Customer Reviews

Science in Seconds at the Beach: Exciting Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really hate to say it since I have a couple of this series of books, but I have to wonder from where the scientific information was derived for Science in Seconds at the Beach. I was looking through the book searching for an activity to do at our next beach outing and came upon the "Young Rays" activity (p.25). It asserts that rays lay leathery egg cases that you may be lucky enough to view in spring attached to seaweed. It also says to see the drawing...but the drawing just shows a stingray swimming over seaweed with no egg case to be found. So...being curious, I thought I'd look up what it would like on the internet. I was disappointed to know that from what I can tell the book is just wrong. I found several references to sharks and other types of skate fish laying these "mermaid purses" but stingrays actually give birth to the baby rays. The reproduction cycle is very interesting and unusual...worth looking into actually, but the book is, to put it mildly...inaccurate. So...if you are lucky enough to see a mermaid's purse, it's not from a stingray!

This makes me very leery of the rest of the information in this and other books by Jean Potter. I still gave it two stars, because many of the other activities, while none are profound, would still be enjoyable for a child. But I guess I won't be purchasing any more of this series, and will now feel compelled to do my own research before presenting most of it to my children (which will also transfer to some of my other science books, particularly those without references/sources listed). You can still give your child a learning experience by having him or her research whether Mrs. Potter's info is accurate!

Fairly disappointing.

When we pack for the beach, this book is the first thing we put in the suitcases. Our children have used this book for two summers and they never tire of it. In fact, my husband and I LOVE the b ook as well. We have learned so much about the beach. It is a great book for at home experiments with water as well, but we save it for the beach!

We bought this book at the beach and could not believe how much more fun the beach was. We learned things that were new and VERY interesting about the ocean and the life that surrounds it. We take this book to the pool and also do experiments. This book is great to teach children easy science theories with water and in places where children play in water. We use it at home and on vacation. Love it!

When we pack for the beach, this book is the first thing we put in the suitcases. Our children have used this book for two summers and they never tire of it. In fact, my husband and I LOVE the b ook as well. We have learned so much about the beach. It is a great book for at home experiments with water as well, but we save it for the beach!

When we pack for the beach, this book is the first thing we put in the suitcases. Our children have used this book for two summers and they never tire of it. In fact, my husband and I LOVE the b ook as well. We have learned so much about the beach. It is a great book for at home experiments with water as well, but we save it for the beach!

We got one of these books as a gift and then it was so battered that I am buying another for this summer. We have a pool in our back yard and when the kids get tired of swimming, we open the book and experiment. We have even taken it to my mom's lakeside cottage and used it there. My kids love it and I love it because theya re having fun LEARNING!

I found this book at the beach when I took my grandson. We had so much fun with it. There are lots of different activities that he had fun doing. It is packed with projects to entertain him and anyone else who might just get bored digging in the sand. I was surprised that there are so many activities that could be adapted at home. He is using this book all of the time. Plenty of fun and learning going on. This book is just great! Thanks!