A few weeks ago, I asked Mazzy what her favorite subject is in school. “Science,” she told me. I was surprised. I always hated science as a kid. Looking back though, I think I just had an awful teacher. He was mean, yelled often and gave pop quizzes. I think if you asked any kid who went to my elementary school, they would tell you the same— Science was the WORST. Thanks, Mr. Cooper.

Then I went to Mazzy’s parent teacher conference and met with her science teacher, a woman who seemed lovely. She talked about an experiment they were doing with a gooey substance to see what happened to it over time. “That sounds like Mazzy’s experiments with slime,” I said. The teacher spoke about test tubes and weather patterns and an activity where the kids had to stack cups without using their hands. They came up with a system that involved working together and rubber bands. I could completely understand why Mazzy was so taken with science— it was hands-on, it was valuable information that you could immediately apply to your real life (unlike, say, long division) and it involved a lot of team work.

When MindWare reached out to me to promote their Science Academy Chemistry Kits for kids, I got really excited. Not only are they educational, they involve things like cosmetic chemistry, crystal making, perfumes and of course, SLIME.

I knew Mazzy and Harlow would LOVE them.

I went through their site and picked a bunch to give to the kids as gifts for Hanukah. The first two kits I gave them were the Lava Lip Gloss Lab for Harlow and the Squishy Ball Lab for Mazzy. The kits are mostly for 8+, but I knew Mazzy would be happy to help Harlow.

Each kit came with all the ingredients you needed for your creations, as well as test tubes, canisters, droppers and measuring cups.

There was a detailed instruction booklet with pictures and kid-friendly instructions. Mazzy could follow it easily on her own and whenever an adult was needed to help, it said so. There were also several variable ingredients, so you could use your own creativity to make something unique or experiment with different concoctions.

First, they made the Squishy Balls. They combined glue, activator, and food coloring in a dish and then were able to add beads or sparkles, also supplied with the kit.

Once the mixture was mixed, and appropriately slimy, Mazzy pushed the substance through a funnel into a balloon to make the ball. I helped tie it closed.

At the end, she was quite proud of herself and asked to bring her slime ball to school. She also talked about what ingredients she would switch up to make her next squishy ball.

Then she couldn’t wait to help Harlow get started on her Lava Lip Gloss.

Harlow’s ingredients were a bit messier. They included glycerin, essential oils (watermelon and vanilla) and shimmery powder in a variety of colors. Mazzy was surprised by how they combined together.

They used a measuring cup to pour the glycerin into the lip gloss canister, then mixed the powder with the essential oil of their choice and used a dropper to insert it into the glycerin.

The result was a clear gloss that had colored shimmer traveling up and down the canister when you flipped it over, kind of like a lava lamp.

Harlow was IMPRESSED.

I wish I could give you a full review of each of the Science Academy Chemistry Sets, but the truth is, the kits were such a success that I saved them to give as Hanukah gifts this past weekend, so they haven’t played with all yet. I already know that Harlow is going to love the Bath Bomb Lab, because she saw it and FLIPPED OUT, begging me to give it to her for Hanukah that night.

I am also pretty positive that Mazzy is going to love the Robot Lab, because in addition to building cute little robots, you get to program a course with coding and explore the powers of magnetic attraction.

I am planning on giving Mazzy the Deluxe Shimmer Lab for her birthday, because I think it could be really fun to do with her friends at her sleepover party this coming weekend. The lab gives you all the ingredients to test out cosmetic chemistry, with shimmery soaps and bath bombs.

When I was younger, I always thought of science experiments involving things like dissecting frogs and analyzing rock formations. My first taste of chemistry was in 11th grade and I totally dreaded it. If I had known science was behind the formulas of lip glosses and bath products, I might have felt a lot differently. I remember mixing shampoos and conditioners in my bathroom, but I never had the right ingredients or instructions to create anything that was actually meaningful and cool.

The slime craze really is awesome for our kids when you think about it. My favorite moment was when Mazzy wiggled her rubber gloved hands at me and said, “I’m an evil scientist!”

And then Harlow said, “And I’m her trusty assistant!”

Maybe, when the slime craze dies down, Mazzy and Harlow’s Sibling Science Team will move on to other interesting experiments, like rocket building and eco forensics, because the Science Academy has kits for those too.

Look at that. I’ve already got my gifts planned for Hanukkah 2019!

Giveaway: Three winners, Two MindWare Science Academy Kits Each

Want to win two Science Academy kits from MindWare? You can choose from any two kits, up to $50 total. You must be a Mommy Shorts subscriber to enter. If you are not already a subscriber, you can subscribe here. Then, visit MindWare Science Academy and tell me which two kits you think your kid would be most interested in. I’ll pick three winners from the comments below on December 17th, who will each win their two selections!

Good luck!

WINNER UPDATE: Congratulations to Catherine Kaslusky, Ashley Sager and Anne Pham! Please email allie@mommyshorts.com to claim your prize!