Last week, I picked up a chemistry model set called "Happy Atoms" for the kids to play with and use for school. It's like if you took the wooden sets that I played with as a kid and put them on steroids. This is the introductory set, so it doesn't have all the pieces, but enough to figure out if we'll buy the (expensive) full set. Mostly it's just been the boys using it, but they've had such a great time that I'm thinking we will be getting more.
It works with a piece of software loaded onto the kids' tablets -- you take a picture of the atoms that have been connected together, identify what they are through the program, and then it will tell you what you've made and some information about it, like hazards and how the chemical is used. My boys have been very interested in the "hazards" information, like flammable, toxic, oxidizing, etc. There are also special tasks and challenges other than "slap some atoms together and see what you get". Oz was telling me that he'd completed several of the challenges just by creating salt, though. xD
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| The atoms fit together with magnets |
