I'm so excited to share Groovy Lab in a Box with you all. As some of you all know I took the girls out of school for a Science and Engineering festival that was held locally. It was a BLAST. While at the Science and Engineering festival I discovered Groovy Lab in a Box. When we got home I looked it up online and was so intrigued, I did a little more research and contacted the company.
As a mom I feel the pull of wanting my children to explore their interests and squeezing in all that they need to learn in school (sometimes the other way around too). I'm always looking for ways to encourage and cultivate their love of science and engineering in ways that are fun and interesting. The thing is we don't have a lot of time to set things up, find supplies, etc. Groovy Lab in a box gathers all that the children and I need for some fun STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities to be the little STEMist they are.
So here's the rundown on Groovy Lab in a Box. Groovy Lab in a Box is a fantastic learning tool that focuses on STEM for ages 8-12 or grades 3-5. It is a subscription service and you can choose 1, 3, 6, 12 month subscriptions. The boxes are delivered right to your door and they include all your STEMist needs for that months hands-on projects and engineering design challenge. When I say that this box includes all you need, I'm not kidding. If you need a single glue dot, it's in the box. Lab notebooks, goggles, compostable spoon/box/cup, everything we needed. I was also pleased to read a little card in our box letting us know that while Groovy Lab in a Box had changed it's name from Einstein in a box that they were using up their packaging because they are an environmentally aware company. In fact just about everything in our box was reusable, recyclable, or compostable.
Pictured above are the components that came in our box. The Lab notebook was perfect for my 8 and 9 year old to read out loud. The language was easy to read and understand, the graphics are clear, simple with clean lines so they are easy to understand. There are also definitions of some words and a small history on the catapult.
The girls and I read about the history of the catapult. Then we talked about Elastic Energy and sorted the contents of our box by material, listing each one in the chart that came in the Lab notebook.
Each of my girls built a catapult. They took turns launching items, my oldest recorded all of the data and predictions. These boxes can be done with one or multiple children. I liked that my children we able to work together and talk through each activity.
We're already planning to make a few of these Trampoline Catapults to have some pom pom battles.
One of the really awesome things about Groovy Lab in a Box is that there is so much to explore BEYOND the box. There are Stop signs throughout the Lab notebook for the children to investigate further. There are fun and interesting videos which is perfect because it helped my girls see things in action, see projects and ideas in "real life". Most of the videos are just a few minutes long.
While my oldest built the Trigonal Pyramidal Catapult, my youngest built some ammonia molecules and other molecules with our personal set, these didn't come in the box. But the Lab notebook mentioned ammonia molecules and it's trigonal shape. It was great to keep my youngest learning and exploring while her older sisters built the next catapult.
All of these projects were so fun. The Engineering Design Challenge was for the girls to design (and redesign :) ) and build their own catapult using only the box and it's contents. This is an ongoing project around here. I hope to update with the girls creation at some point before school starts, but I don't want to rush them or the process. Hopefully I'll have some picture updates for you.
All in all the Groovy Lab in a Box is amazing. As a mom I love that it's not a box that can be gone through in one afternoon, then set aside. It takes time to do each section of the Lab notebook, for the kids to explore and investigate, build, and record data. The box makes learning fun, it challenges children to take chances and think big. Beyond the Box, as I said is such a great tool. The videos and information on there is great to see STEM in "action".
Find Groovy Lab in a Box
Online/Purchase
Facebook (Fun posts and cool STEM fun)
Pinterest (You must check out their Pinterest boards, so many cool STEM ideas from projects to food)
Twitter
Google+
Linkedin
Instagram
YouTube
Tumblr
All of these projects were so fun. The Engineering Design Challenge was for the girls to design (and redesign :) ) and build their own catapult using only the box and it's contents. This is an ongoing project around here. I hope to update with the girls creation at some point before school starts, but I don't want to rush them or the process. Hopefully I'll have some picture updates for you.
All in all the Groovy Lab in a Box is amazing. As a mom I love that it's not a box that can be gone through in one afternoon, then set aside. It takes time to do each section of the Lab notebook, for the kids to explore and investigate, build, and record data. The box makes learning fun, it challenges children to take chances and think big. Beyond the Box, as I said is such a great tool. The videos and information on there is great to see STEM in "action".
Find Groovy Lab in a Box
Online/Purchase
Facebook (Fun posts and cool STEM fun)
Pinterest (You must check out their Pinterest boards, so many cool STEM ideas from projects to food)
Google+
YouTube
Tumblr
If you are in the US, have a US address, and are 18 years of age or older, enter below to win a prize from Groovy Lab in a Box!
MOBILE FRIENDLY LINK
Disclaimer: I was provided a free sample/s of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. All pictures are from the companies site, unless noted.
More giveaways on Give Peas A Chance found HERE.
