make an image on a paper screen inside. The instructions looked a lot more complicated than they actually were to complete this project. Hank easily followed step 1 and 2 and moved onto adding the vellum. It was interesting to see how sharp the image would become in bright daylight versus artificial light. We did get some smudges on the lens which caused a little trouble, but nothing a little cleaning couldn't fix! This was a fascinating project, and Hank enjoyed taking it around the house!
Project 2: "Seeing Things in 3D"
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In our second project, we learned how 2D images become 3D with special glasses. It was interesting to read that comparing the red and blue-green images become 3D because seeing two different views fools your brain into thinking it's receiving clues for depth and creates the illusion that you're looking at a 3D scene. Cool!
This project was quick as it had more to do with the explanation than actually building anything. We received a set of 5 postcards called anaglyphs, and a pair of 3D glasses. It was really need to watch these images come alive, and Hank definitely was into it!
Project 3: "Blended Pictures"
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The third project was one that struck a chord with Hank as it had to do a bit with animation. Because he loves to draw, he was pretty fired up about this activity and couldn't wait to get started. Included was a set of flippers, and a wooden stick. From home we needed a ruler, scissors, art supplies, and tape.
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For this project, Hank cut a 3" square of cardboard from the flap of the shipping box. Adding the printed flipper, he taped it on two sides and added the wooden stick. Using his hands to twirl the stick, you were able to see both sides at once, mixing them together! Hank thought this was really cool, but is still working on his customized design.
Project #4: "Phantom Colors"
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For the last experiment we received 2 sheets of printed illusion disks, and a wooden top.
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While this project was hard to get photos of, Charlie jumped in to join in the fun. Utilizing discs with different patterns, there is some really neat science behind why scientists think you can see color in a spinning black and white pattern. While not complicated to make, the kids tried these discs over and over again, and mentioned that this was their very favorite activity.
Vision & Optics Science Badge
After we completed our activities, we were awarded the Vision & Optics Badge as a tribute to our hard work and play.
Verdict
Little Passports Science Expeditions has an extensive list of fun and interesting themes, and this "Vision & Optics" box was well received in our household. With four exciting projects, this was a perfect snow day adventure, as we learned about vision and neuroscience. This kit was a great way to supplement "school science" and learn along with my kids through play. All of this month's projects worked and were successful, so I think the $29.95 price point was fair, though I always like to see more projects! Overall, we had a great time learning about these fascinating science concepts, and can't wait to see what the next box might hold. What did you think about this box?
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To Wrap Up
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? You'll start with the Forensic Science box in the first month, followed by a different themed box each month thereafter.
What do you think of this month's box?
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