The Smithsonian has an impeccable reputation, and they offer a large array of educational products for the public to purchase. Have you ever visited one of their museums? A majority of their buildings are located in Washington DC. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the visit. I have not been to that part of the country, but I definitely plan to explore the East Coast in the future. Do you recommend a specific museum to visit?
I purchased the Smithsonian Rock and Gem Dig for entertainment purposes. We chose this particular activity since we enjoy digging for rocks and gems. I suppose that we had high expectations since it is a product created by the Smithsonian. This product is sold at several retailers, and reviews about the product are definitely mixed. I will provide some photos of our progress with a brief description. My final thoughts on the product will be provided at the end of the review. I did NOT purchase this product directly from The Smithsonian. I made the purchase from a well-known retailer.
The Smithsonian Rock and Gem activity kit comes with a sand block, 11 gemstones, rocks, or minerals, dowel, mallet, safety goggles, streak plate, magnifying glass, pouch, and a colorful poster with instructions. The box recommends that this kit is for ages 8+ with adult supervision.
We decided to take the kit outside after opening all of the contents. I had a feeling that this would be a tad bit messy. The sand block had an appearance and texture of a plaster/clay substance. It certainly did not feel or look like sand. The block was quite hard and compact. After inspecting the contents, we decided that it might be best to keep the block on a box to minimalize the potential mess.
After several minutes, this was as far as we had gotten on the block. It was definitely a challenge, and I could see why they recommend it for ages 8+. This activity would be quite difficult for a small child.
Still no gemstones, minerals, or rocks. We were considering a hammer at this point. It was taking quite a bit of time to chisel through this sand block. A child may start to lose interest and need to take a break from the activity.
We are making progress! This block certainly does not feel or look like sand. A traditional hammer is currently sounding even more attractive...
Success! Our first gemstone. I did not calculate how long it took to find this lovely piece, but it felt like an eternity. The gemstone is quite small. That was a little disappointing. We got excited about the find and decided to continue on our quest for additional gemstones, rocks, and minerals.
Four additional stones in one area. They were located near the middle of the sand block. (Still not sure why this is called sand...) Let's fast forward to the finished product.
After quite a bit of chiseling, we finally completed the activity and found all of the hidden gemstones, rocks, and minerals. I am glad that we kept the block on a box. It provided an easier way to clean-up.
The sizes of the gemstones, rocks, and minerals were disappointing. It took a great deal of work to find the stones, and I expected a more exciting discovery. What would I rate this activity kit on a scale of 1-5? I'm going to be 100% honest with my readers. I would give the Smithsonian Rock and Gem Dig kit a very generous rating of 3 instead of a 2. I struggled with the rating, but I'll explain why I gave this product a 3 star rating. Would I purchase this product again? Probably not, but I would try other Smithsonian educational products.
The kit is inexpensive, comes with all tools required (unless you opt for a hammer!), will keep your child busy for quite a while, and you can keep the tools for future endeavors. The gemstones, rocks, and minerals are tiny, so please keep this in mind. They are lovely to look at, and the kit comes with a pouch for safe keeping. The colorful instructional poster has photographs and descriptions of each gemstone, rock, or mineral. Your child can match their discovery to the poster.
**This product should be kept out of reach of younger children as it poses a potential risk of choking. This product should never be left or completed near pets.
DISCLAIMER: I was not paid for this review. I made the purchase on my own, and I have not been in contact with the company, manufacturer, nor the retailer about this review. All opinions are unbiased and my own. I hold no responsibility between you, the company, manufacturer, retailer, and/or the product. Please follow all instructions if you make any purchases and follow safety protocols. Adult supervision is important. Do not leave your child unattended as there are potential hazards. There are no affiliate links within this review.
