KIT 2

Matter Mayhem

Mix, Squish & Discover the Science of Stuff

Make slime. Bounce a ball. Crack the mystery.

Matter Mayhem is a materials lab in a box. Your child mixes, squishes and stretches real stuff — a stress ball, slime, a bouncy ball — then uses what they learned to solve a mystery. Three builds, then one big challenge.

▶ Meet the kit · 1:00
The Matter Mayhem kit: workbook, companion guide, open box, glue, linker, cornstarch and a puddle of green slime

What your child will learn

Four big ideas, discovered by testing rather than by being told.

  • How to use your senses to observe what a material is like
  • What happens when you mix things together
  • The difference between a physical change and a chemical change
  • How to use evidence to solve a mystery

What's in the box

Everything your child needs, except a few things from the kitchen.

  • 5 balloons and a small funnel
  • Cornstarch
  • Clear glue and linker solution
  • 2 measuring cups with lids
  • 6 labeled vials and a bottle of vinegar
  • Small cups, craft sticks and zipper bags
  • A table cover and a ruler
  • Your workbook
  • The companion guide, for the grown-up helping

You'll also need a few things from home — paper towels, a permanent marker, and water.

The balloons, cups, vials, glue, linker, vinegar, cornstarch, funnel, spoons and ruler from the kit, laid out in rows
Tip: lay everything out like this before you start — it makes mixing easier.

What you'll do, section by section

Seven short videos, one for each part of the workbook. Watch a step, then do it yourself.

SectionWhat you'll doWhat you'll learnVideo
Start Here What you'll doOpen the box and meet the parts. What you'll learnWhat's in the kit, and how to mix safely. Watch Start Here2:31
Activity 1 · Squish It! What you'll doMix cornstarch and water, then make a stress ball. What you'll learnHow something can be runny when you go slow and firm when you go fast. Watch Activity 16:42
Activity 2 · Stretch It! What you'll doMix glue and linker to make slime. What you'll learnWhen two things mix, a brand-new material can appear. Watch Activity 24:20
Polymers Long Ago What you'll doLook at polymers people made long ago, and ones we use today. What you'll learnTiny pieces link into chains — and those chains make much of our world. Watch Polymers Long Ago2:11
Activity 3 · Bounce It! What you'll doUse the same two liquids to make a bouncy ball. What you'll learnThe same ingredients, mixed a new way, make something different. Watch Activity 34:27
Science Spotlight What you'll doFind out what really changed in each mix. What you'll learnThe difference between a physical change and a chemical change. Watch Science Spotlight2:42
Grand Challenge What you'll doTest three mystery powders and name each one. What you'll learnHow to use evidence to solve a real mystery. Watch the Grand Challenge6:18

Have the books at home

Lost a page, or want a spare? Both books are free to download and print.

The workbook The book your child builds from and writes in. PDF · 32 pages · 4.6 MB The companion guide For the grown-up helping. You don't need it to start — the videos are enough. PDF · 44 pages · 2.0 MB

The workbook leads the way

Your child mixes, tests, and writes down what they find. The videos follow the workbook page by page — you don't need to know any science to help.

All kit videos

Built on real standards

This kit is built on the Next Generation Science Standards. Here are its main targets for grades 3–5.

The reading is much simpler than that. So the kit also works well with 5th and 6th graders who want real science without a lot of text.

5-PS1-1Particles too small to see
5-PS1-2Conservation of mass
5-PS1-3Identifying materials by their properties
5-PS1-4Mixing that makes a new substance
3-5-ETS1-2Comparing solutions with evidence
3-5-ETS1-3Fair tests and variables

This means the activities work on the same ideas these standards describe. But no single kit can teach a standard. A child builds that over many years and many experiences.

Cub Scouts: this kit connects to the Nova award program. Ask your den leader which parts can count.

The companion guide has the full map. It also lists the K–2 standards this kit touches, and the math links.