Clifford Science Series

By The Young Scientists Club
Price $19.99
Age 3+

The Clifford Science Series does a fabulous job of arousing kids' interest in the ongoing exploration of science. It consists of several distinct kits, each with a unique focus. Throughout the series, Clifford the Big Red Dog provides an encouraging and familiar presence while his owner, Emily Elizabeth, narrates the story line of each experiment. The experiments are fun and exciting, often incorporating common household ingredients. Easy to follow even for young children, the experiments make a great introduction to science as well as a way to build on existing skills and confidence levels. The experiments' playful, catchy titles (making slime, jumping pepper, catching a rainbow) pique kids' interest, and the results, which are clearly explained in the manuals, are equally intriguing. The kits themselves are extraordinary, each providing a highly efficient laboratory specific to the experiments at hand. Rainbow Science, for example, includes plastic test tubes, pipette, funnel, measuring cup, mirror, chromatography paper, circular cardboard, crayons, rainbow glasses, pencil, and its very own lab tray. Kits retail for $19.99 each.