Discovery Kits

Here's a unique opportunity for youngsters to explore at home with a discovery kit. Each kit contains books, tools, equipment, and toys, along with a binder of ideas and instructions.


Backyard Explorer

Get a closer look at nature with a spyglass, insect catcher, net, binoculars, and the game Animal Tracks! This kit also includes the books Bird Watching for Kids by George Harrison, On the Nature Trail by Kathleen Yale, and Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Insects by Libby Romero.

Recommended for ages 5-10.

 

Circuits

Books and games featuring electricity

Learn about electricity and build your own circuits using Snap Circuits. Get new ideas for fun projects with the book, Snappy Circuits by Michael Carroll and read about one of the most famous inventors who worked with electricity: Nikola Tesla. 

Recommended for ages 5-12. 

Codes and Ciphers

Create codes and ciphers using invisible ink pens and the cipher wheel. Can You Crack the Code? by Ella Schwarz will test your deciphering skills.

Recommended for ages 10-12.

 

Coding

Preschoolers can learn the foundations of computer programming with this kit. Included are the book, Future Astronaut by Lori Alexander and Allison Black, along with Code & Go Robot Mouse, Code-a-Pillar Twist, and Code Hopper foam mats.

Recommended for ages 3-6.

 

Color

It’s so much fun to learn about color. This kit includes the book Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet, a prism, flashlights, color filters, color wheel, and wax pencils.

Recommended for ages 8-10.

 

Engineering

Get started with these books: Engineered! Engineering Design at Work by Shannon Hunt and James Gulliver Hancock and Crazy Contraptions: Build Rube Goldberg Machines that Swoop, Spin, Stack, Swivel by Laura Perdew and Micah Rauch. Kids can construct and design with MagSnaps and KEVA Structures and Contraptions.

Recommended for ages 8-12.

 

Fossils

The books, Barnum’s Bones by Tracey Fern and Fossils for Kids by Ashley Hall, are included in this kit, along with fossil specimens and identification cards that provide the basics for exploring fossils.

Recommended for ages 6-10.

 

Geometry

Learn about geometry in nature with the book Growing Pattern: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell. Use the Spirograph Cyclex and Playstix to make your own geometric shapes and designs.

Recommended for ages 5-8.

 

Human Body

Begin with two books: The Fantastic Body by Howard Bennett and The Magic School Bus Presents the Human Body by Tom Jackson. Then on to exploring a take-apart human body model that lets kids learn about the inside of the abdomen and head.

Recommended for ages 5-12.

 

Logic

Use this kit to sharpen deduction and reasoning skills. Sleuth & Solve: 20+ Mind-Twisting Mysteries by Victor Escandell & Ana Gallo will get your started. Then on to the games Kanoodle, Mental Blox, and Logic Links.

Recommended for ages 5-12.

Magic

Show Me Cool Magic by Jake Banfield and Magic Tricks with Coins, Cards, and Everyday Objects will help you practice and develop your skills. Also included is the Melissa & Doug deluxe wooden magic set.

Recommended for ages 7-12.

 

Magnetics

Experiments help you learn about magnetic force. This kit contains the book, Experiment with Magnets by Isabel Thomas and the Thames and Kosmos Magnetic Science Kit.

Recommended for ages 8-12.

 

NASA Space Explorers Backpack

View the night sky with a 75mm telescope and planisphere. Also includes a Code & Go Robot Mouse, Starry Skies by Samantha Chagollan, Find the Constellations by H.A. Rey, Moustronaut Goes to Mars by Mark Kelly, and 8 Little Planets by Chris Ferrie.

Recommended for all ages, with adult supervision.

 

Night Sky

Explore the night sky with a planisphere, binoculars, a moon light, and star projector. The books, Starry Skies by Samantha Chagollan and Moon’s First Friends by Susanna Leonard Hill, are included.

Recommended for ages 6 and up.

Oceanography 

Marine Life Specimen Set (booklet, magnifier, fiddler crab specimen block, hermit crab specimen block, starfish specimen block, nassariidae specimen block, sea cucumber specimen block, chiromantes dehaani specimen block) ; Ocean Baseplate Builder STEM game (64 pieces, 1 baseplate) ; Dart and Dive Across the Reef / Vassiliki Tzomaka ; Ocean Anatomy: the curious parts & pieces of the world under the sea / Julia Rothman.

Recommended for ages 8-12.

  Rock On!

Become a rock hound with this kit. Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Rocks and Minerals by Nancy Honovich and What’s That Rock or Mineral will help identify rocks. The book Secrets of Our Earth by Carron Brown and Wesley Robins uses a flashlight to reveal hidden pictures in the illustrations. The kit also contains a box of 15 labeled rock specimens and a jeweler’s loupe for closer examination.

Recommended for ages 8-12.

Solar System

Travel outer space with the books Birthday on Mars! by Sara Schonfeld and They Dance in the Sky: Native American Star Myths by Jean Guard Monroe and Ray A. Williamson. A flashlight reveals hidden pictures in Carron Brown’s On the Space Station. Explore space further with the game Astro Dash, a motorized solar system model, and a gyroscope.

Recommended for ages 8 and up.

 

Sound

Use tuning forks and resonator bells to experiment with sound.  Also included in this kit ― I Heard a Sound by David J Ward.

Recommended for ages 6 and up.

 

Telescope

The Orion® FunScope™Astro Dazzle telescope provides wide-field views of the moon, planets, star clusters and nebulas of deep space. This kid-friendly telescope is perfect for young stargazers. Recommended for all ages, with adult supervision.

Recommended for all ages, with adult supervision.

 

 

Tiny Science

Discover details in nature seen only through a microscope, and learn more in Unseen Worlds by Helene Rajcak. A microscope and 48 prepared slides are also included.

Recommended for ages 9 and up.

 

 

Weather

Pet tornado activity, card game, weather experiment kit, 2 books, instructional sheet, 1 activity binder ; in clear plastic bin.

 Recommended for ages 7-12.

 

 Robotics

 Discover and learn about robotics and mechanical engineering with books including Machines that Think by Don Brown and Everything Robots by Jennifer Swanson. Then try it yourself with the Robot Factory hands-on STEM experiment kit.


Recommended for ages 5-10