by Kira Thompson 
When I was young I remember watching “The Magic School Bus” and being insanely envious of the students. They got to explore first hand all the wonders of science. I remember wanting to grow up and be a scientist so I could explore and discover all the wonders of the universe. Well, I went in the other direction and chose to follow Miss Frizzle and teach my love of science to new generations. Science is a huge part of our curriculum and even though they are young, the kids love exploring and discovering.
The Magic School Bus: Growing Crazy Crystals Kit was fantastic. The kit was full with everything you need (minus a few household items) to complete fourteen different experiments with your kids. Each experimenter is done buy one of Ms Fizzle’s students. It’s really cute and follows the classic Magic School Bus characters. I loved it in a nostalgic way and the kids just thought it was cool.
Because I work with younger children, we did some of the easier experiments. We started out by talking about crystals and reading the notes. Then we looked at salt and sugar under our magnifying glass. The older kids talked about how the shapes were different and they got to draw what the shapes looked like.
Our “big” experimenter was growing crystals from baking soda. We mixed baking soda and boiling water together in a jar (Note: if you dump baking soda into boiling water it will create a volcano effect. While the kids get a kick out of this, it does create a crazy mess. I’d do a little at a time next time). We mixed everything together and used a pipe cleaner to make a shape. It was submerged and then the waiting game begins.I loved that these experiments taught the kids to be patient. We had to wait hours to see some of the crystals form but they waited and were very excited to watch it grow.
This kit was a great way to teach kids about the scientific process and how to do experiments. They got to record their findings on a chart and label the jar. There were lots of steps they could do without my help and that is really important. The more hands on they can be the better. You can find other kits and sign up for The Young Scientists Club on their website. They have other great kits from The Magic School Bus and Clifford! This was a great way to get young children excited about science.
Disclosure: We were given this product to facilitate an honest review. All opinions are our own.
10 Comments on “The Magic School Bus Growing Crazy Crystals {Review}”
Kira Thompson does a wonderful job of explaining some of the experiments she did with young children based on these experiments done by students of the Magic School Bus show.
I think we are all interested in experiments. I experiment with certain houseplants to see what part of our home will make them happy enough to bloom. When a plant blooms for you after three years, you may be sure I am very happy.
I think children are born curious beings and maybe we do not have enough stimulation to help them continue to be curious.
I think curiousity is a wonderful asset. I imagine our best scientists and doctors, etc., are very curious and never lost this asset.
Thanks for posting this wonderful review,My grandkids are very interested in this topic
14 different experiments! Great kit….would be fun to do some with my girl!
And we love The Magic School Bus!
A great review, my grandkids love things like this, watching how things develop like crystals, seeds into plants etc etc.
oh my gosh its the magic school bus!!! i miss that show. i am so happy the still have it kicking around and it is still in children’s lives. such a fantastic idea
Ooooo Magic School Bus, the good old days where learning was magical and fun 😉 Cool crystal making kit
Use to watch the show with my kids, now the have kids
I am visiting again. I really love the Magic School Bus with its fourteen experiments-yes, fourteen. It is meant for young children with a little help from an adult and, apparently, the little ones love it. I think it would be fascinating to watch crystals grow.
If you are a parent, you probably have a child who is fascinated with learning. These days, there are so many educational programs available for children to watch and learn from. You may want to consider letting your child watch “The Magic School Bus.” I have seen The Magic School Bus over the years and I can say that it is a show that I would let my child watch. The show is educational, but it is not boring. It usually discusses about https://edubirdie.org/edubirdie-legit/ and other such tools in great detail. It teaches children about science and other things without making them feel like they are learning boring facts.
The episode begins with Ms. Frizzle introducing the concept of crystals to her students and explaining how they are formed in nature. You need to check this https://magicalkatrina.com/magiciansblog/magic-and-virtual-team-building-a-winning-combination and learn more new ways of magic. She then announces that they will be growing their own crystals in the classroom. The students eagerly gather around as she unveils a tray filled with various crystal-growing materials and instructions.