The Milestones in Science kit has an overarching concept—to demonstrate 100 of the most groundbreaking scientific discoveries of all time. This is the only one of our top ten chemistry sets that uses a historical perspective. For its excellent manual and solid selection of experiments presented in a historical context, the Milestones in Science chemistry set is a great choice for beginners.
The Milestones in Science kit contains 100 experiments, each modeled after a historical discovery. The kit recreates the circumstances under which each of these 100 legendary discoveries was made. Thus, some of the experiments are traditional tests and others are more like hands-on demonstrations. Not all of the experiments are chemistry-related and the kit does not contain any chemicals, but some of the experiments are in chemistry and this kit introduces kids to the type of activities that more advanced chemistry sets offer.
The experiments include discoveries by Archimedes, Copernicus, Einstein, Watt, Darwin and others. In addition to chemistry experiments demonstrating properties of atoms and elements, this kit includes sections on heat, electricity, natural forces and basic electronics.
Milestones in Science comes with a full box of supplies, many of which are very small pieces. Since several of the experiments in this kit deal with branches of science other than chemistry, a lot of the supplies are different from what you’ll find in the other chemistry sets on our survey. There are a variety of specialized paper, cardboard, plastic and metal pieces specifically designed for a particular experiment. The equipment in this kit is not likely to be useful for stocking your own home laboratory.
Several household items are required to complete the experiments in this kit, including aluminum foil, wool, scissors, and much more. On the contents page of the experiment manual is a list of every additional item you will need.
Milestones in Science doesn’t come with any chemicals. The chemistry experiments in this kit are performed either without chemicals or with readily available household substances like vinegar.
Milestones in Science has a high quality experiment manual with diagrams and detailed instructions. For each “milestone,” there is an introductory section discussing the featured scientist’s background and the circumstances of the discovery that will be recreated in the experiment or demonstration. This is one of only two sets on our list that includes historical background information (the Genetics & DNA kit also contains historical information on the field of genetics). Similar to the Elements of Science kit, the Milestones in Science kit includes more than just chemistry and will expose your young scientist to many of the major principles he/she will be learning in elementary and middle school science classes. The Milestones in Science kit got lower ratings than similar sets because its scope is much smaller, however we appreciate that this kit has a cohesive concept and a historical emphasis.
The book is divided into nine chapters, including one on the periodic table and one on atoms and molecules. Within each chapter are several experiments. Because this kit encapsulates so many areas of science, it can also be a great source of science project ideas.
Milestones in Science is different from the other kits on our survey because it uses a historical perspective coupled with hands-on experimentation to teach scientific principles. In addition to helping your child learn major lessons about science in our daily lives, this kit cleverly incorporates a history lesson that kids will pick up without any extra studying. Anything you can do at home to enhance your child’s education is useful, and this kit definitely serves that purpose.
