Last Updated on October 9, 2023 by Editorial Team
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The millennials born today are children of curiosity. And the social media-infested world we live in today has blurred the line between facts and fiction. Hence, you have to see it (for real), to believe it.
To imbibe in your child the thirst for truth, the spirit to pursue pure knowledge has to be inculcated. And what is more unadulterated than the pursuit of Science?
Manipulatives today form an important component of smart education. They help develop the natural curiosity towards their surroundings that Children are born with and do not allow that to stifle under the weight of textbooks and rote-learning.
Children also develop a sense of confidence as they perform experiments and build things up, which fires up both their analytical intent and motor skills.
Following is a list of top science manipulatives to give your child a head start in the scientific discipline, and in life:
5 Manipulatives for learning science
1. Big Bag of Backyard Science
Big Bag of Backyard Science is a science tool kit that instantly transforms your backyard into a science lab. It fires up your child’s curiosity in multiple science arenas that range from physics and chemistry to entomology and Ornithology.
The child can learn how the seeds sprout and create his very own volcanic explosion! He can explore a bug in the backyard or create his very own ant colony. Really fires up the imagination, doesn’t it?
It can be used for experimentation by children 8 years and above.
Content: It contains 32 pieces including experiment bottles, a microscope, magnifying glass, a bug catcher, tweezers, balloons, etc. It also comes complete with charts and guides books. It is portable and can be taken to the nearby beach or even on vacations.
2. SNAEN Science Kit
SNAEN science kit has 30 carefully selected experiments for children 8 to 11 years of age that can really bring out the scientists in them.
The experiments include color layering, air canons, pigment diffusion, and many more. It has an impeccable professional design. It is also kid safe-this means that the children can perform the experiments on their own. The chemicals also come in bottles, so experiments can be performed multiple times.
So get that white lab coat on and start experimenting!
Contents:
It is a 47 pieces science kit that includes 1 goggle, 8 bottles of chemical materials, 4 large test tubes with scale, 7 measuring cups, and many other items. It also comes with detailed guidance on how to perform each experiment.
3. Bill Nye’s VR Science Kit
This is a science kit with an amazing Virtual reality experience with the help of VR goggles included in the kit. This allows you to virtually step into Bill Nye’s science lab and perform 30 hands-on experiments. Yes, we are talking about the Science Guy himself!
It also has an 80-page interactive project book to clear up any doubts or difficulties you might have in performing the experiments.
Your child gets to experiment with slime, crystals, and rockets and go on a virtual journey with Bill Nye to explore volcanoes and caves.
The experience is virtual, but the knowledge is real!
Contents:
It is a 50 piece set that contains beakers, baking soda, a paintbrush, and much more. We have already mentioned the 80-page master book and the exciting VR goggles.
4. Learn and Climb Science Kit For Kids
This amazing product is registered and recognized by STEM.org and follows the proper STEM guidelines. It contains 8 chemistry experiments that will fire your child straight into a world of PH indicators and litmus tests. In fact, they get to cut and prepare their own litmus paper as well.
It is meant for children above 5 years of age and with a mix-up-the-chemicals bend of mind.
Content:
It has everything you need to perform the experiments including sweet Potato powder, Citric acid, beaker, pipette, measuring spoon, and more. It also contains interactive manuals and videos to help the kids perform the experiments in a safe manner.
5. National Geographic Earth Science Kit
This National Geographic science kit gives you chance at growing a crystal in less than 3 days, create your own reusable volcano, generate a whirling water tornado, and more.
You can also start a rock collection. It even contains 10 genuine specimens! These 15 scientific experiments are recommended for children over 8 years of age and may require adult supervision.
Contents:
It contains 2 dig kits and 10 genuine rock specimens like Tiger’s Eye, Snowflake Obsidian, Geode, and Blue calcite. It also has a magnifying glass, paint brushes, and a manual to guide you through this amazing journey to explore what our Planet Earth is made of! Bon voyage!
Summing up,
Science manipulatives kits are an excellent way to introduce your child to the world of science and ensure that he\she stay there by choice. Science not only makes your children more aware of the world around them but also gives them the power to analyze what is right or wrong with it and how we can change it for the better. And you never know, the journey to a Nobel Prize may start from a science kit and a backyard!
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,