Several days ago I wrote about how science experiments are a great way to beat boredom and keep kids' minds active over the winter break. We recently received a Mythbusters Science Kit to review which proves once again that science can be fun, and puts end to the myth that science is for dweebs. If your family has ever watched Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel, you'll know this is no boring science kit. The Mythbusters don't do boring -- they uncover the truth behind popular myths and legends using the scientific method and their own ingenuity. Some of the myths the team has put to rest include:
* Can combining Diet Coke and Mentos make your stomach explode?
* Would a bull really cause destruction in a china shop?
* Is it possible to beat a lie detector test?
* Can plugging your finger in a gun barrel cause it to backfire?
* Is there a way to beat police speed cameras?
* Can Christmas tree lights really cause house fires?
* Is a dirty car more fuel efficient than a clean car?
Their show is a blast (sometimes literally!), so you can be sure that their science kits, while still introducing kids to some basic principles of physics, chemistry and other branches of science, are also a bit quirky, a bit offbeat, and a lot of fun.
Here's a description of the Mythbusters Science Kit we received (Power of Air Pressure):
Have a blast with "The Deadly Belch" and other air-powered experiments. In this kit you'll get to the bottom of air pressure. You might not even notice the air around you, but it packs a powerful punch. Can it cause your stomach to explode? Will it help your bones predict the weather? If you get the air free, can you save your house during a tornado? This kit can help you understand these questions and many more!
The Discovery Channel's MythBusters find the truth behind urban legends using the scientific method and plenty of curiosity and ingenuity. Their unique, offbeat and often-explosive approach to science comes to a science kit that helps kids discover the powers of air pressure, while finding mythBusting answers to these questions:
* Can air cause your stomach to explode?
* Will air help your bones predict the weather?
* If you get the air free, can you save your house during a tornado?
Kids will discover the dangers of belching, find out if trains can float on air, and many more wonders with the Mythbusters.
What makes a Mythbusters Science Kit different is that the experiments in the kit are not presented as experiments, they are theories that the kids are going to prove or disprove, just like they do on the TV show. The instructions read like a kids' magazine -- they have lots of photos and fun facts, and they're written in a way kids will understand. They even have bonus experiments and activities for more hours of fun.
And boy, are they having fun with this kit! The marshmallow shooter (which helped understand the Myth of the Sorcerer's Breath, that you can make objects fly through the air by breathing) is a big hit:
I love that the kids had to build it themselves with interlocking pipes, and that it works like a blowgun, so it doesn't really look like some automatic weapon that happens to shoot marshmallows (actually, we didn't have any mini marshmallows, so we used the little pompoms that came in the kit, so it's a pompom shooter right now). I love that Myth Busters capitalized on my bloodthirsty sons' love of hitting targets in order to teach them a thing or two about air pressure!Thanks to this Myth Busters Science Kit, The Pea is off making some vomit and my twins are busy shooting each other with little pompoms, and I'm happily ensconced in my little computer nook, happy in the knowledge that they're entertaining and educating themselves on this cold, rainy day!
Disclosure: I received a product sample, but was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is clearly indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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