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Why we LOVE this product!
We picked MEL Chemistry because it's real chemistry: proper reagents, glassware and procedures, not baking soda volcanoes. The Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine called it one of the most ambitious home-chemistry projects it had seen.
The app is what makes it work for kids, with video guides for each step and VR models that show what the molecules are doing.
Two things to weigh: real chemicals mean an adult should be nearby and you'll need table space for each session. And it costs more than simpler science boxes, so the annual plan only makes sense once your child is hooked.
Description
SKU:
MELChemistry
MEL Chemistry is a monthly lab kit for kids 10 and up. Each box contains the reagents and equipment for real chemistry experiments, such as growing tin crystals with electricity or changing a liquid's color with pH indicators, and the first box adds a home lab with a flask, a macro lens and a VR headset.
What's inside
The first box includes the starter home lab. After that, one new experiment set arrives each month. MEL currently lists 20 chemistry sets, including:
- Tin Chemistry
- Colorful Chemistry
- Crystals
- Zinc-Carbon Battery
- Cyanotype
- Etching
- Plating
- Corrosion
- Artificial Sea
- Chemistry
- Light
- Chemistry
- Electricity
- Oxygen
- Diffusion
- Pure Water
- Chemistry of Winter
- Elements
- Alchemy
- Chemistry of Materials
- A Study in Ultraviolet
How it works
You pick one or more subjects at checkout and can switch subjects at any time from your MEL account. A new kit ships every month. You can pause or cancel with one click in My Account and reactivate later.
The MEL Science app adds step-by-step video guides, and the VR headset lets kids look at molecules in 3D on a phone.
What kids learn
Kids see the core ideas of chemistry happen in front of them: reactions, acids and bases, crystal growth, batteries and electroplating, corrosion and light. They also build lab habits: measuring carefully, following a procedure and recording what they observe.
Good to know before you buy
- MEL lists subscriptions from $29.90 a month, and its 12-month plan costs the same as 8 months.
- Kits can't be bought one at a time.
- These are real chemicals: MEL says its chemistry projects follow the European EN 71-4 list of substances allowed in children's chemistry sets, meet US CPSC requirements and include no explosives.
- Plan on an adult nearby and a clear table for each experiment.
- You'll need a phone for the app and VR lessons.
- Buying it as a gift? Enter the child's address at checkout.
- MEL doesn't publish a holiday shipping cutoff on its subject pages, so order early if the first box needs to arrive by a set date.
How it compares
Chemistry is MEL's original subject. For an 8 or 9 year old, MEL Physics is the easier start; teens interested in health careers can step up to MEL Medicine at 14.
Who it's for
Kids 10 to 14 who love reactions and colors, families who want real lab science rather than slime and volcano kits, and homeschoolers who want a chemistry curriculum with the supplies included.
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About
MEL Science
