Janice Vancleave's Chemistry for Every Kid: 101 Easy Experiments That Really Work

My eight year old daughter asked for a chemistry set for her birthday; a real chemistry set; one she could do real experiments with. There are no longer many quality chemistry sets on the market. I guess the safety regulations are too strict; making it unprofitable to sell "real" chemistry sets. I ordered this book. I was concerned I would end up having to mail order supplies, but I made one trip to the grocery store and my daughter was set to work through the book. The coolest part, to her, was the potential danger inherent with some of the supplies. She worked through six experiments in three days and proudly tells her younger neighborhood girlfriends "Sorry, You can't touch those things. It's too dangerous. It's Chemistry." The best part for me, the experiments are carefully arranged in a progressive manner so that they start from the simplest and safest activities. She can work through them in order, with supervision, safely building her confidence and skills. Unlike many books that purport to promote science, but are really just a collection of entertaining activities, this book includes the science concepts behind the wow. So, she really is learning.

My boys are 6 and 7 and they LOVE doing the Science experiments in this book. The items needed are easy to find, usually common household item, but nothing too fancy. It has really changed how they view "science" and it's fun to see them question what they are learning. You can never get the gears cranking at too young an age and this book opens the door to a interesting introduction into the world of science.

Janice VanCleave's Chemistry For Every Kid is a must have book for upper elementary/middle school science teachers. The experiments are easy to set up and the kids LOVE them! Janice has tackled tough Chemistry concepts and come up with simple experiments that the kids ACTUALLY understand! I have used the activities in this book numerous times and couldn't recommend this book highly enough. The way I use the activities in this book, along with the others in the series, is set them up as stations and have the kids rotate through them. You will not be disappointed with this purchase and your kids will love you for it.

No handwriting required and no over-the-head scientific explanations. It is clear, simple, and EASY to pull off the shelf and use. I recommend previewing the list of materials for the week to be sure you have the needed items. Substitutions can effect the experiment. I use this with ages 4-10 and they ALL enjoy the experiments. The experiments are simplistic and easy for young children to grasp the idea yet have enough information to get the parents thought process going! A great introduction to chemistry that takes very little time to prep and do. I even use this book as birthday party entertainment! A favorite with us.

My mom bought this book for me, and I was always begging to do more experiments. They're so easy and fun to do. This is a must have for kids who are doing science fair projects!