This sustainable earth lab environmental science kit is set up for children 8+ years of age. Many of these experiments do require adult supervision so I'd recommend checking out which experiment your child will be working with at any given time. Essentially, what you are paying for in this kid is the marvelous array of 40 different experiments that explore environmental concepts. The five different categories are "renewable energies, natural resource usage, climate change prevention, waste and water management, and energy conservation." What I especially like is that it sparks the young creative mind and helps the young scientist to take a closer look at their environment.
The ecological footprint of this kit is light as all the materials fit in a box 14 1/2" x 11 1/2" x 3." You will need other materials, most of which you will find around your home. For example some of these items include things like glasses, all-purpose glue, vinegar, a watch, laundry detergent, and water. In addition to the 48 page experiment manual there are 28 items in this kit: Parts from a die-cut sheet, parts from a paper sheet, a thermometer, a small motor, a solar cell, a compass, a magnifying glass, an impeller wheel, a drive axle, a wooden stick, an aluminum cup, a clothespin, a water filter column (3 cups, 3 filter papers), garden cress seeds, a petri dish, thick copper wire, an ice cube tray, a measuring cup (125 ml), a balloon, fabric netting, a funnel, black paper, white paper, a battery clip, a spool of wire, sand paper, a drinking straw, and a polystyrene foam disk.
There are a wide variety of experiments in this kit, enough to suit any young "energy detective." When I first opened the box, due to the nature of this kit, I was rather shocked to pull out a Styrofoam tray containing the contents of the kit. On the back of the experiment manual I soon learned it was recyclable expanded polystyrene foam (EPS). I was pleased because Thames & Kosmos are practicing what they preach and are environmentally conscious in their packaging. The experiments are challenging, encourage children to think, are fun, and any of them could lead to a school report or encourage further scientific thought or experimentation. Each experiment offers a problem or example to explore, gives a list of things you will need, has a step-by-step procedure to work with, and offers up an explanation to go with the results. There are photographs, illustrations, and numerous informative sidebars scattered throughout the manual. This would be a perfect kit to use in the homeschool or classroom setting.