Groovy Lab in a Box is a monthly box overflowing with science experiments for you and your child to explore together. Recommended for ages 8+, this service encourages children to use their natural engineering skills to solve difficult problems and create solutions while having fun!
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
The Subscription: Groovy Lab in a Box
The Cost: $26.95 / month with free shipping, less for longer subscription options
The Products: Every month, Groovy Lab in a Box sends a 20+ page lab notebook and everything required to complete the STEM-based experiments inside.
Ships to: US & Canada
Check out all of our Groovy Lab in a Box reviews!
This is the lab notebook, which includes instructions for all the activities, along with questions and places to note your observations. This month's theme was "Stitch-a-Circuit"! I was so happy to see this! My son is only nine, but I think it's never too early to introduce children to electrical engineering. If you can do it in a fun way, you might spark an interest that could be really rewarding to them in the future.
This is a look at some of the instructions for one of the projects. There are plenty of graphics to ensure that we can follow along successfully, and there are notes to make sure we don't make some of the common mistakes. These things are really helpful because the instructions can get a little intense.
These are all the raw materials that were included for use in the experiments. One thing I love about Groovy Lab is that they always include everything you will need except scissors and pens / pencils. They even include tape and a ruler! That's so nice in case you don't have those things handy. There are usually several experiments in a Groovy Lab box, but this month there were only four, and only two of which made for good photography. This is because the last experiment was pretty lengthy and intense!
Our first activity was to build this LED flashlight. We basically built a circuit around a popsicle stick using copper wire and copper tape to connect the switch (a binder clip), the battery, and the light bulb.
It works! How cool is that?
Our last activity was to make this smiley-face guy with LED eyes. When he frowns, only one eye lights up, but when he smiles, both eyes light up. Here he is frowning.
Here he is smiling! This one works too! The kids got a big kick out of him. I think they have plans to incorporate this technology into a robot, and honestly, with all the STEM subscription boxes they have been getting, they are well on their way to making one! For this activity, we had to draw a schema on the back of the plate, insert all the metal components, and then connect it all with metal thread by sewing it. When the paper clip is touching both of the metal brads, the circuit to both eyes is complete. Verdict: Last month I stated in my verdict that I do not recommend Groovy Lab for children under age 11 or 12, and I stand by that after this month's package. Groovy Lab is a wonderful, highly educational subscription service for children ages 11 and up. It's a lot of fun, it's completely loaded with information, and it's absolutely packed with activities! Unfortunately, many of the steps are just too difficult for my nine-year-old son to complete with or without my help. The result is that he loses interest and wanders off, or worse, stops having fun, and that's just a deal breaker for me. I would love to start him back on this subscription when he's a couple of years older, and I totally recommend it for older children. What do you think of Groovy Lab in a Box?
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