Science Mad Outdoor Explorer STEM Toys REVIEW
This post is in collaboration with Trends Science Mad!
As a family, we absolutely love spending time outside in the great outdoors. I love to teach the girls about the world around them, as well as how to appreciate and look after our planet. With the seasons changing, now is a great time to get outside, explore and enjoy some time learning about nature!
As someone who has recruited into STEM subjects for many years and has seen just how few girls came through our graduate programme, I am also really keen on introducing the girls to toys that help inspire a love of science, IT and technology, and encourage them to learn about how things work!
Since 2002, Trends UK has built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading suppliers of science toys. Their brand “Science Mad! offer real experiments based on real chemistry, as well as scientific gadgets toys (such as telescopes and microscopes) that encourage children to explore the natural world and help inspire future generations to develop a love of science.
We were sent a selection of products from the Science Mad ‘Outdoor Adventure’ range to put through their paces with the girls and I couldn’t wait to get started! With two very curious girls, I was looking forward to seeing their reactions to some activities a little different to the norm!
Science Mad 50mm Telescope
First up was the Science Mad 50mm Telescope. Erin has recently learned a lot about space at school, and as such, has always been pretty fascinated by the night sky and all the things you can spot when the sun goes down. From star constellations to planets, moons, satellites and even the odd comet shooting by, there is SO much to discover with an astronomical telescope!
The Science Mad 50mm telescope is a robust astronomical telescope specifically made for children and offers an ideal introduction for children wanting to learn about astronomy.
Easy to set up and use, the Science Mad telescope is comes mounted on a table top tripod which can be folded down to a compact, transportable size when not in use. It includes a 50mm objective lens which allows plenty of light to be collected, enabling children to spot even far away detail of the bright moon or star clusters.
Depending on how close you want to get to the action, the Science Mad 50mm telescope comes with two different eye pieces (20mm or 4mm) which are super easy to switch over and change as required. By varying between the lenses, children can switch between 18 X magnification, or an even more impressive 90 X magnification, allowing them to see details such as moon craters with even more clarity!
The Science Mad 50mm Telescope has an RRP of £31.99 and is available at Amazon.
Our Experience of the Science Mad 50mm Telescope
We were lucky enough to have a super clear night last week where the stars were out and the moon was absolutely MASSIVE in the sky, so the girls were really excited to set up the telescope and see the moon a little closer to home!
The telescope was really quick and easy to set up, attaching the main telescope to the tripod and had two different eyepieces in their own protective pots depending on the level of magnification you wish to use. The focusing did take a little bit of practice and we did have to remind Neve (5) a few times not to turn the dial once we’d got it in place, but her reaction to seeing craters and close up imperfections of the moon was really lovely to see. There were lots of “Oh my gosh’ and ‘Wow’ exclamations – so much so that our neighbours popped out to see what all the fuss was about!
The telescope is not only a great way to introduce children to facts about earth, stars, planets and solar systems, but for older children like Erin, trying to spot some of the star constellations too!
(Please note this is an edited pic, but its impossible to capture an image of what we could see through the lens!)Â
Science Mad Digital Metal Detector
Next up and perfect for wannabe treasure hunters, we went out for an explore with the Science Mad Digital Metal Detector.
This metal detector is perfectly sized for the younger audience and makes a prominent beep and triggers flashing blue LED lights on the handle bar when metal is detected. From old or lost coins, jewellery that has been accidentally dropped, keys or other hidden treasure, the Science Mad Digital Metal Detector is the ideal explorer toy for kids who love the great outdoors.
The Scicen Mad Digital Metal Detector is lightweight, easy to hold and can be altered in terms of both volume level and sensitivity. A fun new hobby, metal detecting is also a great way to help children explore, learn patience and become more curious about the world around them!
The Science Mad Digital Metal Detector retails at £24.99 at Amazon.
Our Experience of the Science Mad Digital Metal DetectorÂ
The Science Mad Digital Metal Detector was very easy to set up and start using, simply needing a battery adding to the frame, slotting together and a brief collaboration exercise to ensure the sensitivity levels were correct. It’s worth knowing that the 9V battery isn’t included and its not necessarily the ones you’ll have at home stashed in a draw somewhere – so if you’re buying as a gift you may want to buy a battery in addition to save any disappointment!
Neve was very excited to head out and see what we could find. We took the Digital Metal Decector over to our local park and Neve was so excited when she heard the first beep and managed to find an old coin – I didn’t have the heart to tell her that 1995 isn’t perhaps as old and valuable as she thought, but to her, 1995 sounded like an eternity ago! She popped it safely into her money box when she got home!
The girls loved walking along slowly moving the metal detector to and fro and their faces when they heard the beep was an absolute picture! It was also a great conversation starter for younger children too, helping them learn all about different materials. Neve enjoyed going round and checking various items such as manhole covers, drains and railings in the park to see if they set it off. We were also able to talk about why other items such as trees and leaves didn’t make the detector beep. She really enjoyed the educational element of this.
This is a great beginners metal detector and is so light that their arms didn’t get tired even after walking for quite a while. The biggest challenge was their patience, as I think they were both hoping to come back with arm fulls of treasure! Whilst we haven’t found anything that will allow me to retire any time soon it was lots of fun to try!
The Science Mad Metal Detector could even be be used as a fun party game or an alternative treasure hunt with a set list of items to find.
Overall we had great fun with both items from the Science Mad range. Not only were they loads of fun, but they served as a great way to get us all up and out the house, getting some much needed fresh air whilst learning something new. With parent and child interaction, these toys can prove to be really educational and really help encourage an interest in science and technology. A big thumbs up from us!
Would you like to win a Science Mad 30mm Telescope?
Thanks to the team at Trends UK we have one Science Mad 30mm Telescope (slightly smaller than the one pictured above) to give away to one lucky reader.
The Science Mad! 30mm Telescope is fun and easy to use, allowing young explorers to discover the world around them. Lightweight and portable, for all those trips and adventures, this starter telescope uses optical glass lenses to provide a useful 15x magnification, making the world appear that much bigger, and in more exciting detail.
Use the Rafflecopter app below to enter – out standard giveaway terms and conditions apply. GOOD LUCK!
