With science becoming a hot subject in and out of the classroom, you can find an experiment book in virtually any theme. The Book of Wildly Spectacular Sports Science by Sean Connolly finds a way to bring science to a sports-loving child. Who knew there was so much science in the way we play sports?

It includes fifty-four science experiments that help to explain how and why things happen in sports. From baseball to the long jump, there is an experiment for practically every sport. The book itself costs $14.95 and the supplies are easily accessible, in fact you probably have many of the supplies in your home right now.

The Book of Wildly Spectacular Sports Science is designed for kids ages nine and up. This age corresponds to the time when sports are becoming a passion for many kids. I do think younger kids would have fun with the experiments as well.

The table of contents is first broken down by sport type (Bat and Ball Sports, Goals and Field Goals, Indoor Sports, Winter Sports, etc.) then further by specific questions (Why Are Tennis Balls Fuzzy?, What Happens When Skateboarders Pump?, etc.). This breakdown makes it very easy to pinpoint an experiment of interest.

Once you’ve decided on a question you want to investigate, the experiment page includes a brief introduction, the amount of time needed, supply list, instructions, tips for success and an explanation of what happened during the experiment.

We choose to try “How Does a Knuckleball Work?” for our first experiment and the kids had a blast dropping the marbles into the container. Their enthusiasm continued into the evening when my husband returned. They loved telling him what they’d done, especially my son, who is a baseball fanatic.

The second experiment “How Do Gymnasts ‘Stick It’” was my gymnast daughter’s choice. This was another easy and fun experiment to set up. The only supplies needed were a kitchen chair, newspaper and cushions. In fact the setup was so easy, the kids set it up again, later in the week, on their own.

My favorite things about the experiments were that they were easy to setup and the supplies were things that we had around the house. This was perfect for our family. The easy setup meant it could be put together quickly, before you lose the interest of young kids. The supplies from around the house kept the cost low.

The Book of Wildly Spectacular Sports Science helps explain the how and why so kids can learn and improve with practice! If you have a sports crazed kid, The Book of Wildly Spectacular Sports Science may be perfect to dig a little deeper into their interests. We enjoyed the experiments in the book and my kids had a blast learning why things happened in the sports they love. I would definitely recommend this to families of young athletes.

- Product review by Alexis Bennett, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, April, 2017