Awarded the Silver Medal in the Education Toy category at the Independent Toy Awards the Science4You Sweet Factory Toy is sure to be a hit with adults and children alike. It is educational to the point that even adults could possibly pick up a thing or two – whilst being fun (it makes sweets!)
The Contents of Science4You Sweet Factory
The set contains two books of instructions which explain the science behind things and allow children to experiment and learn, as well as making worm jelly sweets, lollipops and other tasty treats. Also provided is cornflour, a sachet of strawberry jelly, another sachet of tutti-frutti jelly, sachet of citric acid, sachets of gelatine, sachet of sprinkles, a thermometer, silicone mould, lollipop sticks, measuring spoon, small measuring cups, crepe paper sheets, satin ribbons, decorative stickers and straws. Unfortunately this is not everything you need so do take a look before setting up for a child. Everything needed should be easy to get hold of from a supermarket – but this is no good at 5pm on a Sunday afternoon. I guess it should be obvious that making sweets may involve sugar but this is not provided and not something we add into food/drinks so did not have the quantities required to do the experiments. Nor did we have elastic bands to hand to make the worms – something I personally feel would have been easy enough to add to the kit. Also it would have been good if there were containers to put the rest of the open powders once the packets had been opened – but perhaps this is to encourage the children to do more with the sweet factory straight away. Everything provided was clearly labelled.
Using Science4You Sweet Factory
Everything was very straightforward and easy to understand for my 8 year old. The kit is split into two books (cookery and sweet laboratory experiments & activities) and designed to get him thinking and talking about science. It is safe for children with clear guides on safety, first aid, information on what to do if things got swallowed or rubbed in someone’s eye etc, advice for the supervising adults and allergy advice (including all the letter/number codes of the ingredients).
The book introduces everything to the child – in case it is their first time. So what a thermometer does for example. Then experiments with sugar at different temperatures – and an explanation as to why this is so important for sweets. Then it introduces different states (here I learnt about Plasma which I never remember learning about at school!) Straight away children are introduced to lots of scientific terms such as pressure, atoms, matter, physical states of matter, melting point – I could go on and on. This is all done in an easy to understand and relevant to the task way and everyday life. Some of the recipes from each of the books build on previous recipes too – expanding what the child has already learnt. It also gets children to understand the link between maths and science – with different quantities needing measuring – and problem solving when we needed a different quantity than the measuring cups could fit.
Conclusions of Science4You Sweet Factory
The Science4You Sweet Factory was perfect for my inquisitive 8 year old who loves to learn. I like how it wasn’t just a one-time activity and that recipes provided a base for his new knowledge that is built upon as he progresses through all of the recipes. I am disappointed that the kit assumes that homes will have things such as sugar (which I guess most do) and that small things such as elastic bands could not be provided. But overall it was great fun, encouraged a lot of discussion and was very educational. It made my 8 year old use his problem solving abilities – which is part of the new curriculum. As it makes sweets it provides us with the ability to create tasty treats when the boys are good, or for special occasions, or to give as gifts even.
ONE LUCKY PINKODDY READER CAN HAVE THEIR OWN Science4You Sweet Factory
Enter the rafflecopter and answer the question in 10 words or more:
What appeals to you most about the Science4You Sweet Factory and who would you use it with?
E: 05/12/2015
UK ONLY
Barcode: 5600310399839
SRP £19.99
ThePrizeFinder – See more at: http://www.theprizefinder.com/content/science4you-sweet-factory#sthash.dSP5pcsu.dpuf
I was sent a Science4You Sweet Factory for purposes of review. All words and opinions are my own. No other financial incentive has been given.
I really like sweets when i revise and if i can make them it would great! I would 100% use this set with my coursemates at university, to make studying that bit better, knowing we have made the sweets we are using to help us learn!
I would love this for my daughter – she loves things like this! And my son would love trying out what she makes!
I would use this with my 2 young children who both love sweets! It would be great to be able to use sweets to teach them something! 🙂
I would love this as I could make sweets with my children and they could pretend they’re in a sweet factory!
Who doesnt love sweets? Think me and my kids would love to make this.
My son and I love the idea of making our own sweets.
I’d love to use this with my 10 year old grandson. Obviously the sweets will appeal but so will the science element 🙂
my son would love it its great for learning and also its sweets so what can go wrong
My son would love to experiment
my eldest loves his science lessons so i think this would be perfect for him
Making sweets ..that’s every child’s dream my daughter would love it especially as they have just been doing Charlie and the chocolate factory at school
I would love this for my daughter
I would like to win for my daughter who loves to experiment
I love how it is something that I can spend time with my daughter with and create together
My nephew and niece are now at a age where they love experimenting and what great way being able to do it with this amazing prixe, thanks.x
bonding with my niece
I would use this with my daughter elizabeth. This looks fun and tasty at the same time. I love educational games where i can spend quality time with my daughter. the fact she loves both science and sweets is a bonus !
Love the idea of introducing the chemistry behind cooking.
Love the idea of introducing the science behind cooking. The difference in sugar at different temperatures is really interesting.
My little niece and nephew stay with me in the holidays and they are both little boffins and love experiments. Sweets and science is a dream come true!
I love the fact it is not only fun, but educational too! I would use it with my two girls thank you!
I would use this with my daugther and she would love to learn about making her own sweets.
This would be an activity to share with my daughter. Like most children she enjoys sweets and I like the idea of showing her what ingredients and methods are used to create them.
Id use it with my nephews as they love sweets and making stuff.
This reminds me of my childhood, when the tradition was that myself and sister always got a boxed Sweet shop every Christmas. We loved it.
This looks like a great way for my eldest and myself to learn and have some sweets in the end.
This would be a great way to spend a chilly January day with my 4 year old daughter x
My daughter she is so interested in scientific things at the moment x
I would do this with my 2 little ones!
i would do this with my 3 boys boys. it’s really good to make things yourself and great for the children to learn :O)
because it can be quite educational and i would give it to my son
our 3 grandchildren would love to have a go at this I’m sure
My nieces and nephews would love using this.
My niece would absolutely love this as she loves sweets – and Science ! 🙂
It’s an enjoyable way to teach children about science! I’d give it to my best friend’s son – he loves science 🙂
Making sweets! I love sweets! I would share it with my sister!
This would be for my grand-daughter,i like that you problem solve and cook x
I would like to try this kit with my Grandchildren as it would be good for them to understand the science behind sweets and they’d enjoy eating the experiments!
looks great something my daughter will love
I would use it with my friends daughter who is a make science fan so watching the sweets come together would be fantastic.
my daughter would love a set like this
My 3 kids would love this as they all love sweets and love making stuff 🙂
I like the fact that’s it’s a great way for children to learn more about sweet making. If I won, all my children would enjoy making sweets with this and thank to your review, at least I know to make sure I’ve stocked up on extra sugar. Thanks for the lovely giveaway. x
My boys are obsessed with sweets so I would do it with them and hope it takes so long to do that they wouldn’t eat too many!
My son is slightly obsessed by ‘charlie and the chocolate factory’, last year we made a sweetshop/stall for him for christmas so this would be an awesome addition to the shop!
I love the fact that it’s so interactive and allows children to be creative with food. It would also encourage children to cook more in my opinion.
I would love to do this with my girls.
My daughter loves learning how things are made and would find sweets very interesting. Wr have bought her a bath bomb making kit for christmas.
In all honesty it doesn’t appeal to me but my son is sitting next to me begging me to enter because he thinks it looks AWESOME!!
I would love to win for my boys
Who doesn’t love a sweet? I’d love to make this with my niece and nephew
I would give it to my Son – what appeals to me is that he can learn in a fun way that he will enjoy
I love that its educational and i would do this with my two sons x
my daughter would love this – a unique twist on our baking sundays! x
iD USE IT WITH MY LILLIE POPS AND i LOVE THE IDEA OF CREATING THEM NOT BUYING THEM
its novelty value would be great fun when using it with my young niece
I love sweets and my niece loves all things to do with cooking/baking.. hopefully she’d make me some.. haha
I like the idea that they learn whilst doing something fun and I would use it with my daughter
we love sweet treats at weekends and would love this prize to share with family and friends xx
I would love this for my Daughter. We love making things together and I think she would really enjoy this.
my 2 girls would love this to experiment and learn
spending time with the kids, having fun and learning
Making our own sweets sounds not only like a lot of fun but also an educational experience for all xx
I would like to win this for my little girl as she loves making things and it looks a lot of fun
I would love to be able to use this with my 10 year old daughter. She would love the heart shapes and has been asking for a kit to make lollies but the only ones that I could find were American.
My son would love making sweets and doing experiments together.
It appeals to be as it looks like fun & a fab way to spend time with my daughter
This looks fun and I would use it with my niece,she loves sweets!
I would use this with my two girls…It looks a lot of fun! Science and Sweets what a great combo! I think my girls would learn a lot.
Well I love candy so I’d get my nephews to work making me some
I like that it’s educational and fun and I would use this with my son.
Seeing the science behind it all and my son would love this.
my niece and nephews would love this, would be great to make theses on a cosy family night in
I would love to win this for my little girl who loves science just like her daddy who is a science teacher!
I love baking so this would be great for me and my daughter to do something together 🙂
This would be my little fella’s dream come true! He’d love to be the next Willy Wonka making his own sweet creations! Fabulous prize, we could have so much fun with this! :o)
My daughter loves to mix things together and make “potions” to this would be right up her street
I love the great combination of learning and producing sweets! Fun you can eat!
………… To share with the kids!
I love that it’s so creative and would show them how things are actually made! I’d use this with my niece!
It looks like great fun and I think Freya and I would have a good time experimenting
It looks like it would be a lot of fun and a nice activity to do with someone.
I would use it with my daughter, she loves to do little projects so she’ll love it 🙂
My son, who would love to eat the sweets he has created .. plus science and sweets a great combo of learning and enjoying his favourite treat 😀
I would use this with my niece she adores baking and I make sweets and this would be a perfect way to intro her. She loves maths, science and baking so mixing these together is perfect
I’d get stuck into the jelly hearts with my 5 year old niece.
Great opportunity to learn while having fun.
My children would love to make their own sweets. It’s tasty and educational!
my son see’s himself as the real life willy wonka and would just love this
I like the fact that it is applied science – learning how and why things work when using them makes knowledge more likely to stick
Fun for whole family to do together – tasty and educational at same time
so easy to use and fun and educational to use with the family
I love how kids can be involved in the whole process. I’d use it with my nephew 🙂
This would be great to do with my grand children when I baby sit, it looks like I would have great fun too
This would be great to do with my grand children
This would keep my nephews busy when I’m babysitting.
It looks really exciting watching them created my daughter would love it
This would be great for my niece.
My daughter would absolutely love the Science4You Sweet Factory – she’d think she was a real Willy Wonka!
I would love to win this for my kids a good start towards christmas
It’s great for kids of all ages to see what really goes into making their food.
I like the fact it’s educational but fun, my son & daughter would love this
i really like it because it’s a great idea to get kids involved in science x
My son’s favourite book is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this would be amazing making sweets just like Mr Wonka!
this looks such fun
I would use this with the grandchildren and make whatever they wanted if it kept them quiet
I would love this for my daughter who loves making things…and sweets.
yummy sweets to make and they look really fun to make
I love this, simple way to explain to our Grandaughter that those sugar treats just don’t come in a bag and they have to be made. With this kit you can show the basics.
I think it is brilliant to combine science & something children love (sweets!) in one kit. It can fuel a love for or interest in science, or cooking in general!
It’s a fab way of combining cookery skills with science and the sweets look really cute and tasty! My daughter and me would love using it together.
I have always been interested in cooking style activities and using sweets is unique. I would do this with my niece as we love to play together
I really love that it explains everything. So great learning opportunities and plenty of ‘whhhhy?’. Plus it’s making tasty stuff rather than tat that will collect dust and will never been thought about again. I’d love to use this with my eldest daughter Charlotte.
Learning and sweets – my daughters two fave things 🙂
my step daughter would go mad for this! x
My daughter loves sweet and science a perfect gift
Gives a different perspective to sweets – and my daughter is very much into science!
I like the fact that children can see exactly what goes into sweet treats. I would give this to my cousin’s 2 boys
I’d do this with my two daughters, the combination of science and food is great, they’d definitely love it!
I actually absolutely hate sweets but in the spirit of Christmas would love to win for my niece and nephews who would vehemently disagree!
Making sweets with my step daughter
I love that every kid will be interested, because it’s sweets! But also they’re learning at the same time, very clever 🙂 I would use it with my nephew who’s very bright and inquisitive, and also a sugar fiend! xx
the sweets of course I would get my boys to make mummy some!
I would love to pass this on to my niece, she would love cooking up her own batch of sweets…. then hopefully sharing them
my daughter would love this so much and so would i probably as i have a sweet tooth lol
It appeals to me because I’d have loved this myself as a child! It would go to one of the older kids in the family 🙂
What could be better than making sweets -I’d give it to my son
would love this for my grandaughter ava
I’d love to do this with my daughter. I know she’d really enjoy it because she loves experimenting with things and combining this with sweets would be epic!
would love this for my cousin
Fun while learning, sweets for my daughter to make!
The little heart jelly sweets appeal to me & I’d make them with my little boy.
My kids would love this! Great for keeping them entertained over the long school holidays!
My daughter – she loves making things!
My friend’s little girl, she loves girlie get togethers.
My daughter’s class at school are doing a Scrumdidlyumptious topic based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It would be great to take this into school and share with the whole class!
I think I would have a lot of fun doing this with my grandchildren. It would be quite educational as well.
This would be for my niece so we could make a nice sticky sweet mess in my sister in laws posh kitchen .. he he he x
I would use it with our little girl and boy, they would absolutely love this. Fantastic Giveaway! x
I like that you can make it from scratch so we get to understand the whole process. It would definitely make the the final product extra sweet 🙂
It seems so unique, and with my brother.
I love the idea of making our own sweets and I know my son would love it
My son would be over the moon with this, he loves to know the ins and outs of everything so this would be right up his street!
I love the idea of earning how to make sweets and i’d do this with my son 🙂
My daughter would love this, I like the idea that we know what will be in the sweets
I love the fact that it gives kids the opportunity to get create and get something delicious at the end! x
We love sweets and we love doing different things with my 5 year old
my kids would love this 🙂
a fun thing to do on a boring rainy afternoon! I’m certain kids of all ages would enjoy this!
to make them how we like and teachs the kids a little of how food is made
Its different and looks fun to do, I would enjoy making them with my little Granddaughter, she would love it too x
Looks fab, my daughter would love it!