Wild Goose Company science kits

Wild Goose Company/Carson-Dellosa

Wild Goose has created “science kits with an attitude.” Kits with titles such as Slimey Chemistry, Water Rocket, Kitchen Table Chemistry, and Oooh Aaah Chemistry teach science principles through experiments. You get a hint of their approach from the titles. Cartoon illustrations and irreverent humor abound. Some of it is of questionable taste—e.g., adding raisins to Mountain Dew and telling your friends that sewer maggots are cleaning the dirty water.

I reviewed two kits, Slimey Chemistry and Kitchen Table Chemistry, and we preferred Slimey Chemistry because of the great experiments—making pseudo silly putty and other gelatinous concoctions—and because the humor was more acceptable.

Kits come with almost everything you need, but often there is only enough for a single student to do an experiment. The Kitchen Table kit tells us to wear goggles, although goggles are not included in the kit. However, Wild Goose sells high-quality, inexpensive goggles that I would recommend to you for any even semi-dangerous experiments. Chemicals in Kitchen Table Chemistry were primarily common household items such as baking soda, while Slimey Chemistry had more unusual chemicals. These experiments are quick and easy, no measuring required.

Kits are $29.99 each except Water Rocket is $21.99. I recommend starting with Slimey Chemistry.