MEL Physics is the newest subscription box for kids ages 8-14+ from parent company, MEL Science. Each month you'll receive all of the materials you need to successfully complete physics experiments in the comfort of your home. This is perfect for kids who are interested in science or for homeschool students! Check out our reviews for MEL Chemistry (ages 9- 14+) and MEL Kids (ages 5-10) to see what else MEL Science has to offer!
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This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About MEL Physics
The Subscription Box: MEL Physics
The Cost: $34.90 per month
ACTIVE DEAL: Use code FREEBOX to get your first box free w/new subscription
CODE: FREEBOX
The Products: Everything you need to conduct physics experiments each month safely in your own home!
Ships to: The US and UK for free. International shipping to select countries is also available, although there may be additional shipping charges depending on location.
MEL Physics "Hydrophobicity" Review October 2020
This month our experiments' theme is "Hydrophobicity" and the contents were listed on the back of our box along with a note about what we would need to prepare in advance from home. This month we just needed some vegetable oil.
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Inside our box was an instruction sheet that included some general safety rules and information for the supervising adults. I love that they include this sheet so the parent can follow along but still allow the child to work independently.
If you prefer to use technology, you can also download the MEL Physics app and everything you need is there including safety and disposal information. The directions are sometimes animated and they provide scientific descriptions and further educational materials which I definitely recommend checking out!
Experiment 1: Droplet Labyrinth
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I have to say that I was very impressed with how well-organized this box was! Everything was in its place and the experiments were labeled 1-3 and the baggies with supplies for each experiment had coordinating numbers on them making everything so easy to locate. The directions came on a sturdy fold-out card with illustrations and steps that I found easy to follow. Our first experiment was "Droplet Labyrinth."
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For this experiment, we needed hydrophobic powder and red and blue coloring.
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They provided these cool labyrinth cards, a brush to use with the powder, and a Petri dish.
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They also provided a set of gloves, a black underlay to work on, and protect our table, and a paperclip to open up our bottles. We also received two different pieces of felt, one was hydrophilic (absorbs water) and the other was hydrophobic (repels water).
After looking at the materials for these projects, I felt it was safe enough for my two-year-old to observe while my six-year-old and I worked together. He put on his safety goggles and we were ready to go!
1 of 2 | These are the two different types of felt.
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We played around with the hydrophobic paper watching the droplets roll around...right onto my table.
1 of 2 | Next, it was time to brush the hydrophobic powder onto the first labyrinth card. I covered the entire surface with the powder.
We placed the labyrinth card inside our Petri dish to keep the mess contained. Now it was time to add a drop of coloring to the beginning.
Then my daughter tried to navigate the droplet to the circle at the end.
1 of 5 | We added powder to the second labyrinth card.
1 of 2 | Once we got the hang of it, we let my son have a turn.
Experiment 2: Oil Spill
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Our second experiment was entitled, "Oil Spill."
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This time we needed some of the same felt, although I was able to reuse ours from the first experiment. We also needed some of these plastic cups they provided and a dropper.
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This time we were working with graphite. They provided two bottles of powder for us.
1 of 3 | I measured out the oil (we used olive) in our first cup.
1 of 2 | I filled up another cup with water.
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We loved how cool it looked!
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Next, we dipped in our two different types of felt and observed the difference. It's a bit difficult to see here, but you could see that one absorbed only the oil. I loved that they made a real-life connection to an oil spill!
Experiment 3: Hydrophobic Sand
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Our last experiment was "Hydrophobic Sand."
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We received a small container of blue hydrophobic sand.
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We also received some regular sand.
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They also provided some coffee filters, a spoon, and some square cups.
1 of 3 | I filled up one of the square cups with some water.
1 of 2 | Next, we dumped the regular sand into the cup of water.
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Then we dumped the hydrophobic sand into the other cup. This one was much more interesting to observe! It never got wet!
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We had some fun playing around with the sand and when we were done, we used a coffee filter to drain the water out. It was pretty amazing to see the water pass through it!
Bonus Experiment: Wettability
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We also received this QR code along with a candle and some yarn so that we could perform a bonus experiment.
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After scanning the code, I was taken to this experiment entitled "Wettability" which involves using a boiled egg. This will be a fun experiment to save for a rainy day!
Verdict: This was our first time receiving MEL Physics and I was so impressed with the packaging and how it included everything that we needed in the box (other than water and some oil). It was packaged neatly, everything was easy to locate, and the experiments themselves were well-explained through illustrations and included the educational information behind what we were observing. If you want to go further with the learning you can access the app for more information, or you can even check out their virtual reality app if you have a viewer! I think this was a great box and would be fun for any kid interested in physics or as a supplemental tool for homeschool learning! My kids are much too young for this box, but they were impressed, and so was I!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, it is possible that you will receive this set. From MEL Physics:
"The topics are looped such that the start date of your subscription does not matter; you will eventually receive all the experiment sets."
ACTIVE DEAL: Use code FREEBOX to get your first box free w/new subscription
CODE: FREEBOX
Check out our list of the best subscription boxes for kids, as recommended by MSA readers!
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