The "TickleMe Plant Greenhouse with fun activity card" is a complete kit with seeds of the mimosa pudica plant, also known as the TickleMe plant. It is called TickleMe because the leaves move when touched. The movement is similar to when a person is being tickled. The product includes two TickleMe plant seed packets containing between ten to twenty seeds per packet, one reusable greenhouse made of recycled plastic, six flowerpots, six soil pellets, and instructions. The instructions provided include the best tips to make growing easy.

Just to be clear, the kit does not provide actual plants. Instead, the kit provides the seeds and starter items necessary to grow the plant. The TickleMe Plant Greenhouse presented an excellent opportunity for my children to experience growing a plant. The instructions are clear enough that parents can allow their children to do the entire process with minimal adult supervision. The kit is $24.05.

There are a few details to note about this product that may affect how the plant grows. It does require the grower to keep the temperature above seventy degrees day and night. The instructions recommended avoiding placing the plant near chilly windows and air-conditioned rooms. These plants must be kept in an area that can provide partial to mostly sun. If natural sunlight is unavailable, a 40-watt energy-saving fluorescent bulb placed ten inches above the plants is a viable alternative to natural sunlight.

This product can be used as a curriculum supplement, unit study, just for a fun family experience, or even as a gift! The included activity card has ten different activities that children can complete. In addition, parents can adjust the questions or make them more challenging based on the age range of children.

Questions were open-ended, not simple yes or no questions. For example, one activity asked, "Observe your TickleMe Plants. What time do they go to sleep (close their leaves) each day, and what time do they wake up (open their leaves)? Do they follow the sunrise and sunset?" That one activity provided an excellent opportunity for students to learn how to keep a lab observation log and answer questions in detail. That was just one of the activities provided; there are nine other great activities to complete.

Any learner would benefit from TickleMe Plant. From start to finish, it is a very hands-on process, the instructions are well-written, and the website offers videos. In addition, the website is user-friendly and straightforward to use.

I enjoyed several things about this product. First, it captured the engagement of my entire family. Second, the packaging caught the attention of my children, who are sixteen, fourteen, thirteen, ten, eight, and three. Third, the instructions were in multiple places, which is helpful when used with several children.

The TickleMe Plant Greenhouse includes everything needed to start the seeds. We did not have to make extra trips to the store to purchase additional items or supplies. Most importantly, it came with an activity card. I did not have to spend much time creating assignments for the children. I used the provided items and tweaked their suggestions to make them age appropriate for the children. The only downside I see with this product is for individuals who live in a colder climate. There would be the extra expense of purchasing the 40-watt fluorescent light bulb and possibly a thermometer to keep track of the temperature since the TickleMe plant must be kept above 70 degrees.

I would recommend this to any family who enjoys growing plants. This activity was a fun addition to our homeschool. The activity card was beneficial and did not create more work for me. Instead, it provided great suggestions and made science a fun learning experience for our children. My children are also incredibly proud of the plant they grew, which they can look at and tickle whenever they want.

Product review by Jasmin Rodriguez, The Old Schoolhouse®, March 2023