There’s no better way to prepare kids for STEM learning than by letting them play with some mind-blowing, brain-bending, crazy fun experiments at home. From (completely safe) explosions and “magic” potions, to creating guts and other gross-outs, a cool chemistry set for kids is guaranteed to kickstart their love of science especially when they’re learning at home.
From test tubes to virtual reality, these cool sets make especially great gifts for tomboys who have a curious mind and adventurous spirit by nature.
Our Review
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon This whopping big chemistry kit gives your smarty pants 250 experiments to try and all the stuff neccessary to try them. This kit is focused on learning what happens when heat gets introduced to a chemical equation, so naturally, it includes an alcohol burner. You kid can experiment with filtering and separating mixtures, combustion, and electrochemical reactions.
They’ll explore elements and compounds, including the chemical and physical properties of water, carbon dioxide, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. Discover atoms and molecules. Inspect soaps and household cleaners. They can even inspect foods from the kitchen to learn about sugars, fats, and proteins.
The big instruction book gives both prep and performance instructions along with a guide to clear analysis of the results. Because of the alcohol burner, this chemistry kit is recommended for kids 11 and older. For a basic introduction to chemisty, the CHEM C500 is a great place to start. If you’re looking for high school level chemistry, consider the CHEM C3000 kit.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon This cool chemistry kit features dozens of STEM experiments that girls will take seriously. Activities are focused on chemical reactions, molecular motion, and the effects of temperature. And the cool learning guide features fun facts, quizzes and lots of room to noodle out their own experiments too.
The kit contains real lab equipment, including three beakers, a high temperature thermometer, a digital timer, colored safety goggles, a chalkboard lab mat and loads of chemical reagents, so your daughter, niece or other girls on your list can spend hours enhancing their knowledge and have fun doing so.
Created by scientists who also happen to be moms, this chemistry kit was developed to help close the gender gap in science. It’s serious science, with no perfume or bubble gum making involved. The Yellow Scope Acids, Bases & pH Kit offers up 19 more exciting experiments for girls.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon With 12 safe experiments on easy to follow flash cards, this beginner’s chemistry set is perfect for smaller kids to learn the basics while having a great time with lots of cool science stuff. A great starter for kids as young as five to gain a basic grasp of chemistry, this learning pad combines 50 quality science tools with wipe off checklists and action steps.
They’ll create blobs, exploding colors and learn the periodic table of elements, wiggly worms, and flowers, while using safety approved chemicals that are easy to clean up.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon There’s no better way to learn about the world around them than for kids to get a perspective on molecules and atoms. This cool magnetic modeling set is the simplest way to learn about atoms, bonding, and chemistry. With the free happy Atoms app, and the included scanning mat, they can build tens of thousands of different molecules from 50 different atoms. This digital and physical chemistry set is an award-winning approach to learning that has been tested by students and science teachers across the nation.
To add to their understanding of the chemistry kit you just gave them, you might also get the book Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything, a fascinating explanation of how everything in our physical world is made up of molecules.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon What kid doesn’t love anything that explodes? If that’s what it takes to pique their curiosity about chemistry and science, the kitchen at home is the perfect place to create chaos and serious fun, all while learning tons of interesting stuff. This kit allows kids to learn about acids, bases, the pH scale, DNA, electricity and diffusion through volcanic activities powered by lemon fuel. Cool, right?
From orange peel candles and milk explosions to salt and pepper electricity and sour LED lights, this is an awesome chemistry kit for kids because fun can be whipped up in a matter of minutes with things you always have in the kitchen. The Bubble Formulas kit lets them make soapy science with kid friendly chemicals. The Glitter Tube & Lava Lamp kit contains everything they’ll need for hours of learning fun.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon Even if you’re not a kid, you’re probably fascinated by glittering crystals and gemstones. This seriously cool kit from the science experts at National Geographic, lets your child grow an incredible array of colorful crystals in blue, pink, red, purple, green, orange, yellow, and teal. They’ll delve into the into the science of biology with a learning guide complete that will capture their imagination with beautiful images and information on each of the samples found in the kit.
Kids even get a light up display to show off their favorite homegrown crystals, plus they’ll get five real gemstone specimens and a guide to crystal formation, giving them the perfect excuse to start their very own rock collection. If they’re genuinely fascinated with crystals after growing their own, get them the National Geographic Geode kit or the Mega Gemstone Mine, where they can dig up to 15 real gemstones, from Tiger’s Eye to Rose Quartz.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon This hands on learning kit gives kids five and up some fascinating ways to interact with science and chemistry. The Beaker Creatures Super Reactor Learning Lab includes cool creature discoveries. Within each mysterious reactor pod, tiny travelers from distant planers are revealed. When your kid puts a pod into the chamber, pumps in the reactor liquid, it will trigger the chemical reaction that reveals a new Beaker Creature. After extraction, kids learn to identify their creatures from an included chart.
This 2019 Toy of the Year award winner also lets kids perform real-world science with the help of the lab’s experiment guide. The kit includes two reactor pods with Beaker Creatures, a base, two hydroplungers, two beakers, a set of tongs, one stir rod, classification cards, an experiment guide, and more. They can collect more Beaker Creatures with this additional six pack of reactor pods or this big box of 24 pods.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon Sometimes it can be hard to convince girls that STEM education is not only good for their futures but fun and interesting as well. This Barbie Fundamental Chemistry Set strikes the perfect balance to entice them to step into the world of chemistry on their own terms. Designed for younger girls aged 4 – 8, they’ll make fizz, slime, crystals and more.
Set up to be a Barbie presentation at school, your girls can role play along with the manual to create fun and fascinating potions and other concoctions. The 28 page storybook guides them along the way, while giving them instructions to go with. Make their learning even more fun with a Barbie STEM Kit with a Barbie Scientist Doll. The doll comes with ten different science and art experiments.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon It’s pretty hard to find a kid who isn’t fascinated with Harry Potter and all the magic and wizardry in those incredible stories. This cool chemistry set is created all around sorcery and magic. With a glimmering magic wand they can create themselves , your kids can cast their own friendly spells over bubbling colored water, color changing potions and a test tube cauldron. Geared for kids six and older, this is a budget friendly kit that gives them a quick introduction to chemistry, and channels their inner magical powers.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon Created by real Crayola chemists, this kit for kids provides a fascinating exploration of color chemistry with real hands on experiences that they can apply to both their school work and play. With 16 experiments out of the box, plus 36 other science-inspired ideas to test, they’ll make sticky slime, watercolor ice, rubber goo, colorful algae, glow worms, erupting volcanoes and more. This set includes an easy-to-read instruction booklet that’s packed with tons of fun learning and playing ideas.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon If you’re trying to nurture a younger child to expand their skills in STEM education, this chemistry kit for kids delivers 65 experiments and a huge host of tools and toys to make learning fun. With more than 55 pieces, this kids kit includes all the chemicals, ingredients and apparatus they’ll need to get started.
From the delicate sprout garden, the slime lab, rocket balloon fun, creative crystals and of course a mind-blowing volcano, this will rev up their imagination and appreciation for chemistry and science. Because it’s recommended for kids five and up, you can get them started early with a fascination for serious learning that’s disguised as play.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon If you’re looking for the ideal way to get your kids interested in chemistry and science, infusing virtual reality into the lessons like this kit does almost guarantees your success. With 31 projects and more than 100 virtual reality experiences, this kit comes with everything they’ll need to see the universe in a whole new way. It even includes the VR goggles!
With an 80 page guidebook to lead them through these experiences, they’ll learn about rockets, the moon, the sun, astronomers, and astronauts, plus a whole lot more. There are also physical crafts and activities to keep their interest in exploration on fire.
Professor Maxwell’s VR Science Lab is another fun choice with tons of fun projects and 148 VR and AR experiences included.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon This huge bag of fun includes so many learning opportunities. More than just chemistry, this kit takes kids through a journey that includes physics, magnetism, weather, biology, geology and flight. With the help of a clear instructional guide, they’ll learn to make everything from bubbling colored water to instant worms. It includes everything they’ll need to gain a greater understanding of the world around them.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon Got a house full of curious kids this Christmas? These cool science and chemistry kits offer lots of experiments for kids to share and learn with. Each comes with a lab station to hold bottles, beakers, measuring cups pipettes and more. They’ll grow a rat gizzard, make a variety of disgusting slimes and learn all the chemistry that happens behind the scenes with the Slime Lab.
The Gross Body Lab is aptly named because kids get to make lots of grizzly innards like mucus, blood clots and guts as they explore the icky anatomy of the human body. Sounds pretty fun, huh? This combo pack of two kids is a great deal, but you can switch up your choices with the Crystal Jewelry Making Lab and Gross Body Lab, or the Volcano and Eco Forensic Labs also come in a set.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon Kids are always interested in weather and its sometimes wicked phenomena that keep them from going outside. The Magic School Bus Weather Lab is the perfect chemistry and science kit for kids because it taps into their natural curiosity by allowing them to recreate their own weather wonders on a small scale at home.
With this kit, they can create clouds, make a tornado in a bottle, watch water disappear, build their own mini-weather station, and even build a compass. Developed by a team of Harvard graduates, scientists, and educators, the Magic School Bus science and chemistry kits have proven to be favorites among young scientists. You can also get them in a traditional chemistry lab, engineering lab, or microscope kit, and at such a reasonable price, we’d encourage you to get them all as a way to keep your kids engaged in STEM learning.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon There’s never a better time to get your kids interested in STEAM projects than when they’re little and curious about everything, especially their own body. The MEandMINE Journey Down the Belly Kit is a fun and interactive way to teach them the magic of their own body’s chemistry in a fun and interactive way.
Geared toward 4-7 year olds they can create a fun nutrient-rich lava lab, make a mini-stomach filled with slime, and make their own mind-blowing poop, all at an age when they won’t find it gross. The kit comes with a 28 page book to allow them to learn how all these experiments relate to their own digestion which can help them to develop healthier habits.
MEandMINE also has STEAM kits that are focused on self-discovery and learning better social skills. We love the MEandMINE Coral-Laboration Social Emotional STEAM Play Kit that teaches confidence, problem-solving, and resilience.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon The MEL starter chemistry set for kids has more than 80 exciting science experiments your kids can do at home with a little adult supervision. This subscription-based science kit comes monthly with new opportunities to get and keep your kids excited about exploring the world of science. The free starter kit includes a VR headset, free chemistry lessons in VR, and more. That step ahead in terms of learning will definitely keep kids inspired to learn.
Geared toward kids 10 and older, each kit comes with all the ingredients, equipment, and instructions to perform myriad experiments, and each month they’ll get interesting new experiments to keep them hooked on chemistry. Every kit includes enough reagents to perform experiments at least twice so if they have a fail (as all good chemists will) they can try again!
These subscription boxes are a great way to combine education and entertainment while your kiddos are learning from home.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon Beakers and bubblers and Petrie dishes, oh my! The Ooze Labs chemistry kit for kids has all the essentials for more than 20 fun and non-hazardous science experiments. Goopy, slimy, sticky and fun, this kit comes with easy to understand experiment cards, a full color manual, a plastic chemistry station, plus vessels, a syringe, Petri dish, measuring cup, spatula, funnel, and more. It also includes all the chemical components to perform each experiment at home.
This fizzy, fun, and colorful kit is ideal for kids six and up and requires a little parental guidance, but that’s okay, because you’re going to have as much fun as they do.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon Everyone loves Bill Nye the Science Guy, and if your kids don’t, we have to ask why not?! You can help them fall in love with America’s most popular scientist with this VR science kit that features 185 virtual reality and augmented reality experiences, 30 projects, and an 80 page book to guide your kids through them from start to finish.
From super speakers and egg tattoos to walking water (really!) and gooey slime, there’ll be tons of fun along with learning. The kit includes a pair of hands-free goggles to create an immersive learning experience. Simply download the app on your smartphone so they can get started. The 50 piece set includes everything they’ll need, like beakers, measuring cups, baking soda, and much more to dive in and experience the projects right out of the box.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon When you’re encouraging kids to learn at home as well as become more accustomed to online instruction from teachers, the Dynamo Lab science kit for kids offers online tutorials for more than 20 cool and fun chemistry experiments. This fun kit lets them create their own lava lamp, grow interesting crystals, and build every kid’s favorite – a volcano.
The kit includes everything your kids need except for common household items like water, cooking oil, and eggs. With a clear and colorful manual plus the online instructions, your kiddos will be stoked for the days when they can learn and play at the same time. We like this kit because it’s one that is usable for children as young as five years of age.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon One of the best parts of chemistry is examining what you’ve done closely, and this National Geographic Dual LED Microscope and science kit is the perfect way to give your kid a whole new view of their experiments. With ten prepared biological slides with skin cells, plant parts, and nutrient processing systems, they can examine and compare things already known to them. The ten blank slides offer them the opportunity to create some chemistry of their own and then examine samples under the microscope for more interesting comparisons.
This kit comes with a way for kids to grow their own brine shrimp and watch their development over time, and the microscope is a total winner. It’s literally two microscopes in one! They can use the lower LED lights to view biological specimens on slides or switch over to the upper lights to examine 3D objects in intricate detail.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon Kids love color and they especially love to manipulate and create their own, even when the color ends up being mud. The Big Bang Science color changing chemistry kit will whet their chops with colorful activities that allow them to embrace their creativity while learning basic chemical principles. With all the ingredients they need to create fun experiments, they can float colors, switch colors, and make their own color changing magma that erupts in a different color than they started with.
This kit is recommended for kids 8-12 years of age.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon Nothing is quite as intriguing to kids as magic, and no one can mix up chemistry and magic quite like NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC does in this cool chemistry kit. With more than 50 different components, your kids can whip up some seriously cool experiments like making a test tube disappear, creating square bubbles (we want to do that!), and bending metal with water.
Each one of the experiments is made to be performed like a magic trick, making these STEM learning activities even more fascinating. In addition to the fun activities in the kit, this set comes with a bonus experiment guide with 30 additional experiments that can all be done with common household items so your kids will spend hours learning, all while thinking they’re playing. That’s genius.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon When you’re looking for a way to inspire your kid, there’s nothing like a good science experiment to spark their interest, and the Discovery Extreme Chemistry Kit gives you 40 different experiments to keep them and you engaged in learning. They can create crystals, discover color-changing options, make creepy worms, create fizzing eruptions, and explore chemical reactions by combining the materials provided with simple household ingredients.
This kit is geared for tweens 12+, which is awesome because that can be a hard age to keep them engaged. The Discovery Kids Extreme Weather STEM Science Kit is another fun option and it’s great for kids in that same age group.
-
Shop now at Amazon From Amazon This #1 best-selling chemistry kit gives your little Einstien the ability to explore and learn some of the most important basics of science. From creating chemical reactions to building a cool color changing volcano, this kit has everything a kid needs to have fun, make a mess, and learn mad skilz. Because adult supervision is recommended, you’ll get to learn some cool stuff too.
This kit includes everything you’ll need to get your young scientist cooking, including chemicals like red cabbage powder, citric acid, baking soda, three color tablets, crosslinked polyacrylate copolymer, vegetable oil, and cornstarch. It also gives them the supplies to perform their scientific experiments including cotton swabs, three test tubes with a stand, three plastic cups, pipettes, sticks, measuring scoops. Don’t worry, it all comes with an excellent activity guide for directed activities.
This kit is great for kids six and older, but if you’ve got a curious young one, the Scientific Explorer My First Science Kit teaches basics for kids as little as four years old.