Do you purchase ready made kits for projects or experiments or do you put together these things yourself from items you can find frugally or have at home?

Whether you purchase kits or supplies, where do you find the best prices?

 

DS #1 is getting to the age where he LOVES doing science experiments, would do one every day if I'd let him!  So far I've purchased the items individually, but I can forsee purchasing kits in the future.  So far I've just checked books out from the library and pulled together what we need  (right now we are using a great book called Bathtub Science).

I've seen Christian Book Distributors sell science related items fairly inexpensively.  You might also want to check out Discount School Supply, they sell science related things as well.  Lately the last few garage sales I've went to have had science kits, microscopes, etc so that might be an option.  Target used to sell National Geographic kits in the toy section that are basically science kits, so that might be something to try as well.

we have a great home school store and they sell great kits  and we have a good group ... when the Daddy's  take science they teach the greatest science projects ...  at home our science is very hands on and I let him handle it  

gayla50:

when the Daddy's  take science they teach the greatest science projects ...  at home our science is very hands on and I let him handle it  

It's a good thing that my husband has been active with the hands on aspect of homeschooling and that the children enjoy following directions of projects to do them independently. I am not so creative or handy beyond the basics.

I ordered a kit this morning that goes with our study on plants and animals. I don't normally purchase new and complete kits this way so I hope I feel it was a good value once we have it.

 

 I don't homeschool my kids but they have a book called "The Dangerous Book for Boys" that my oldest used for a science experiment at school.  He made a battery out of quarters and vinegar and wire and paper, so it was not expensive.   It was really neat, and the book has lots of projects like that, plus other information boys like.

DD's aunt is a science teacher and big influence on DD.  DD's aunt bought her a soda pop bottle kit that came complete with a bunch of projects you could do often with stuff you have around the house, like food coloring.  A lot of the experiments were for older kids so every summer when DD goes to visits she will be able to accomplish more of them.

The last few years of school, I bought science kits from Home Science Tools as we used Apologia curriculum and Home Science had the kits that are specifically geared for that curriculum.  Very convenient and the cost was reasonable.

I found when suggested experiments arose, I either didn't have the right things for the experiments or was missing an essential ingredient, then I'd try to substitute and it still wouldn't 'work'...or when I did get everything required, we were already into the next chapter...  So the kits made the experiments more 'unskippable' and more efficient as the materials were always fresh and of excellent quality.  Even the biology dissection kits...