Booom! The Magic Chemistry Kit from MatlScience, Inc. will leave your children’s mouths agape as you perform the experiments contained within. The Kit retails for $124.97 and comes with a Teacher’s Manual, lab coat, eight 250 ml solutions, one 575 ml solution, and four 50 ml plastic cylinders. The solutions included are Potassium Iodate, Sodium Bisulfite, Starch, Mercuric Chloride, Ethyl Alcohol (Denatured), and Calcium Acetate, Monohydrate.

In addition to the materials in the kit, you will need to purchase or have on hand a minimum of two 50 ml beakers with 5 ml markings (twelve are recommended), water in a squeeze bottle, stopwatch, matches, flameproof surface, spatula or spoon, safety glasses, safety gloves, paper towels and sink.

On the box it shows 8+ as the age The Magic Chemistry Kit is geared for. The experiments are meant to appeal to third through tenth-grade students. It is important to note, however, that the experiments are only meant to be done by adults with the exception of the Time Reaction Experiment and only if the student is closely supervised and observing all safety rules. There is a Student Experiments section at the end of the Hard Water Experiment to build on the teacher demonstration. This is not a kit you would get for your science-loving child to do experiments alone.

I found the Teacher’s Manual in this to be a valuable resource. Not only does it provide step-by-step instructions for the experiment, but it also gives the concept being taught and suggested class interaction questions and answers. This allowed me as the teacher to explain to my children what we were doing, and why we were getting the reaction we were. I could explain the chemistry to them because all I needed to do was read from the manual. This is perfect for the non-science minded mom.

Also included in the Teacher’s Manual is chemical safety and material safety data sheet.

The experiments do build on each other, so you will want to do them in order. There is enough solution to repeat each experiment around twelve times.

I did these experiments with my ten-year-old son. He is most interested in science when it is hands-on and although he could not handle the chemicals himself, he enjoyed the experiments. His face would light up as clear solutions “magically” changed color.

I plan to do these experiments again when my daughter takes physical science. They are an effective way to show the difference between a physical and chemical reaction and will pair nicely with her studies.

The benefit for the homeschool family in being able to do the experiments more than once is allowing children to learn bit by bit and to be able to do the experiments when individual children are ready for them.  For example, with my son, we were mostly doing cool science experiments. He did learn some, but mostly he was there to be amazed. With my daughter, it will coincide with what she will be learning in science; therefore, building upon her knowledge and give a hands-on example of what she is being taught. Instead of making my son wait or having my daughter to it early and try to remember, I can do the experiments with each one individually.

This kit would be a fantastic addition to a homeschool science co-op as well. Because there is enough solution for each experiment to be done multiple times, it would be a worthwhile investment.

Booom! The Magic Chemistry Kit shows children that science can be amazing. Their interest in chemistry will be piqued as you perform the experiments contained in the kit.

--Product review by Destiny Mawson, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, August 2020