My cousin
reviewed the Hands-on Discovery Lab with her
daughter, Ashlynn, and here are her thoughts.
I was so excited to receive the Hands on Discovery Lab by Learning Resources for my 4 year old daughter. This product was even better than I thought, because it is so versatile. You can use it for so many different purposes. And the Discovery Lab comes with its own Activity guide that explains how to construct a worm farm, a terrarium, and a recipe for the slippery slime. My daughter first tried to make the terrarium. The directions ask for sand or pebbles as the base layer, and soil as the top layer where a child can plant seeds.
The best thing about the Discovery Lab is that all the mess is contained inside, and it is very easy to clean! When we were ready to try the slippery slime recipe, I had no trouble washing out the Discovery Lab. The recipe calls for cornstarch, warm water, and food coloring. Then it says corn syrup 'as needed' but no specific amount. So when we first made it, the slime was very liquidy, so they say to add more cornstarch to thicken it if needed, which I did, but the slime became lumpy and wouldn't mix in. Also, I think I should've doubled the recipe next time we make the slime because it really didn't make enough to really handle easily with the gloves on.
My daughter wanted to reach her hands in and see what the slime felt like without the glove on her hand. She did alright with the spoon, but she found it rather akward to try and mix the slime with her hands inside the gloves. The Discovery Lab is one of those toys that never grows old because you can keep reinventing new purposes for it. It is designed for ages 4 and up. We have yet to try the worm farm, but the guide says worms are available at most tackle shops or pet shops.
The Discovery Lab also has caps that fit over the holes where the gloves attach, so if you're not using the gloves, you can use it more for viewing, perhaps with the terrarium. One thing I did find interesting was that if you place the lid on the terrarium while the soil is still moist, condensation will then start to cycle in your terrarium and the water droplets will fall back down onto the soil just like real rain! The terrarium will begin watering itself! This is a fabulous way of teaching kids about rain and the water cycle because they can actually watch it happen on a small scale. The Discovery Lab would be perfect for a classroom as well. I found the instruction guide to be a bit difficult to understand; some of the wording in the directions was unclear.
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The product(s) in this review was provided to me free of cost for the purpose of conducting this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.
The best thing about the Discovery Lab is that all the mess is contained inside, and it is very easy to clean! When we were ready to try the slippery slime recipe, I had no trouble washing out the Discovery Lab. The recipe calls for cornstarch, warm water, and food coloring. Then it says corn syrup 'as needed' but no specific amount. So when we first made it, the slime was very liquidy, so they say to add more cornstarch to thicken it if needed, which I did, but the slime became lumpy and wouldn't mix in. Also, I think I should've doubled the recipe next time we make the slime because it really didn't make enough to really handle easily with the gloves on.
My daughter wanted to reach her hands in and see what the slime felt like without the glove on her hand. She did alright with the spoon, but she found it rather akward to try and mix the slime with her hands inside the gloves. The Discovery Lab is one of those toys that never grows old because you can keep reinventing new purposes for it. It is designed for ages 4 and up. We have yet to try the worm farm, but the guide says worms are available at most tackle shops or pet shops.
The Discovery Lab also has caps that fit over the holes where the gloves attach, so if you're not using the gloves, you can use it more for viewing, perhaps with the terrarium. One thing I did find interesting was that if you place the lid on the terrarium while the soil is still moist, condensation will then start to cycle in your terrarium and the water droplets will fall back down onto the soil just like real rain! The terrarium will begin watering itself! This is a fabulous way of teaching kids about rain and the water cycle because they can actually watch it happen on a small scale. The Discovery Lab would be perfect for a classroom as well. I found the instruction guide to be a bit difficult to understand; some of the wording in the directions was unclear.
Buy
It: You can purchase the Hands-on Discovery Lab for $36.99.

One Winner will Receive the Hands-on Discovery Lab
from Learning Resources!
(Open to US)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The product(s) in this review was provided to me free of cost for the purpose of conducting this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.
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