3 STEM Kits that are Perfect for all Scouts Who Are Scouting at Home

If you are dreading the words, “I’m bored” coming from your Scout, check out these kits - they will keep everyone occupied and happy for hours!

Because really, with all of the craft kits, lab kits and activity kits available on Scout Shop, there is no way a Scout could ever be bored! We decided to take a few kits for a test drive to give you a comprehensive rundown on a few options. These kits are more than the typical buy, use and discard toy. They provide Scouts with work that will challenge them and get them to concentrate and think. With greater work comes greater reward!

Periscope Wood Kit: (1 hour) I am going to be honest here. I haven’t done a craft kit in a very long time. I was nervous… mainly because I don’t exactly love to follow directions (I am told this is why cooking and I are not a thing). This kit put my nerves to rest completely. It contained simple instructions and it wasn’t rocket science. This would be a great kit for a beginner kit-goer or a younger Cub Scout with assistance. Suggestion number one: if you are looking to shorten the time frame of this craft, you could opt to paint the periscope once you have assembled it and given it a bit of drying time (see what I mean about following directions?). The second suggestion I have is to grab a few extra throwaway paintbrushes for easy clean up after decorating. The best part of the finished product? My 2.5-year-old thought it was the single neatest toy ever and proceeded to use it to look around corners for a solid 30 minutes.
What you need: wood glue, Periscope Wood Kit craft paints (I loved this Testors set), extra paintbrushes (optional).

Scout Spirit 6 Rocket Kit: (1 hour) FUN. It truly fits the description and is for beginner rocketeers. It is easy to assemble (E2X) and it comes with a decal. If you have younger Scouts running around, let them paint the body while you assemble the pieces (paints are not included, again I used the Periscope Wood Kit Testors enamel paints). Once everything dries, make a field day of it and see whose blasts the best!
What you need: scissors, a pencil, a ruler, carpenter’s glue, plastic cement, model paints (optional).

Slime Time Science Kit: (15 minutes – 2 hours; depending on how many types you make) Ok… so I have never loved gooey things. This kit gave me the willies, no joke. It did however also make me laugh when I made the “Power Putty” which is similar to the old school GAK (if you don’t know what that is, definitely Google Nickelodeon Gak). Again, with easy-to-follow instructions, it is a fun science experiment and would work well with the 6+ age range listed. I liked having a second person to help make the slime recipes – it made it easier for one person to read the instructions and set the various timers needed while the other person did the actions. Plus, it was way more fun to make faces at how the different slimes felt and slimed.
What you need: water, newspaper to put down and protect your table, plastic zipper-lock baggies, disposable mixing bowls or cups, disposable plastic spoon, skim milk (optional, depending on if you make that slime), white vinegar (optional, depending on if you make that slime), baking soda (optional, depending on if you make that slime).

So there you have it – three different kits that will give you and your Scouts something to work on together. Make this time all about strengthening your family and learning something new! If you try these or other kits from Scout Shop, be sure to TAG US on Instagram (@scoutshop_bsa) or by using the #ScoutShopBSA and #ScoutingAtHome hashtags.

Happy tinkering!