Making learning fun is important to me.  I was never particularly fond of school and I really want to provide a positive learning experience for our children.  Every child I know loves to do hands on projects and experiments because that makes learning fun.  I strive to find opportunities to include this type of learning as often as I can.  Lakeshore Learning sent me one of their Earth Science Exploration Centers to facilitate this review and share my honest opinions.

The Lakeshore Learning Earth Science Exploration Center is a fun way to bring Science into the hands of children.  This particular kit includes four Earth Science Events with explanations, photo cards, and hands-on activities for each center.

We decided to start with the Volcano.  I also included learning about hypothesis in our Earth Science lesson so the kids spent time making guesses before we began each experiment.  The photo card is extremely helpful with the tips, ideas, and discussion questions to use during each Center.  The photo of the real volcano was especially enticing to the kids.  While I supervised, the kids were easily able to follow the instructions with minimal assistance and create a volcanic eruption.

 Next, I decided we’d go with a “cleaner” experiment.  The kids know a little about tornados because we’ve seen a simulated one at the local Science Museum a couple years ago.  It was such a neat experience that they still bring it up and want to go back to see it again.  Making our own mini tornado and revisiting this subject was a lot of fun for them and we spent a good amount of time taking turns trying to create the tornado that would last the longest.

Out of the four Exploration Centers included in this set, the Thunder ended up being our favorite.  While none of us care for storms or thunder in real life, it was really neat to be able to make our own and actually feel the vibrations from it without the fear of a real life storm.  Our three year old has been grabbing the Thunder Tube often to create more thunder around the house.

The final Science Exploration Center involved snow.  Here in Minnesota, we currently have an abundance right outside our door.  It was neat to hear the kid’s thoughts and guesses about what our fake snow was going to be like since they’ve spent plenty of time in the real stuff lately.  As we poured the water into our snow powder, it became gooey before quickly turning to fluffy.  The kids were most surprised that, while the fake snow looked so real, it was warm to the touch.  We did bring in some real snow to make side by side comparisons with, as well as, follow the suggestion to view both snows with a magnifying glass.

My favorite part of the Lakeshore Learning Earth Science Exploration Center is the fact that it is so user friendly.  Everything (except water) is included and extra thoughts and experiment ideas listed on the photo cards aid in making the learning last longer.  The only thing that would make this kit better would be even more facts, photos, and perhaps a mini game idea for each Center.

Buy It: Head over to Lakeshore Learning to see for yourself the great selection of fun learning products and tools they offer.  Be sure to use this 20% OFF COUPON that is valid until 3/31/14.

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Miranda

I’m a city girl turned country by my awesome husband and we have three busy boys and two darling daughters. I love spending time with my family, reading Karen Kingsbury novels, and catching up with friends while our kiddos have play dates. I’m blessed beyond measure and can’t wait to see what God has in store.
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