The Old Schoolhouse® Product & Curriculum Reviews
| With so many products available we often need a little help in making our curriculum choices. The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine family understands because we are in the same boat! Do you need more information on a product before you buy? With over 5,500 products listed in 52 easy-to-use categories, much of the information you need to know is only a click away! Let our reviewer-families help yours. |
Do you want to get the word out about your product or service to the homeschool community? Email Jenny Higgins and share a little about what you´d like showcased, and we can help with that!
|
The Best of “Watch Mr. Wizard” Vol. 1 DVD / “Mr. Wizard's World” Vol. 1 DVD Review by Lori Moffit
Mr. Wizard Studios, Inc.(877) 467-9492
188 Dapplegrey Rd.
West Hills, CA 91307
http://www.mrwizardstudios.com/
My children and I recently reviewed two DVD’s, “The Best of Watch Mr. Wizard” Vol. 1, and “Mr. Wizard’s World” Vol. 1, both available for purchase http://www.mrwizardstudios.com. “Watch Mr. Wizard” Vol. 1 is available for the price of $14.95, while “Mr. Wizard’s World” Vol. 1 is $17.95.
When I was offered this review, I jumped at it, for two reasons. First, I am currently recovering from surgery, and my boys and I could easily review this, we just had to watch the DVD’s! But more importantly, I wanted it because I have a fond childhood memory of a Mr. Wizard book that I got from the library when I was young, and used instructions from it to make a beautiful crystal garden in a fish bowl, using charcoal, food coloring, bluing, and I don’t recall what else.
While we all enjoyed watching both of these DVD’s, I preferred watching “The Best of Watch Mr. Wizard” Vol. 1. This DVD has four episodes from the original hit TV series of the 1950’s and 1960’s, which is more from MY childhood. The episodes are themed as follows:
#1 – Heat Transfer
#2 – Adhesives
#3 – Electricity
#4 – Animal Motion
My boys at first were not so sure they would enjoy taking time away from their electronic games to watch these DVD’s with me (especially since “The Best of Watch Mr. Wizard” Vol. 1 has a running time of two hours, and “Mr. Wizard’s World” Vol. 1 has a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes), but lo and behold, they all four sat with rapt attention, commenting often about the things they were learning and found so interesting. They were disappointed when I told them they had to wait until the next day to watch the second DVD!
The next day, we watched “Mr. Wizard’s World” Vol. 1. This DVD also has four episodes, but from the TV show that was on in the 1980’s and 1990’s, on the Nickelodeon Channel. I had not even known that Mr. Wizard had a TV show during that time! The four episodes on this DVD actually look to me as if they are segments from various programs. My kids especially liked segments called “A Homemade Volcano”, Impossible Holes”, “Flour Explosion” (of course they LOVED this one, they are boys, after all!), and “Bleach Art”.
All in all, we were pleased with both DVD’s, although as I said previously, my personal favorite was “The Best of Watch Mr. Wizard”, because it brings back my own memories of Mr. Wizard from when I was a child. In fact, I wouldn’t mind acquiring the other seven volumes (available here), if I could fit them into our budget!
If your kids like science at all, I think they will enjoy watching these DVD’s, and if you are a child of either the 1950’s, 1960’s, or the 1980’s or 1990’s, I think you will enjoy the nostalgic feeling when you watch them. My four boys, who range in age from 12 – 20 all enjoyed them very much!
Product Review by Lori Moffit, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, 2013
