Review: Go Science DVDs

I’ve mentioned before that I feel our homeschool curriculum is a little weak in the area of science, and I always appreciate the opportunity to try new science programs with my children.  Over the past month, my boys and I have enjoyed watching the Go Science DVDs (Series 2) from Library and Educational Services. 


These videos, which are designed to point children to their Creator God,  are recommended for ages 4 – 12.   Ben Roy, the teacher in these video segments, is an energetic man who really captured the attention of my 4 and 6 year old sons.  The videos are filmed with a large group of children, with Ben Roy involving the children through questions and participation in the experiments.


We received Volumes 4 and 5, as pictured below.  Volume 4 covers motion, friction, electricity, and light.  Volume 5 covers states of matter and water.   The videos are available for $8.97 each from Library and Educational Services.

 

You and your children can learn everything you need to know simply by watching the videos, but we also enjoyed trying many of the experiments at home.  For example, we really enjoyed trying the cornstarch and water lesson (Volume Five) that taught about non-Newtonian fluids and also shared the story of Peter walking on the water to Jesus. We tried it out at home, and the boys had a BLAST getting all gooey!

We also had fun watching as they made and sampled butter.  (Did you know butter is mentioned in the Bible?)  We’ve done this in the past, so we didn’t do it now, but it’s very fun to make and sample homemade butter!

I heard, “I wanna try this, Mama!” and “Mama, can we do that?” quite a few times as we watched the Go Science DVDs.  We have quite a few experiments to try over the coming weeks!  My kids are particularly excited to watch water ‘tightrope’ down a string!  (They would LOVE to try the video of the cornstarch oobleck in a stereo speaker, but Mama had to draw the line at that one!)

Each video runs approximately 1 hour, with over ten experiments per video.  Each experiment segment lasts from 3 – 10 minutes.  They are worded in a way that children can easily understand, and the children in the video help to keep my own children attentive to the videos.  (In fact, my children will even sit on the couch and answer Mr. Roy’s questions for the children in the audience!)

I love that Ben Roy is full of energy, and my children truly enjoyed watching these videos.  The videos do a great job of covering the topics, teaching children the basics, and sharing a brief message about God.  Mr. Roy explains just enough of the scientific principles to teach young children, but not so much that a young child is overwhelmed.

I really, REALLY wish that the videos came with a small booklet listing the experiments, materials needed, and general instructions for each project.  It would make it much easier to know what I should have ready to go when my children watch these videos.

Overall, though, I have no complaints with these fun videos.  My children are willing to watch the videos more than once, and they have a list of experiments that they’d like to try at home.  These are a great science resource to add to any homeschool curriculum!  What I most appreciated was that they are very well done science videos that INCLUDE GOD!

Library and Educational Services offers sample videos on their website, if you’d like to watch a segment.  Simply click on THIS LINK and scroll down to watch two video clips.  

(Pssst…if you’ve never heard of Library and Educational Services, you may want to check it out!  They offer their wholesale prices to homeschool families, as well a libraries, schools, and more.  The prices are very reasonable, and they have a great selection!)

To read what other reviews thought about the Go Science DVDs, click on the link below.