Although STEAMsational has its own science subscription, the Jarring Science Club, our club is digital and everything can be done inside a jar.
When we want to get a STEM box for kids that includes other types of science, or that already comes with everything we need, we turn to Mel Science.
We’ve tried a LOT of children’s science kits, and Mel Science is by far our favorite!
Find out why we love this science box kit so much below!
But first, find out what we look for in a STEAM subscription box.
What We Look for in a STEAM Subscription Box
Every family has something that they look for in a science box kit, but this is what we look for:
Hands-on:
Some science kids we’ve tried aren’t very hands-on. We prefer science kits that have a mostly hands-on element.
Easy-to-use:
I like to encourage my kids to do their own scientific explorations. If I have to sit there the whole time and tell them how to do it, or mix things up for them, I don’t always want to use that children’s science kit.
Simple:
If things get too complicated, or there are too many things to try in the box, we get overwhelmed and often won’t do the experiment.
We need our experiments to be straightforward and not come with too many tiny, fiddly experiments.
Scientific:
We don’t like the STEM boxes for kids that don’t come with real science explanations. We enjoy the fun experiments, but I also like to have a handy guide to the science right there in the box without me having to look it up online.
Our Favorite Science Lab Kit for Elementary
Of all the STEM boxes for kids that we’ve tried, our favorite science box kit for elementary kids is definitely Mel Science Kids.
Mel Science sent us this particular box to try out, but we love ALL of the boxes that we’ve seen from them.
My daughter (2nd grade) was in the perfect age window for this kit (it says age 5-10, but I think the perfect age is 7-9.
She really liked that she could read the instructions and put everything together herself.
My daughter was less interested in the AR aspect of the kit (her favorite was putting everything together and reading the colorful booklet),
but I thought it was a cool way to engage kids who might not be as into the construction.
Pros of Mel Science Kids
This STEM box for kids made both me and my daughter very happy. We really loved just about everything about the kit!
Here are some of our favorite parts:
- Multiple learning formats. Kids learn about the concept hands-on, by reading a story, by looking at the colorful science explanation, and by watching the AR video. Every learning style is included.
- The project was easy enough for my 2nd grader to do alone. This gave her a sense of pride and ownership in her experiment.
- It wasn’t overwhelming. The kit focused on 1 concept with 1 activity, which I really liked.
- The kit is bright, colorful, and definitely set up with kids in mind.
- We had tons of fun doing it!
Click here to try out a Mel Science Kids box!
Cons of Mel Science Kids
For a children’s science kit, we have almost no complaints about Mel Science Kids!
However, we did have just a couple of issues.
- It was a bit difficult to see what the map in the box was for. My daughter thought it was a search and find game, but I think it actually is a tracking map for all of the Mel Kids experiments.
- Both of the little cartoon characters are male. I don’t like what this is saying for kids interested in science. 1 of the characters should be female.
Mel Science also has a subscription box for older kids (middle school is ideal for this one) that focuses on chemistry that we also love.
I just haven’t had time to film a video with my middle schooler yet!
And if you need something that can work with a group of kids, check out the Jarring Science Club!