Reviews & Product Guides

Are you looking for a chemistry toy or gift for yourself or that special someone? Here's a list of ideas of chemistry toys and gifts. All of these chemistry-related products are available online, so you don't even need to go out shopping (though many of them are available in stores, too).

The best toys never go out of style. Telescopes, rock tumblers, creature habitats, and chemistry kits are as educational as ever. The latest versions are safer and more interesting than ever before.

Here are some kits for growing your own crystals. There are big kits with multiple crystal types, non-toxic kits for younger explorers, pre-sealed crystal globes, and unopened geodes!

Summer is nearly here and the kids will be home a lot more. One summer pitfall is hearing "I'm bored!" Science kits can amuse the bored child and educate at the same time.

Magic Powerballs are polymer bouncy balls that anyone ages 6 and up can make. My kids and I gave this project a try. Here is what we thought of the Magic Powerballs kit.

Insta-Snow is white like real snow, wet, and flakey, but it's made from a polymer gel rather than water and it doesn't melt. Is it fun? Is it safe? Is is cool? Here's what I thought of Insta-Snow.

Magic Rocks are a classic instant crystal growing kit. You pour a magic solution over magic rocks and a fanciful crystal garden starts growing as you watch. Here's my review of the Magic Rocks kit.

The Smithsonian Crystal Growing Kits allow you to grow beautiful crystals quickly and safely. Each kit contains everything you need, except water, to make jewel-bright crystals that resemble natural mineral clusters.

Can you tell the difference between a poisonous mushroom and an edible mushroom? Taylor Lockwood's video The Good, the Bad, and the Deadly explains how you can identify edible mushrooms and how to avoid the toxic fungi.

You can grow 'frosty diamonds' and 'purple amethyst geodes' with the Smithsonian Crystal Growing Geodes kit. Here's my review of this popular crystal growing kit.

The Steve Spangler Science Jelly Marbles Activity Kit is a science kit that features water-absorbing polymer balls in a variety of interesting science experiments.

Steve Spangler Science makes a nifty Geyser Tube so you can make a Mentos and diet soda geyser without getting wet (if you choose). The kit includes everything you need, except the diet soda, to make a 25 foot soda geyser.

Science toys are probably the coolest toys out there! You've got magic rocks, plasma balls, molecule sets, chemistry kits, ant farms, fossils, and more! Do you have a favorite science toy? What makes it your favorite? Where did you find it and what age group do you think would most enjoy it? You're invited to write a review so others can...See submissions