It is hard to determine which kits are worth the expense. One brand I like is Aldon’s Innovating Science Kits. There are several Distant Learning kits, designed for home-schoolers. Typically there are sufficient materials to repeat the experiment between three to five times. When you buy a good kit, you’re buying the detailed lab instructions. I love to pour over science catalogs to get ideas for new labs. Sometimes, my Co-op class tries a new lab and it isn’t worth the cost. However, in other cases, the lab kit became a short-cut to understanding a concept. I’m open to new labs!
Happily, many of the Innovating Science kits are available at reasonable prices on eBay and Amazon. The most affordable of the Innovating Science kits are the Distant Learning kits and the refill kits. Be careful! The refill kits do not come with instructions; the Distant Learning kits do. The bigger sets work well with larger Co-op groups. Buy a kit when a lab just defeats you! The three below come to mind!
I buy ABO blood test kits all the time. They contain simulated blood. I’m too lazy to make up my own simulated blood. Then I read over the instructions with the kiddos—just like you! The lab has a nice scenario and clear instructions. Prices vary. The kits have all come intact—except one that had Elephant’s toothpaste lab instructions in an ABO blood test kit. Happily, I had another copy. Lab kits are a splurge; these are worth it. Just remember, you are really buying the lab instructions—not the kit components.
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