Momma Told Me: Eat veggies, not people!
As we rounded the corner towards the educational kits and exploratory companions I knew our luck was about to change. You may recall a post I did during Spring Break about an Orb Factory Make Your Own Volcano Kit. Sabrina (10) loves painting her nails and girling out as much as the next tween girl, but she can also hold her own as a pretty rough and tumble tomboy. She's constantly finding spiders and creepy crawlers around the house to give names and secret identities too. That's precisely why I wasn't surprised to see her finally light up as she clutched a Carnivorous Plants Terrarium Kit (more about that in an upcoming post). I let out a sigh, finally some interest and it was in a 'project' that would require minimal setup and months of 'waiting'. I promised we'd acquire this kit, which featured (eventually) living Venus Fly Traps, and begged her to be a little more open to the other options.
As it turns out, Sabrina hadn't been uncaring of the task, she had been restraining herself, "But I don't want to make you spend a bunch of money, " she explained. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle as Jay and I tried to explain that we had coupons to cut the prices in half, and we were searching for things we could all do, together; so it wasn't an imposition.That was all it took for us to begin filling our arms with projects and crafts. Naturally, the thing that caught her attention most was on sale (the only exclusion to these amazing little coupons), but it was hard to argue with something that was already half off to begin with. Umagine's Doctor Dreadful Zombies range, also available in Alien Autopsy, featured mortifying creation labs that produced edible oddities such as gummy bugs, and a complete Zombie head culinary station. Ranging from $15-$40 (retail) these kits all interconnect together and have flavor packet refills for continued use year round.
The first kit was the smaller of the 2 Doctor Dreadful ones we had bought; Zombies: Bug Lab, which consisted of a fairly simple guillotine styled injector system. We simply measured out the required number of 'bug powder' scoops, and equal scoops of warm water into the injector's base, mixed, then slid the mold down until it forced the mixture up into the mold. We had a little trial and tribulation with this; if the water is not warm enough the mixture will harden too quickly to fill the entire mold (after all, we are working against gravity sending the candy up, rather than pouring it in), and if the water is too warm it will make the mixture runny. This becomes an issue if you think you're being smart, *cough* like me, and try to overheat the water for better molding, then pull the mold with the giant hole up too soon. You guessed it, bug guts everywhere!
Surprisingly, Sabrina actually was the best at this. Both of us adults struggled dearly at first. In any case, the kit comes with 2 molds, and each mold takes about 5 MINS in the fridge to chill, before being peeled and consumed, so kids can stay busy between bugs. I was certain these quasi gummies would have a granular taste, but the consistency and flavor was tolerable to me, and delicious to Sabrina. We didn't have much trouble peeling them out of the molds, though the beetle was a little more intricate than the centipede, and two colors/flavors were included with the kit for a little variety. As an adult would expect, and fear, this is a kids activity set that deals with sugary substances- something children gravitate towards, but parents might avoid. Fear not, 10 year old Sabrina happily cleaned each and every part (molds, scoop, and base) between molding her critters. Do place this on a dining plate or tablecloth outside though, just in case of spill overs.
The second, and larger Dr. Dreadful kit we had invested in was the actual Zombie Lab (I believe there are 2 other add-ons to this collection, and they all interlock at the 'gear shaped' bases). The Zombie Lab features 4 edible activities, 2 of which will be very similar to the Bug Lab. Assembly is minimal, just don't cut the little rubber band woven around the jaw upon unpacking... I did this thinking it was some sort of packing material and had to hunt for a similar sized rubber bad to rewind the jaw. There is a cavity on the Zombie's nose for the additional 'Snot Shot' add on, and two of the 'molds' snap and slide onto the face. There is a spider mold for the eye, and scar mold for the forehead, both operate much like the Bug Lab, but with a syringe injection system. Sabrina really liked the syringe, but kept asking why we had to pour the mixture in, rather than suck it up (like a real syringe). The kid is too smart for her own good.
Additional activities included making edible Zombie Barf (blue) which dispenses down through the head's jaw and into a beaker, as well as Zombie Skin (which is really the same bug mixture poured onto a plate and peeled off). One of the things we were especially looking forward too was the 'bubbling' Zombie Brains that foam and fizz as a result of the mixture of two powder compounds. Disappointingly this had a bitter taste Sabrina didn't care for, and we had to double the suggested measurements (Mythbusters style) to acheive a really dramatic foaming affect. Thankfully all of the parts are plastic, so cleanup was fairly easy. I do, however, wish the company would put their 'mixes' in some sort of resealable pouch, because we have over half of the powders left and I worry about them turning clumpy if not sealed away from air.
In all, all three of us had a blast, and these kits reminded me a lot of the Creepy Crawlers experiences I had as a child. I liked that Sabrina, at 10, could pretty much read the instructions and figure things out on her own (though adult supervision was provided). She even got some practice counting and measuring with the scoops and graduated measuring beaker. I think the Dr. Dreadful range would be a great investment for a sleepover or birthday party, and am sure some of the bug molds will be reused for future edible projects. Umagine has a wide range of brands for childhood crafts and creativity, keep an eye out for them on a shelf near you!
What Daughter Says: Family, erm, dessert? time, has never been this much wicked good fun!
****The products above were paid for. This review was in no way solicited.
That is one WILD contraption. I'm sure my kids would LOVE it.
ReplyDeleteWow that definitely looks like fun!
ReplyDeleteIf I show this to my daughter, she would go bonkers!
ReplyDeleteMy boys would have went crazy for this. I especially love the barf...weird I know. I think I would like to play with Dr. Dreadful.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! I am SO going to michaels this weekend! I need these for my boys! They are always want Inge to do kits like these! And now that we are in summer vacation, they would be perfect for summer afternoons after all the chores are done!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like so much fun! Two out of three of my kids are probably a little too young to really be able to make all these things. Although, you did give me some ideas on what we types of things to be looking for that would certainly amuse them! Zombie Barf...yikes!
ReplyDeleteMy boys had something like this when they were little. They loved it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun looking kit. My boys would love this! Hope it is on-line.
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