Disclaimer: I received a FREE Pitsco Education Elementary STEM Explorer Pack through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
Pitsco Education’s learning philosophy challenges students to consider “what will you bring to this world.” They offer resources that encourage students to explore in their “learning by doing” approach through products such as the Elementary STEM Explorer Pack.
About PITSCO Education
Pitsco Education is preparing students for a future that is unknown. As the world moves forward at such a fast rate, we are all experience things daily that we’ve had no ability to prepare for. The resources offered by Pitsco Education use all of the STEM disciplines to help students work through real-life problems and come up with practical solutions.
Pitsco Education offers resources in these areas:
The products are broken down by grade level and span kindergarten through grade 12. They also offer resources for specific competitions or clubs such as First Tech Challenge, SkillsUSA, Engineering for Kids, 4-H, TSA, Odyssey of the Mind, and more.
Pitsco also offers a program for professional development as they understand how important it is that professional teams work together well and are able to think through problems and come up with practical and affordable solutions.
About the Elementary STEM Explorer Pack
The Elementary STEM Explorer Pack comes with everything you need to work through 5 different projects. The projects are:
- Exploring Mazes
- Exploring Bird Feeders
- Exploring Musical Instruments
- Exploring Large Structures
- Exploring Parachutes
When we first received the STEM Explorer Pack, I was so happy to see how well it was packaged and very much enjoyed that each separate project was in its own bag. Each bag contained a booklet with full-color instructions and information as well as everything you need to complete the project.
What’s Included in the STEM Explorer Pack?
The following items were included in the Elementary STEM Explorer Pack:
- Project books (1 book per hands-on project)
- History of Pitsco Mad Lib
- “I Can Make Neat Stuff” sticker
- Chipboard
- Straws
- Transparent tape
- Marble
- Pom Pom Ball
- Craft sticks
- Glue
- Cardboard tubes (various sizes)
- Rubber bands
- Pony beads
- Glue stick
- Waxed paper
- Tissue paper
- Jumbo Chenille Stems
You will not need to find any additional supplies to successfully complete all the projects in this kit. That is a huge bonus for me!
Our Experience
I was super thrilled with the STEM Explorer Pack when it arrived. I knew all of the projects included would be so fun for my busy boys. The first project we tackled was Exploring Mazes.
The kit comes with a full-color instruction and information booklet, several pieces of chipboard, straws, transparent tape, a marble, and a pom-pom ball. Although I was a bit intimidated to tackle this one, my little guy was super excited.
We started small with just one piece of chipboard and a few straws. I needed to get the hang of what we were doing before we went big. My favorite part of this Explorer Pack is the super detailed, full-color instruction books. The Exploring Mazes book starts with the basics of a maze. It discusses shapes and angles, talks about the difference between the designer and the solver and offers thought-provoking questions about which job is harder.
The project walks the student step-by-step through the process and has three separate activities to complete. I love that throughout the learning time, there is a hands-on component that keeps my little guy’s hands busy, but there are also really good questions that spark discussion, such as, “Do you prefer to be the designer or the builder?”.
As we worked through the projects, I was so happy to see how engaged and interested my busy boy was. He really enjoyed the step-by-step method and when he got stuck in and area, he would verbally process through it. He came up with some really interesting ideas about mazes and how getting stuck in a real-life maze could affect a person.
I am looking forward to taking him to a real-life corn maze this fall. We’ve never done that as a family, but we began discussing it during this project and he loved the idea. I think he’ll have such a different appreciation for it after completing this project.
Overall, I would say that this is a fantastic product that would be great for any elementary-aged student. The younger students will need much more hands-on help, but older students could really take a project bag and work independently with much success.
I am so happy that we were able to share this with you today. Our final activity called for a more in-depth maze and we were happy with the results. Just for fun, when my little guy went to bed that night, I added little ant stickers throughout the maze which he found hilarious the next morning.
I am looking forward to using more Pitsco Education products and resources as my busy boys grow.
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