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Explore 14 Different Experiments with KiwiCo’s Chemistry Sets

Kids are fascinated with chemical reactions. But learning about combustion, bioluminescence and other reactions takes a lot of work. You need both a knowledge of chemistry and the supplies to conduct experiments.

That’s where KiwiCo’s chemistry sets can help. Our chemistry sets come with all of the supplies that you need. They also provide easy-to-understand context for young scientists, so kids can learn about scientific concepts. Our chemistry set bundle includes:

  • Safety equipment, including safety goggles and gloves
  • Easy-to-follow instructions that also explain key scientific concepts. All of our chemistry sets help kids learn more about polymers, plastic, solids and liquids.
  • All the chemicals and supplies you need to conduct the experiments
  • The parts you need to create a burner, mixer, UV lamp and spiral stand

With our Glow Lab, Vortex Lab and Fire Lab, we provide everything you need to explore the wonders of chemistry.

Fire Lab Activities:

The Fire Lab helps kids learn about combustion, oxidation capillary action and other concepts. Here’s a list of activities and experiments that come with the Fire Lab:

  • Learn about Combustion Chemistry
  • Fire & Fuels Experiment
  • Fire & Oxygen Experiment
  • Flame Vacuum Experiment
  • Solid Flame Test Experiment
  • Liquid Flame Test Experiment
  • Burning Steel Experiment
  • Color Burner Experiment

You can get the Fire Lab here. 

Glow Lab Activities:

Things that glow in the dark are awesome. Understanding why things glow it the dark is awesome too! The Glow Lab helps kids understand concept such as fluorescence, phosphorescence and chemiluminescence. Here’s a list of activities and experiments that come with the Glow Lab:

  • Learn about Cold Light
  • Learn about Invisible Light
  • Fluorescein Experiment
  • Zinc Sulfide Experiment
  • Luminol Reaction Experiment

You can get the Glow Lab here.

Vortex Lab Activities:

High-speed mixing has never been so fun. The Vortex Lab helps kids learn about the science of solubility, diffusion and oxidation-reduction. Here’s a list of activities that come with the set:

  • Build the Mixing Machine
  • Motion & Kinetics Experiment
  • Heat & Kinetics Experiment
  • Iodine Clock Reaction
  • Blue Bottle Reaction
  • DIY Oil & Water Experiment

You can get the set here.

Interested in all three sets? Check out our Chemistry (3-Pack) to save on the Vortex Lab, Fire Lab and Glow Lab. Get it here.

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Introducing our first Kindness Crate in partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation

I’ll start with a personal confession: one of my (many) struggles as a parent is how to involve my kids more in community service and raise their awareness of causes and issues in the world around them. From talking to friends in our community and all the other parents on our team, I know I’m not alone. We all want to raise our kids to be kind, concerned and empathetic citizens – but the actual execution of getting involved is so daunting! How do I find a cause that they would understand and find relevant, a volunteer activity that’s appropriate (and welcoming) for kids, and fit it into our busy schedules??

With this in mind, our team has been talking for a long time about developing what we are calling the “Kindness Crate” – something that would:

  • Introduce kids to a cause & educate them about it (in a kid-friendly way)
  • Include a hands-on activity to connect kids to the cause (because, as you know, we believe a fully immersive experience is the best way to learn anything!)
  • Promote empathy and provide a way for kids to actually practice kindness, give back and get involved

So… I am really excited to announce the launch of the first KiwiCo Kindness Crate: Lemonade Stand –  in partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. ALSF is a national non-profit started by four-year-old Alex Scott in 2000 and is dedicated to raising funds for research into new treatments and cures for all children battling cancer.

The activities and information included in this crate will help kids learn more about the work that scientists are doing to find better medicines and cures for cancer — and how ALSF – and kids just like them – help to support and advance that work. Also included are all the materials and instructions to build and run their own lemonade stand (including a “working” cash register and an adorable chalkboard sign for marketing purposes :)) to raise money for the cause (or any other cause that is important to them, really.)  And as an added educational bonus, the crate includes some fun math games the kids can play with money; we provide KiwiCo currency – if they want the real deal, they might have to do the lemonade stand first! Finally, we are including a return envelope so kids can easily send their donations back to ALSF – and KiwiCo will be donating 25% of all sales of this crate to the organization too!

We hope to inspire kids to become more aware of issues in the world around them – not in a way to make them feel sad or guilty about their own fortune in comparison, but in order to encourage their empathy for others … and to see themselves as agents of change and the creative problem solvers of tomorrow. Because, one thing is for sure, there will still be plenty of problems left for them to solve!

We’d love to see any photos of your kids and their lemonade stands in action at #kiwicocares. And if you have tips on how you get involved in community service activities or issues with your kids, please share – great parenting hacks are always welcome!

All the best,

Sandra

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KiwiCo & the Flat Stanley Project

Have you heard of The Flat Stanley Project? It was created in Canada by Dale Hubert in 1995 as a way to engage his 3rd grade students in literacy, geography, and social studies. Kids cut out and color a fictional character named Stanley, then mail him to a friend. One may have arrived at your house from a friend who lives far away… or you may have supported your kiddo in finding a distant friend or relative to ship her Flat Stanley off to.

Stanleys have traveled all over the world this way!

Here at KiwiCo, we don’t have Stanleys, but we do have Steve! Steve the Kiwi has traveled all over the world. Here are a few of his recent adventures.

Steve skiing in Tahoe
Continue reading “KiwiCo & the Flat Stanley Project”

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Maker Profile: The Inventor of Post-it Notes


Did you know that the inventor of Post-it Notes, a convenient office supply that we take for granted, created them completely by accident?

Much like with our exploration of the invention of Silly Putty, the original inventor of Post-its was trying to make a better version of something that already existed. In this case, he was working on a better adhesive–something like tape or glue. Spencer Silver, a chemist at 3M, was trying to create “a better, stronger, tougher adhesive.” And guess what? He totally failed!

Continue reading “Maker Profile: The Inventor of Post-it Notes”

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7 Patriotic 4th of July Crafts

Are you getting ready to celebrate Independence Day? We are — with red, white, and blue 4th of July crafts! Many are easy enough for a toddler to “help” with, but all are festive and fun! Make beforehand for cute holiday decor…or save for a fun party activity, to keep kids active while they’re waiting for the grill.

1. Patriotic Rocks

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These simple, festive stones are a great last-minute 4th of July craft. Perfect for weighing down tablecloths or fun table decor! Continue reading “7 Patriotic 4th of July Crafts”

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Introducing Atlas!

As parents, we really want our kids to see themselves as citizens of our global community: to develop an appreciation for other cultures, and to grow their understanding of – and empathy for – communities and customs beyond their own experience. But it can certainly be a challenge to help our kids gain that perspective – especially since their lifetime orbits generally extend not much further than 5 miles from home!

Continue reading “Introducing Atlas!”