As a mom to many kids, I am a huge fan of little boxed kits and activities that help break up the mundane days and keep my kids off of screens. Especially on rainy days or hot summer days.  These little science kits from TEDCO Toys did not disappoint.

We first reviewed the Dino Movies Stop Motion Animation set. The kit came with everything needed to be able to create do-it-yourself stop animation movies, which my boys are huge fans of. The kid includes creature-creating clay, 2 interchangeable wrap-around studios, props, 3D motion stickers, modeling tools, detailed guidebook, and a phone stand.  You can use a stop motion app of your choice to create the little films. Though the supplies were made of simple materials like foam, cardstock, and modeling clay, they were all that was needed to provide a fun afternoon on a hot summer day. My kids thoroughly enjoyed making the films and even had me judge which film was the best. Overall, it was a fun product and easy for the kids to play with and figure out with little supervision from me, which, of course, adds bonus points.

Next we reviewed the Rocket Racer Workshop kit. This kit was a little harder for them to assemble alone. In fact, it was hard for me to understand and decipher the directions on this kit.  The kit includes parts for a drag racer, flying rocket, and hovercraft and encourages you to race all three at one time. I was never sure that the vehicles were assembled “correctly” but judging by the way that they flew, or didn’t, would tell me that they weren’t. The boys still had fun with them though. We couldn’t get the balloon to power the race car and had to modify it a little to make it work. They got the hovercraft working correctly on their own. Again, the materials were made out of simple materials such as foam, straws, balloons, and cardstock and are made to last for one or two uses, I would guess. Even with all of this said, it still provided an afternoon of fun and of exploring why the rockets weren’t flying and trying to fix the problems. I’m sure it was user error, but clearer instructions with words and not just number/pictures, would have been helpful.

These kits retail for $14 each on the company website and are geared towards children 6 and up.  If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive activity to supplement a science unit or to have on hand for a gift or for a rainy day, I suggest looking into these science kits.

-Product review by Audrey Tolle, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, September, 2016