The Best Science Kits For Teens In 2023 [Review Guide] (2024)

Getting kids interested in science is the first step towards their scientific education. But the real consolidation comes when they are a bit older. Science kits for teens are proving more and more how GREAT a way they are for learning in high school.

There is no doubt that the way teenagers tackle their high school education will start to shape their careers.

Waking up the curiosity of teenagers for science can be a fundamental step towards their education and career path.

However, everyone experiences how high school classes are not really the most enjoyable things in the world. I myself, am a chemist, and love science. But when I was 12 years old, taking high school classes, I really did not enjoy them very much. I’m sure you’re familiar with this feeling.

But there is a way to make it easier. And more enjoyable.

Keep reading to figure it out, or navigate through the table of contents below.

How Can You Inspire Teenagers to Learn Science?

By definition, most sciences are based on experimental observations that we make. That’s why experiments are one of the most important parts of learning science, at any level.

But experiments are not only important and useful, but they are also the most enjoyable feature of science!

This is especially true for young aspiring scientists.

If you are a teen, and are given the choice between memorizing 20 pages of a book and doing a fun experiment programming a robot or running a chemical reaction, I am sure what are you going to prefer.

That’s why scientific experiment kits are extremely powerful for learning science!

These sets are quite famous for kids. For example, we have reviewed some for the most enjoyable chemistry kits for kids here. But there are also some great options of science kits for teens!

These sets not only cover chemistry, but all the branches of science. We will review the best options we could find within chemistry, physics, electronics, robotics and biology.

Keep reading!

Top Choices: The Best Science Kits for Teens

As we have mentioned, there are several kinds of educational science kits suitable for teenagers, depending on the field you want to play on.

We are going to cover chemistry, physics, electronic, robotics and biology sets. There are many types, so we are selecting here two top picks among all of them. Of course make sure to check the specific reviews for each product.

But if you are looking to buy a science gift for a teenager, you will never go wrong with these two!

First, the most classical chemistry set is still one of the best and standard choices for getting a science kit for a kid or teenager. Thames & Kosmos do an amazing job with their chemistry sets. Specifically, the C2000 Chemistry set is probably the best one out there in terms of quality, price, and number of experiments that you can carry out. There are other models, cheaper (C500, C1000) and more expensive (C3000), but we find this one to be the best compromise.

The other best alternative is related to robotics and electronics. Lately, different science sets for building and programming robots have been more and more developed. There are different alternatives, but we have found the LEGO Programmable Robot to be the best one. It’s an awesome introduction to robotics and programming!

Both these sets are suitable for a broad range of ages, including high school years, and most teenagers will have a great deal of fun with them.

However, keep in mind that these are just two go-to general choices. The kit choice should be tailored for the needs or main interests of the teenager.

Also, special mention to Snap Circuits Light Electronics Kit, which is runner up as close third on this “top choices”. It’s not higher because it might be a bit more specific, but if you want a kit to learn electronics, go for this one.

Make sure to read through the quick comparison table and the reviews of the kits that look more interesting for you!

Quick Comparison Table: Science Kits for Teenagers

All the sets that we will cover on this reviews are displayed on the following summary table. Feel free to take a quick glance at all of them, and then navigate to the specific reviews!

See anything you like? Check the specific review for details!

The Best Chemistry Set for a Teenager

1. Thames & Kosmos Chem C1000

Thames & Kosmos is one of the best known designers and manufacturers of science kits. At the same time, chemistry kits a probably some of the more popular options for making mid or high school students enjoy science. These two factors make us recommend this Chem C1000 as the best budget option for getting a chemistry kit for a teenager.

Thames & Kosmos Chem C1000

The C1000 is a complete chemistry set, which allows you to set up a lab at home safely. This set contains high quality material which allows you to run around 100 different experiments, with a detailed manual of instructions.

This set is great for 10–16 years olds. For younger children, you should be supervising them.

As for the contents, this set comes with both material for carrying out the experiments and some amount of different chemicals to perform the experiments. These chemicals are not particularly dangerous, but they should be treated carefully anyway (i.e., keep them out of mouth and eyes). Most of the material is plastic, not glass, so it’s also pretty safe.

The main downside is that, as a budget option, you will need some extra materials for running certain experiments. But these are not particularly difficult or expensive to get.

If you want a really complete option, consider looking at the Chem C2000 version.

2. Thames & Kosmos Chem C2000

The Chem C2000 is one of the best science kits for teens that you can get, and that’s why we selected it as one of the top picks. You cannot go wrong with this! Is a much more complete and advanced version of the C1000.

Thames & Kosmos Chem C2000

The C2000 has more than twice as much material for experiments than the C1000. For example, it includes a Bunsen burner for reactions that require heat (this is also something to be considered safety-wise).

Every good aspect of the C1000 holds together for the C2000. The illustrated instruction manual for the experiments is a true masterpiece. It even includes clear instructions for the safe handling and disposal of chemicals.

As a side note, you must be aware that out of the almost 300 experiments that are described in the kit, you will need to get your hands into some extra household items. Also, of course, the supply of chemicals is limited, and if you run out of them, you would need to buy more if you want to repeat some experiment many times.

Overall, this set is an amazing way of exploring and understanding the science behind a lot of chemical reactions.

The Best Physics Kits for High School

3. Thames & Kosmos Physics Workshop

We move on from the realm of chemistry with one of the best physics kits for teenagers. Thames and Kosmos’ Physics Workshop is their take on a different scientific discipline. Everyone has heard of chemistry kits, but physics allows for a great deal of experimentation too!

Thames & Kosmos Physics Workshop

This science lab kit contains around 300 pieces, which allow building a variety of structures and doing experiments. These pieces include a motorbox, cranks, gears, wheels, and much more. There is an instruction manual, as for the chemistry set. However, sometimes the building instructions are not really clear, and young children might find trouble following them. That’s why this kind of construction sets is recommended mainly for teenagers.

This science set is a great way to get teens interested in mechanical physics, and understand the basic concepts behind forces, equilibrium, simple machines, etc. It is also very affordable.

4. Thames & Kosmos Physics Pro

If you want an advanced physics kit for a teenager, go straight for the Physics Pro. This is the biggest physics kit by the same company, which allows you to build on basic concepts (that of course, are also covered).

Thames & Kosmos Physics Pro

The previous basic physics kit covers mostly the very basics of mechanical physics. The Pro version moves into more advanced subjects, such as fluid dynamics.

It suffers from similar limitation than the more basic kit: the instructions might be confusing sometimes in terms of the building. But the experiments and explanations are great, and teens will enjoy fiddling with this kit.

This complete kit is a great complement for high school lessons, or homeschool physics classes. It represents one of the best ways to make physics lab sessions (which may seems many times boring for teenagers) into something very enjoyable.

Electronics and Robotics Science Kits for Teens

5. Ravensburger Science X Electronics and Circuitry Activity Kit

From physics we jump right into electronics. The first electronics kit is one by Ravensburger, and is both a great and cheap option for learning while building electronic circuits.

Ravensburger Science X Electronics and Circuitry Activity Kit

This kit allows the high school student to learn the basics about electronic while building up to 8 different projects. Everything is included to build the electronics for things such as a flashlight, a loudspeaker or a burglar alarm.

It is really appropriate for ages between 12 and 16. Perfect for teenagers. Younger students will need help and supervision from adults to make it work.

Beware that you will need to buy external batteries and having some better wire cutters does also help.

While playing with this kit with my 12 year old cousin, I found that both him and myself, an adult chemist, really had fun with it! You can build plenty of variations of circuits, and keep busy for hours teens and adults alike.

6. Snap Circuits LIGHT Electronics Exploration Kit

If you want to go one step ahead into electronics, Snap Circuits offers you and extremely complete and high-quality kit for teenagers. This is not officially among our “top choices”, because the subject is a bit more specific. But if you or your teen are into building electronics, this is by far the top product.

Snap Circuits LIGHT Electronics Exploration Kit

Snap Circuits gives us an amazing introduction to electronics with this set. You can build up to 175 different projects. In contrast to chemistry sets, this electronics kit contains everything you need to build all the circuits. This is really one of the best science kits for high school age students available.

We also would like to highlight the great customer service by Snap Circuits: when I found that one of the main components of the box failed, I contacted them and rapidly replaced it for free.

Buying some rechargeable batteries is highly recommended, instead of having to buy more all over again.

7. LEGO Robot Building Set Creative Toolbox

Everybody loves LEGOs, from children to adults. What if you could get your hands into a LEGO which allows you to build a program, not only one robot, but different ones?

I say I’m in. And probably so would say any teenager (or even younger kid, with supervision) that is into robotics at all.

LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox 17101 Fun Robot Building Set

This is not only a building toy, but a great introduction to coding. After you build your robot, you will connect it to a tablet or smartphone through an app.

Using this app, you can start your journey in learning how to code! The student will start using a very simple visual programming language, to code the sequences of action that the robot will perform.

This robotics set for kids and teenagers has won many awards, and it’s quality is just awesome. I have played with this kit with my cousins, in the 8–14 age range, and all of them had fun (and of course, I had fun too).

It is a great gift for children and teens alike. But in case you find it a bit “childish”, don’t worry! We have more “mature” or professional options coming up right next.

8. Makeblock mBot Ranger Transformable

Do you want to get a very high quality robot construction and coding kit for a teenager? Look no further: go for a Makeblock set. This set allows you to build a Ranger robot, while learning both about robotics and programming.

Makeblock mBot Ranger Transformable STEM Robot Kit

This set allows you to build a ranger robot which can do a lot of stuff, really. The only limit is the imagination of the teen.

The sets by Makeblock are designed for older teens than the previous LEGO kit. For 12 years olds or below, you probable would rather go with the LEGO kit. But for teenagers in the 13–16 years old range, this set is perfect.

The instructions to build the robot are really clear, and it’s pretty straightforward. But then is when the fun starts! You can get into learning programming with the corresponding Makeblock app.

Overall, this is a great introduction to robotics.

9. Makeblock DIY Ultimate Robot Kit

As the name says, this is the ultimate robotics kit. If you want to get a great science kit for teens that are interested in robots (not uncommon at all), this is the absolutely highest quality and best premium option.

Makeblock DIY Ultimate Robot Kit

This kit will allow you to assemble not one, but 10 different robots (beware, some of them using online instructions, it only includes printed instructions for 3 of them). More than 6000 parts will allow you to build from a robotic arm to a robotic bartender.

This kit combines beautifully a teaching tool for electronics, robotics and programming. You can start coding by using a graphical programming language, but that’s only the beginning. Then you can move onto Arduino programming and also Python programming (one of the most beginner-friendly but also most used programming languages. As far as science kits for teens might go, this is a top tier option.

As a so high-quality premium option, they main drawback is the price, but if you want a gift for a teen that is truly a robotics enthusiasts, this is going to be a perfect fit! The quality is great, is beginner friendly, and it can get you to learn programming skills to a real-life useful level.

10. Thames & Kosmos Mechanical Engineering Robotic Arms

Thames and Kosmos also bring us a budget alternative for robotic kits. This goes into the building side of robotics, and into the mechanical physics aspects to it. In contrast to the previous options, it does not allow for programming.

Thames & Kosmos Mechanical Engineering Robotic Arms

This is more of a physics kit for teens applied to robotics. You can build 6 different robotic arms, which use different movement mechanics, such as pneumatic air pressure systems, pistons, etc.

It’s a great toy to get any fast learner busy and entertained for hours. Great train for the kid’s imagination too.

Biology Sets for Teens

11. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Dual LED Student Microscope

The cornerstone of introducing teens in high school to biology is a nice microscope. This kit by National Geographic provides a great entry point for studying the microscopic world.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Dual LED Student Microscope

This set includes a very decent microscope for aspiring scientists. No one should leave high school without having done some experiments with a microscope. This makes this kit one of the best science gifts for a teenager that we could find.

It is a dual microscope that allows visualizing both biological samples on slides or examine objects in 3D with surprisingly high detail.

It includes not only samples to visualize, but even the material and instructions to perform some biology experiments. For example, you have everything you need to grow brine shrimps, following their life cycle through magnification.

National Geographic manages to offer a great quality cheap microscope (which allows up to 50x magnification) for beginners.

12. Thames & Kosmos First Microscope & Biology Lab

There is another budget option available for a biology kit. A microscope is a great way to make students interested in STEM, but you might not want to invest in an expensive instrument yet. Again, Thames and Kosmos came up with a solution, offering a cheap biology/microscope kit for aspiring scientists.

Thames & Kosmos Kids First Microscope & Biology Lab

In contrast to the product offered by National Geographic, this kit is more oriented towards younger children than for teens. It includes more than 10 experiments, clearly detailed in the instruction book.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ)

Choosing The Best Science Kits for Teens: Closing Up

As you can see, there are plenty of options across all the different fields of science. These educational science kits are great, and will help teenagers to grow an interest for chemistry, physics, biology, or electronics.

Most of these are versatile sets, they can also be used as science experiment kits for middle school. Just look for one with a target age that is appropriate. Some younger children could also enjoy them, under supervision from an adult.

If you are looking for more mature sets for adults, please check out our guide on the best science kits for adults!

That’s it from our side, now go and get one for those a just enjoy learning science!