Discover with Dr. Cool Gemstone Dig Science Kit: Reviewed

We got to try out a fun exploration digging kit from Dr. Cool Science kits. The one we tried was the Gemstone Science Kit.  This came with a plastic digging tool (to chisel), dusting brush and small magnifying glass. The kit has 3 real gemstones hidden in a purple plaster mold that resembles a giant gemstone. The small items to excavate are real quartz, tiger's eye and amethyst gemstones. The recommended age range for this activity is 6-12, however our daughter is 3 1/2 and was able to spend some time with daddy digging and exploring. The kit comes in a nice sturdy packaging, and has a clear view window for peeking into the box contents.  Included in the kit is an info guide filled with science facts about gemstones, and there is also a
activity booklet contains puzzles and games that incorporate some educational value.

With my husband's assistance, they were able to complete this activity in about 15 minutes.  It was fun watching how excited my daughter got.  I do want to mention that this is a messy activity and you will want to put newspaper or an old towel down as the plaster that you dig into gets powder and crumbles all over the table.  Also, pieces sometimes fly and dust does rises.  I might suggest eye wear goggles, but they are not mentioned in the instructions. After the digging was complete, we had 3 small specimens.  The crystal and the tiger's eye looked like the picture,  however the amethyst (which I was most excited about and looking forward to since it is my daughters birthstone) was greyish and dull and did not have any purple tone to it.  My daughter thought they were all wonderful. :)

I had her rinse the treasures in a bowl and dried lightly with a paper towel.  She was quite proud of her findings.  I read over what the items were and gave her a brief reading of the included booklet.  Here is a short video of her and my husband finding their first gem.

I was sent a sample free of charge to facilitate this review . This is my honest opinion.