I am thinking about enrolling my son in a Mad Science class for homeschoolers up through 6th grade. I think it sounds like fun, but my son thinks it might not be worth the money ($200 for the school year) and that it is too far to drive. I would like to know if anyone here has tried one of these classes and if so, what you thought of the class.

I can't say anything about your particular classes, they are likely more involved than our summer classes BUT DS thought they were low on science and high on crafts. We didn't do any this year for that reason. I would contact someone who has actually taken the class you're interested in. He basically just made stuff and brought it home. There was some discussion b/c the instructor always commented that DS knew all the answers but not a lot.

We attended one session that was ok, but not as exciting as I had anticipated. It was obviously geared toward average kids, and probably was highly engaging for them, but not so much for kids who have some decent general science knowledge.

Yep.

There was a Mad Science class at our local GT enrichment classes. It was a popular class, and DS7 (then 6yo) enjoyed it. It was in the top three classes of the 6 he took. I think he ranked it second, behind engineering, which people fight to get into every year. No class can beat engineering! So 2nd place is high praise.

I will say that he was one of the younger kids in a class of all GT kids (though of varying LOGs), so the placement was probably pretty decent. Also, I don't know if she scaled the material up at all for the GT kids. She may have.

It seemed heavy on science and experiments to me. They did nothing I would call a craft. They made slime, built a "car" powered by a twisted rubber band, looked at bugs. Stuff like that.

FWIW...

Kriston, what do they do in engineering class?

JB

Solve problems mostly. They had to build a bridge they could stand on using only paper and popsicle sticks. The goal was for the kid to get as high off the ground as possible without it breaking, and yes, the kids really stood on them!

They built a mini-catapult out of rubber bands and dowel rods that launched ping-pong balls.

They made a booklight that really works, and that involved soldering, even.

They made a solar cooker out of cardboard and aluminum foil.

It was good stuff!

The guy is a legend in our area. He does something different every year, too, so kids can retake the class and still love it.

Hm. Those are the types of activities that I did as a student as part of Olympics of the Mind. I could see why kids like that.

JB

Yes, for 7-10yos, it's pretty fab! Using hot glue guns and soldering irons is especially popular. My son is so proud of his book light! And well he should be!

I have to dig up my favorite pix of DS at my workbench for you. I think you'd appreciate it.

My mom ran a pre-K--so ages 3-5--for many years in my hometown. It was a child's paradise! She had a workbench with real wood, nails and saws. Kids had to don safety goggles and gloves before they could go to work, and they were practically religious about it. They adored it!

With proper precautions and adult oversight, kids are often capable of a lot more than we give them credit for!

Okay. Back to Mad Science! Sorry, Lori!