Thames & Kosmos Physics Workshop

I ordered this for use in homeschooling two girls, ages 11 and 9. We just started using it, and so far, it looks like it will be a valuable component of my physics curriculum. I do the think the experiments tend to build upon each other in some place and thus require somewhat of a consecutive order. However, I'm sure a person can pick through here and there if one had the time. There are other, more thorough reviews on the structure of it. I mainly wanted to say that, in the kit we received, the motor box (an essential part of the kit) was not working correctly, as the motor was spinning but not fully engaging with the axle inserted into the side of the box. I simply called the phone number, which I found on their site, within one minute was connected with a LIVE ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSON, briefly explained the problem, gave my address, and should receive a new part within a week. Where do you get customer service like THAT anymore? So I thought I would take some of the time that COULD have been spent getting through an automated phone system, hassling with an outsourced customer service rep who, after arguing with me for 10 minutes, would tell me to return the kit at my inconvenience... and spend that time letting potential customers know that this is a quality product and a good company to deal with. Edit: Well, after looking again at the other reviews, maybe I should expound a little. My girls LOVE building the structures, and so far have had no problem doing that, by themselves, from the detailed pictures provided. I have been reading the lessons in the manual to them, and honestly, this workshop, including the accompanying narrative, could be an entire curriculum in and of itself. I had compared it to the physics textbook we have been working in, and this workshop provides excellent coverage of the physics subject. It is NOT just a bunch of experiments. The manual thoroughly explains all of the concepts involved, in very understandable language and an engaging manner. As a longtime homeschooler, I would consider this to very usable as a curriculum, especially for hands-on learners, and a lot of fun, as well.

Good for children

I purchased this for my six year old son for Christmas. He has a large interest in physics and loves watching youtube videos on the subject. He absolutely loved this kit. The kit has a lot of activities and comes with nearly every thing you need for each. My only gripe is that the instruction booklet is a little vague on how to put each one together. It contains nice little tidbits of information on what each demonstration is about but sort of skips steps or just shows the finished item when it comes to construction. This did not stop us from building any of them but it would have been quicker to set up if the instructions were a little more clear.

I bought this kit to support a home-based learning program for a fifth-grade boy (11 years old). It is EXACTLY what I was looking for - there's the fun of building the labs, then the fun of trying the experiments. The included documentation is very good, as it describes not only how to build the equipment, but also how to conduct the experiments, and it also discusses the related scientific concepts. I'd suggest that parents/educators read through everything ahead of time if they plan to use this kit as a teaching tool, to become familiar with the flow of the material. You can easily jump around between topics within the book, as the labs generally do not depend on each other (with the exception of force scale). The suggested age range for this kit is 8 - 12, but I'd be inclined to increase the upper limit, as some of the concepts are clearly in middle school territory.

Very good quality, My 8 and 10 year old love this product and it keeps them busy for hours. At first I thought I would be having to help them allot, but I haven't had to help much at all. We have the remote control machines also and the kids are making all kinds of things using thier imaginations. It is really great to see them working together on a project. My 10 year old has used this kit twice for school science projects.

Components seem cheap; some are just paper. The worst thing is that we got a package that was obviously used and repackaged. Pieces were stuffed in dirty ziplock brand baggies, the string was cut, and the manual was missing. Some pieces are missing too. Sadly, we didn't open the kit for a long time after purchase, because my kid wasn't interested right away, so it is way to late to get a refund or replacement.

To start, I'm an assistant teacher who has been given the task of implementing a small "club" where kids can use their hands and learn about basic physics concepts, mechanics, and other knowledge they might acquire through the experience. Right, I'm not a certified teacher, but do have a minor background in mechanics as an amateur bicycle mechanic. I've also taken college level physics classes. This set is nice. The pieces are durable and easily identifiable. But this kit is lacking in so many other areas. First, the instructions are poor. There are pictures, but no explanation how to get from one step to another. Sometimes, the manual just shows you the completed mechanism, and you're expected to fabricate it on your own. I bought a few of these kits in order to have about 3 kids per kit in a group of about 15 kids. I ended up running around the room having to explain the same thing or show how to build the structure over and over again. Second, for a kit, I was expecting all materials to be provided. Not the tools like scissors or a tape measure, but the other "common house hold items". In the first few experiments, you need string. I understand having to provide your own potato and paperclips, but how hard is it to provide a spool of twine? Third, the "experiments" and "workshops" seem to be haphazardly thrown around amongst the reading. Granted, the reading has a good amount of information, but there's no way to transition when you're running a class. What would be helpful would be some form of lesson plan. Maybe, one or two experiments per concept, and each concept clearly separated from the others, maybe by page. There's also no questions or worksheets to stop and ask the kids what they've learned. There's no way to measure how much they've learned. This kit is not at all a bad kit. It's very educational and actually fun for the kids. They start to look at the world in a different light and start to understand why things happen. It's a fantastic kid for a 1-on-1 environment, like a parent and child set up. If you're planning on buying it for a larger group, maybe you want to sit down with it well in advanced and go through the book and the experiments so you have a firm grasp on how to set up and implement lessons.

I purchased this as a birthday gift for my 7-year-old grandson. We previously gave him the Thames & Kosmos Remote Control Machines for Christmas. He did all the projects in that book several times and began creating his own machines. When he opened the Physics Workshop and looked at a few of the pictures in the book, he began building his own variations of those ideas. In the days following his birthday party, he settled down and, with his dad, read the description of a project and then constructed it. When his dad was a boy, he always helped me take things apart, fix them and put them back together. By the time he was 12, I was helping him take things apart, repairing them and putting them back together. I did some of the same with my father.