Ultimate Sparkle Science Review

Reviewed by Kathryn Harrison

October half-term week and our to-do list was full of outdoor, pumpkin-themed activities. But with the torrential rain, I was glad we had the ‘Ultimate Sparkle Science’ Kit for a spot of indoor fun with a difference. With a second national lockdown combined with the general unpleasantness of the weather, now is the time to stock up on activities that’ll keep the kids entertained inside. This super sparkly chemistry set, put to the test by my two young daughters, was a super, scientific success.

Despite being recommended for ages 8+, there’s no reason why younger children can’t enjoy this set with adult supervision. My two are 3 and 5 and were suitably impressed and excited about the prospect of making their own glittery bath jellies, creating a strawberry scented fragrance jar and a slime nightlight. Aside from the jellies (that made bath-time much less of a chore), I did insist that the other products we made stayed downstairs, where laminate flooring, as opposed to the carpets upstairs, could deal with any slippy, slimy spillages from the not too sturdy containers. The fruity fragrance and relaxing, colour changing light have actually added to the atmosphere of the living room!

‘Ultimate Sparkle Science’ by John Adams – a British-based company who develop innovative children’s toys, games, science and art kits – offers an entertaining and engaging way to help children (and their grown-ups) explore and understand many different scientific concepts. What’s more, in a time where parents could find themselves Headteacher of their own Home School, it’s worth knowing that it supports National Curriculum learning. I’m always on the lookout for fun activities that combine education and entertainment and this kit is equally ideal as a fun, ready-made home-school, chemistry lesson as it is an engaging, rainy day activity.

My girls thoroughly enjoyed measuring, mixing and pouring (with a little help from Mum) to complete the 10 experiments. My five-year-old’s favourite was the making of a Mystic Ball; a little device that you ask a yes or no question and shake to reveal an answer. We certainly had a chuckle as answers were revealed. Dad is indeed going bald and Mum’s pancakes are definitely not on par with Daddy Pig’s! My three-year-old loved growing a sparkly crystal geode; I’m sure this was at least partly due to the process which included some serious bashing with a rolling pin! She was also very taken with the safety goggles that are included in the set; her sister didn’t get a look in. The ‘special glasses’ now take pride of place in her dressing up box.

The ‘Sparkle Science’ set is ‘very pink’ and as much as I want to avoid gender specific toy controversy, the box itself may not appeal to boys as much as it should. I’m not a fan of the notion that pink is for girls and blue is for boys but that said, I think perhaps it is worth noting that the kit does includes a blue as well as a pink colouring that can be used to create the products. There’s no reason why bath jellies, a slime night light and many of the other experiments shouldn’t appeal to boys, but unfortunately the packaging might not go down too well across the board.

The kit comes with clear instructions that meant this Mum, without so much as a Science GCSE could conduct the experiments safely at home. They also explain the science behind the experiments so the kids think you’re really brainy. I actually learnt a think or two too.

The kit has most of the equipment needed to complete the experiments; some of the activities do require additional ingredients such as vegetable oil, table salt, hair gel and shower gel, things that are generally part of the household shop or cheap enough to add on.

‘Ultimate Sparkle Science’ retails at around £22.99. For that price, it gave us a full afternoon of entertainment. The girls enjoyed working with Mum to create the products that we’ll probably keep for a week or two, before they’re replaced on the mantelpiece by the next craft. It’s a lovely present for inquisitive little minds.

If you’re looking for more of a stocking filler then the ‘Shake ‘n’ Shimmer’ charm bracelet kit, which we also received to review is perfectly priced at £4.99.

This mini-kit comes with a 10-piece bracelet, 5 mystery charms, 3 mystery glitters and 7 dazzle gems. Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to help build the bracelet. Now, I know a few glitter-phobe grown-ups who could potentially be reeled in at the prospect of ‘no mess’ fun, however, I don’t truly believe that when it comes to glitter, there’s any such thing, no matter what the packaging leads you to believe.

The instructions inside may reaffirm that you really should book that appointment at the Optician’s but the process is actually fairly simple and you’ll soon get the idea. Open the lid and load the glitters, choose your first charm, apply glue, pop back in the tub, and shake!

The product states that “Glitter is contained in the pot, so there’s no mess!” I beg to differ. However, what’s a bit of sparkle? Christmas is coming after all. And this does make a lovely little gift for under a fiver. There’s a trail of glitter around my house following the smiles on my girls’ faces who are super proud of the sparkly, charm bracelets, they made all by themselves (give or take Dad’s help in securing those charms). What’s a bit of fairy dust anyway? If only, the fairies would come and clean up too!

With Christmas just around the corner and much-needed inspiration required, I’ll certainly be investigating the John Adams range further. Their Science and Discovery, and Arts and Crafts certainly look to encourage creativity with plenty of play and learning value. I think I might even add their ‘Kitchen Chemistry’ set onto my own Christmas List. It might just magic up the Christmas Dinner!

Rating: 4/5

RRP:
Ultimate Sparkle RRP £22.99
Shake & Shimmer: £4.99

This product can be purchased from: Argos, Smyths, Amazon, Toymaster, Ebay & Very.  For more information, please visit the John Adams website here.