Little Spores Explorer Kit
A screen-free gift that turns curiosity into real science. Watch your young scientist's eyes light up as they discover the hidden world of microbes growing right before them.
The Little Spores Explorer Kit is designed for our youngest scientists, ages 5–8. It includes everything needed to safely collect samples (fingerprints before and after hand washing, backyard soil and leaves, fruit, and everyday objects) and grow their own colonies of fungi and bacteria. Simple instructions and kid-friendly tools make it an easy first step into a bigger world of discovery, and the growth unfolds over days, so the fun lasts well past the day it's opened.
Great for: Holiday and birthday gifts, stocking-stuffer upgrades, winter-break projects, and rainy-day weekends.
Every kit includes access to our Explorer Portal.
Includes WeMush tracking: Every kit includes QR codes linked to WeMush, our cultivation tracking platform. Scan them to see digital specimen records, a real-world look at how growers track their cultures.
Kit contents
- (4) Pre-poured sterile agar plates: Ready to use right out of the box
- (4) Sterile wrapped swabs: For safe, easy sample collection
- (2 pairs) Pre-packaged nitrile gloves: For real lab-style safety
- (2) Specimen tubes: For collecting soil, water, or other interesting samples
- (1) 5X plastic magnifying glass: For safely observing growth through the lid
- Parafilm: Pre-cut strips to hold each lid closed after swabbing
- Mush Ohio Unseen World Explorer Quick Start Guide & Journal: A printed booklet with instructions and guided pages for drawing observations
- "Junior Scientist" badge button: A premium pin to reward their work
- Mush Ohio sticker
Safety: After swabbing, each lid is held closed with short Parafilm strips and stays closed, so kids watch growth through the lid without touching cultures. Plates grow at room temperature, and the guide shows how to disinfect them before they go in the trash. Adult supervision recommended.
