5,200+ Recipe Box reviews · ESA-eligible

Hands-on science · Homeschool

Hands-On Chemistry Curriculum. Your kids will actually learn from it.

The 12-month curriculum where the recipe IS the lesson plan. One box, whole family, ages 4–17.

$540 one payment · or $49/month · $0 out of pocket with ESA funds

Katie and her kids making candles: five photos of the kids pouring, mixing and showing off what they made

#1 Wellness Box · 2023 & 2025 USA TODAY 10Best

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See Example Curriculum

See one lesson in action.

Real saponification chemistry, taught by the bars your kids name and gift.

Free · Instant Download

Try this lesson — free.

✓Real saponification chemistry – pH + surfactant lessons
✓Three depths, one box: Exploration · Discovery · Mastery
✓Lab notebooks + parent guide all included
✓They walk away with a soap bar, a lab page, and “I MADE THIS!”

Ready to dive straight in? Skip the freebie and shop the Recipe Box →

Four ways to start

Pick the start that fits your family.

Try one lesson free, start the full year, go deep on one topic, or bring your co-op.

Most popular The Recipe Box stacked on the Big Bonus Box with oils and supplies

Recipe Box: Homeschool Edition

12 months · $49/mo or $540/yr · ESA-eligible

  • 6 hands-on chemistry labs every month
  • Supplies, parent guide + 3 age-track lab journals
  • One box for every kid, ages 4 to 17
A mom holding up the parent guide, The Chemistry of Candles, with the lab journals on the table

Free Lesson

One full lesson as an instant PDF. Try it before you buy.

A Maker Kit with its oils, jars and supplies

Maker Kits Coming soon

One area, a full semester deep: 12 areas to choose from, from soap and candles to cleaning and face care. $275–$375 per kit.

A woman giving a thumbs-up behind a stack of Recipe Boxes

Co-op leaders

5+ families? We ship one Lesson Box free, with slides + a script, and 15% off for your families.

 

  • 84+Hands-On Labs/Yr
  • 12Lab Notebooks
  • 84+Products Your Family Keeps
Homeschool kids making soap, lotion and lab recipes, with five-star reviews from Kayla R., Ashley P., Amanda M., Teresa S. and Kim Z.
Start the Curriculum →

5 out of 5 stars “…when I ordered it I intended to make it part of my daughter’s homeschool learning experience… Before I knew it, she had taken over the kitchen island…”

— Melanie S.

3 Simple Steps

Go from “I Can’t Teach Science” to “I MADE THIS!”

Minimum parent prep. No teaching degree required.

  1. Step 1: a smiling girl at the kitchen counter with her Recipe Box just opened

    Unbox (5 min.)

    Supplies, recipe cards, parent guide, lab notebooks – all in one box. Minimum prep.

  2. Step 2: a mom holding up the parent guide, The Chemistry of Candles

    Read the Lesson (10 min.)

    Katie’s parent guide tells you exactly what to say, ask, and skip. No science background needed.

  3. Step 3: a girl making a recipe at the kitchen counter next to her lab journal page

    Watch Them Create

    They walk away with a real product AND a real lab page.

Start the Curriculum →

5,200+ Recipe Box reviews · ESA-eligible

Why you’ll keep loving it

Same box. Every kid at their own level.

Same recipe, same table — three curriculum levels so every child goes as deep as they’re ready for.

  • Discovery

    Ages 4–7

    “What happened?”

    You lead. They stir, smell and draw what they saw.

  • Exploration

    Ages 8–11

    “Why did that happen?”

    You supervise. They measure and fill in the lab journal.

  • Mastery

    Ages 12+

    “How would I design this?”

    They lead. They change the formula and write it up.

The Recipe Box stacked on the Big Bonus Box, with the oils, jars and supplies

50% OFFyour first box

Start this month’s labs with the Recipe Box.

Six chemistry labs a month for the whole family, ages 4–17.

$24.50 first box was $49

Then $49/mo · skip or cancel anytime

  • Parent guide
  • Lab journals
  • Oils + lab supplies
  • Hero Course videos
🎓 ESA-eligible — enrollment guide →

Free shipping · 30-day guarantee · yearly plan adds a free Big Bonus Box.

Use your ESA funds

Approved in 5 states. Most families pay $0.

These states have officially approved Simply Earth as an eligible vendor. $540 a year is a small slice of a $6,700–$10,800 ESA budget. Pick your state for the portal steps, budget breakdown and FAQ.

Pending: North Carolina · Missouri · Louisiana · Florida · West Virginia · New York

Katie Veldkamp making silly faces with her four kids around a Recipe Box

“My own kids hated science textbooks too.” So I built the Recipe Box they ask for.

I taught middle school science. At home with my four, the textbook still lost them.

So I wrapped real chemistry around the thing they already loved: making soap, candles and lotion.

  • Lab ingredients at your door
  • A parent guide that tells you what to say
  • Journals for all three age tracks
Start the Curriculum →

You’re starting with me. — Katie Veldkamp, Co-founder · former middle school science teacher · mom of 4

Questions parents ask before they enroll.

Still wondering? Email [email protected] — a real person answers.

Is this real curriculum or just a craft box?

Real curriculum: real chemistry, math and life skills, with lab journals, vocabulary and assessments for every age. Your 10-year-old writes hypotheses. Your teen reads Safety Data Sheets. You get full documentation for state reporting.

What ages does it work for?

Ages 4–17. One box, three learning tracks: Discovery (4–7), Exploration (8–11) and Mastery (12+). Same supplies, three different experiences, so multi-age families use one subscription for all their kids.

How much time does it take?

About 2 hours a month, split however you like: one big 2-hour science day, two 1-hour labs, or the six recipes as quick half-hour sessions across two weeks.

Can I use ESA funds?

Yes. We’re approved in Arizona, Wyoming, Texas, Utah and Arkansas, through ClassWallet, Step Up For Students, Odyssey and Hope Scholarship. The $540 annual plan is a single transaction, and we’ll send you the documentation your state needs.

What if I have multiple kids?

One box works for all your kids — that’s the point of the three age tracks. Some families with 4+ kids add a second subscription for extra supplies on bigger projects, but most families share one box.

What happens after the first year? Is it the same recipes?

No repeats. The Recipe Box rotates every year: new recipes, new lessons, new science. The Maker Kits are progressive — 12 in total, three a year over four years — and students who finish all 12 step up to our next-level workbook curriculum.

Verified reviews

What homeschool families say.

  • 5 out of 5 stars

    “My youngest (4 years old) and I had a great time… She loved making her own hand soap and was so proud to show her older siblings!”

    Heather C. · Verified buyer

  • 5 out of 5 stars

    “I have just started with SE and wanted something nice to do with my kids that actually amounted to a productive activity. We have loved the hands on experience SE recipes give us.”

    Amy T. · Verified buyer

  • 5 out of 5 stars

    “Love the recipes! I let my grandkids make some of them as a science project for homeschooling!”

    Melissa S. · Verified buyer

  • 5 out of 5 stars

    “She loves it! She tried all the recipes that came in the box! She even took the box of goodies to her room!”

    Kim Z. · Verified buyer

Not ready? Try one lesson free · Lead a co-op? Get a free Lesson Box

Questions? Chat With Us!

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