This post is brought to you by Klutz. All opinions are my own.
With the kids in school all day, we make an effort to reconnect for a bit each day. Every day at dinner we talk about our days and sometimes after school we’ll even stop at the park for a bit. Lately it’s been too cold {and getting dark too early!} to hit the park, so we’ve been looking for new and creative ways to spend time together.
Shane has always been a big fan of activity kits, and I was SO excited to hear about the KLUTZ Maker Lab series! I used Klutz products all the time as a kid, and I was thrilled to see that they had several kits that Shane would absolutely love. The KLUTZ Maker Lab series features premium supplies and really detailed instructions {that are actually clear and even fun to read}. Each one covers a different topic, including circuitry, kinetic machines, building and engineering, and more- but in a fun, hands-on way!
Shane’s really into engineering- he learned a lot about it last year in his gifted education class and again this year as his first science rotation. I knew that he would absolutely love the Klutz Maker Lab: Air Blast Cannon kit! He was excited to check it out and I think my husband was just as excited to do it with him. I have to admit that I learned quite a bit too while doing this activity, and it was really cool figuring out how everything worked and helping each other to complete each step.
The set had everything we needed to make our own air blast cannon, including projectiles and even targets. The design of the cannon allows us to see the inner workings even after it’s complete, which not only looks cool but is educational, too. The air cannon activity was a blast {pun intended} as it is, but I love that they went above and beyond and included a really nice book that really dove into the science behind it.
The Klutz Maker Lab kits are designed for use by kids 8 and up, and Shane had no problem with it at 9. We did help him with it, but only because it was a family activity and we enjoyed doing it together- he could have done it on his own just fine. In addition to the Air Blast Cannon kit, you can also find a gumball machine and a set of circuitry games that you can build and assemble and then play! Each kit encourages exploration and learning while having fun.
If you’re shopping for a kid 8+ this holiday season, I highly suggest the KLUTZ Maker Lab series! It provides you with an activity that you can do together {or that they can do themselves!} AND it ends up making something that they can play with for a long time to come! Add to that the learning they’ll be doing while they complete the activity and read the book and it truly is the gift that keeps on giving. You can learn more right here.
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