Kits! I love them. Kits allow me to actually do the hands-on stuff that makes homeschooling so great, but without the stress of having to run around finding all the components I need. 

Over the years, I have discovered that some kits are definitely worth the money, while others leave a lot to be desired. Nature Watch is one of the former, providing interesting projects that are diverse, fun, and educational. 

Each project comes with several pages of information. It's very thorough, and I even skipped through some of what I thought was a little over the head of my 2nd grader. I view this as a strength of the kits. When a lot of relevant information is included, it's easy to read what applies to an older child or trim it down to what is pertinent for a younger child. 

The Nature Watch Variety Kit Pack includes 10 different projects, covering several branches of science and nature study. These were great for a break in our regular elementary science curriculum, keeping things interesting during the long haul of the school year. Projects included in the Nature Watch Variety Kit Pack:

• Food Chain
• Bird Wheel
• Honeycomb Candle
• Spider Web Frame
• Prehistoric Amber
• Weather Window
• Pocket Sundial
• Make Your Own Compass
• Make Your Own Monocular
• Protect Endangered Animals with Shrinky Dinks

You'll get everything needed for each project plus glue and colored pencils. You'll need to provide scissors, tape, a simple paper hole punch, and markers or paint, but I'm betting you already have those in your homeschool. See? No running around!

The first project my 5th grader made was the monocular. The lesson included information on prisms and light, and she enjoyed making her quality monocular, taking it outside to try it on the plants and bugs around our yard. My 2nd grader made the spider web frame, and it was a satisfying project for her. She twisted the pipe cleaners to make the legs, threaded them through the frame's holes, then added eyes and a string for hanging. We found the perfect shrub outside our kitchen window where she hung it and waited for a spider to build its web inside. Meanwhile, I read to her about spiders from the included instruction sheet.

Nature Watch has done a great job with these kits, producing desirable projects that appeal to both the young budding scientist and the reluctant student. Worth every penny for me!

Product review by Kendra Fletcher, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November, 2011