Black Friday science kit deals

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Black Friday science kit deals

By Jeanna Bryner 16 November 2021

From gross and slimy to robotic, these Black Friday science kit deals are sure to please your kids.

(Image credit: Jamie Grill via Getty Images)

Science kits let you and your kids bring the lab (or field) into your kitchen or yard. And Live Science has gathered the best Black Friday science kit deals to help you grab the right kit for less. 

Whether your child is a budding botanist, a dreamy skywatcher, an up-and-coming paleontologist or a geology fanatic, there is a science kit to fit every interest and need. And perhaps your child isn't a "science geek" just yet but they love cooking or magic or sports. Fortunately, science is everywhere around us, and so your little chef can learn the basics of measurements and chemical reactions while whipping up a recipe with Professor Maxwell's VR Junior Chef; meanwhile, your aspiring David Copperfield will learn physics and chemistry while making snow appear in their hand, bending metal, crafting a square bubble and more with National Geographic's Science Magic Kit. And don't forget the "T" and "E" in STEM: There are lots of technology and engineering kits, including those that let kids create robots, put together a computer with Raspberry Pi and learn how to code. 

As the holidays approach, sellers are already marking down these educational gifts. And to help you check items off your list, we have rounded up the best Black Friday science kit deals. 

Be sure to check out Live Science's list of the best microscopes for kids and best coding toys for kids in 2021.

• Check out STEM & educational toys at Best Buy
• Browse Amazon's deals on science kits
• See the savings on science kits at Walmart
• Take a look at the science kit deals available at Kohl's
• Target has a selection of science kits available 

Today's best Black Friday science kit deals$39.95 at Amazon

Playz Explosive Kitchen Lab: $69.95 $39.95 at Amazon

Kids will have a blast, literally, with the more than 26 explosive kitchen experiments. While they are creating bubbly, frothy concoctions, your child will also be learning about acids, bases, pH scale, DNA, electricity and diffusion. In addition to ingredients and tools, this science kit, recommended for ages 8 and up, also includes fact-filled colorful lab guide is full of pictures and information giving kids hours of fun in their own science lab.

View Deal$10.96 at Amazon

Grow-n-Glow Terrarium: $14.99 $10.96 at Amazon

Your little naturalist can get "dirty" indoors with this glowing terrarium kit. The kit includes everything they'll need to craft, plant, water and grow a mini ecosystem. What's included: plastic mason-style jar, potting mix (vermiculite), organic chia and wheat grass seeds, glow-in-the-dark forest figurines and more. Just add water!

View Deal$36.08 at Amazon

Thames & Kosmos Kids First Chemistry Set: $45.00 $36.08 at Amazon

For the child who can't wait to put on those safety goggles and start mixing ingredients, this might be the perfect science kit. For ages 8 and up, the chemistry set comes with a 48-page manual and 26 pieces to conduct 27 experiments. For instance, kids will make their own sugar and salt crystals; they can learn about color mixing while making a magic flower; and they will conduct acid tests, water solubility tests, and more, just like a real chemist. 

View Deal$29.95 at Amazon

Playz My First Coding & Computer Science Kit: $44.95 $29.95 at Amazon

Kids as young as 6 can learn about computer coding with this Playz science kit. With the kit and instruction book, your child can create and play with binary necklaces, ancient encryption devices, sorting races, mystery mazes, pixelated pictures and more. 

View Deal$14.40 at Amazon

Thames & Kosmos Ooze Labs: $29.95 $14.40 at Amazon

With this "Alien Slime Lab Science Experiment Kit," your child gets to be the lead chemist in an out-of-this-world lab, where they must  identify funky "alien" oozes by using science! The kit, which is recommended for ages 7 and up, is at an out-of-this world discount, selling at Amazon for 52% off the normal retail price. 

View Deal$32.14 at Amazon

Hape Junior Inventor Optical Science Lab: $39.99 $32.14 at Amazon

You won't believe your eyes when you peer at all of the optical creations in this science kit. Kids ages 4 and up can conduct eight optical science experiments that involve creating: a periscope, a cone Illusion, a 3D viewer, a rotating kaleidoscope, an Infinity mirror, an optical lab, an optical illusion pendulum and a camera obscura.

View Deal$25.50 at Amazon

hand2mind Launch Rocket STEM Kit: $29.95 $25.50 at Amazon

Reach for the stars with a kit for making and launching your own rockets. Along the way, kids will learn about propulsion and spaceflight. The included guide walks kids through different careers connected to rocket propulsion, along with step-by-step instructions for completing several rocket experiments. (Some household items are not included.) Kit is recommended for children ages 8 to 12.

View Deal$16.99 at Amazon

National Geographic Crystal Growing Garden: $21.99 $16.99 at Amazon

Kids can learn about the crystalization process and physical properties of different states of matter as they watch their crystal trees grow. The branches begin to sprout in minutes though an entire cherry or evergreen tree will take 6 hours to complete. Once they've grown their trees, kids can use one of five watercolor pens to give their trees a fun hue. The kit also comes with a real geode, with crystal inside.

View Deal$8.99 at Amazon

Discovery Kids Gemstone Dig Science Kit: $19.99 $8.99 at Amazon

Inside this container is a tiny world: a miniature garden that can be illuminated at night by a built-in LED light. The kit includes colored sand, rocks and soil; wheatgrass and chia seeds; whimsical miniatures of a mushroom and a rabbit; and tools for planting and watering the seeds. For Black Friday, Amazon is offering the kit for 55% off. 

View DealHow to choose a science kit

There are so many options when looking for the perfect science kit this Black Friday for your child or a friend. Here are some factors to think about when scanning the "shelves" for an entertaining and educational kit.

Interest: Some kids have very particular interests that match perfectly with certain science kits. For your dinosaur enthusiast, you can choose from a slew of paleontology-geared kits that let them dig for bones and learn about the Jurassic along the way. A free-spirited naturalist could dive into a bug-catching set, an ant farm or a build-your-own terrarium. For children who have an array of interests, or even those who might want to expand their minds, you can think about the types of activities and experiences they like. A child who loves physical activity might enjoy a stomp-rocket kit or a virtual reality science kit that lets them interact with the universe as an astronaut. Someone with an interest in mixing ingredients for cooking might also love a magic potions kit or one that guides them in making candy while learning about food chemistry. 

Materials: Some of these kits come with just enough materials to perform certain experiments one or two times. For instance, an erupting volcano kit can include the plastic basics and the chemicals to perform a few of the illustrated experiments. So you'll need to provide extra household supplies to finish them all. Other kits, like those for growing crystals, tend to include just enough supplies to do one experiment. (If you are looking for items you can recycle or throw away when done, these might be the perfect choice.) Also, check to see whether any of the chemicals or tools involved require parental oversight. 

Level of difficulty: Most science kits state the recommended age levels, though if the kit is for a kindergartener who doesn't know how to read yet, you still might need to be involved. For instance, this STEM solar robot kit is rated for ages 8 and up; if your child is 6 and is interested in robot-building, just remember they may need extra guidance along the way.

Mess: When making your science-kit buying choices, clean-up is another factor to consider. Chemistry-based sets tend to make the most mess, with erupting fizz and "smoking" magical concoctions. Dinosaur digging as well as crystal-growing can also be messy. Sometimes, of course, the messier the activity, the more fun and engaging it is for kids. But for a tidier science experience, look no further than robots, electric circuits, coding games and even some of the VR options.

Jeanna Bryner

Live Science Editor-in-Chief

Jeanna is the editor-in-chief of Live Science. Previously, she was an assistant editor at Scholastic's Science World magazine. Jeanna has an English degree from Salisbury University, a master's degree in biogeochemistry and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland, and a graduate science journalism degree from New York University. She has worked as a biologist in Florida, where she monitored wetlands and did field surveys for endangered species. She also received an ocean sciences journalism fellowship from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

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