100 Glues, Brews, and Goos: Kid-Tested Activities That Stimulate Creativity and Critical Thinking

The book’s title doesn’t capture the scope of activities in this collection, which includes sections on crystals, cryptology, entomology, music, and history, among others, along with the expected chapters on bubbles, slime, and goo. Unfortunately, what the book offers in breadth, it lacks in depth and originality. Written for adults, most of the activities will already be familiar to those who have experience working with children. It may be useful as a starting point for those who are brand-new to homeschooling or children’s programming, as it does provide a variety of simple, reliable projects in a handy guide, although the directions are sparse and lack illustrations, even when sorely needed. The activities are grouped into 20 areas of inquiry, but the connection to the theme is sometimes tenuous, and there’s almost no explanation of the science behind the activities. The suggested post-activities, designed to “occupy your young loved one,” are largely uninspired variations on the main project (e.g., try different brands of dish soap). Almost all of the activities require close adult supervision.