4-In-1 Virtual Reality Game Pack From Abacus Brands

Through Tryazon, I was sent this amazing game box! I can't wait to show you how much fun you can have. First things first...

*Disclaimer: I was sent this product for free in exchange for hosting a party and writing a review. All opinions are my own or my guests'. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed.*

Okay now, let's take a look at this box and all that it includes. This is put out by Abacus Brands. It comes with 4 games in the one box. 4 ways to have fun! I think this makes it a great party pack. Not just for the fun, but for the learning. So I reached out to homeschool friends to see who could come hang out and try out this product with us. 

You have to download the app. Thanks to a QR code in the instruction manual, that was quick and easy. Next, you have an activation code on the front of the manual. You choose which game from the set you want to use first and enter your code. Once it has loaded the code, it downloads the game into your library. Then, you can repeat with the others. You only have to enter the code once, though. It will recognize that you have all of them and only ask if you agree to download more. Say yes, and keep adding to your library!  

Umm, I don't think it was supposed to do that....

I had to remove my phone from its protective case first. It was just too bulky to fit into the VR Goggles piece. However, when I went to insert the naked phone, I found that the foam started to peel off and even stuck to my phone!! I was not happy with that... Took me a while to scrape the glue off my phone. Now, to be fair, maybe it was because I had tried to put it in with the case originally. So be warned, and be careful.

Breaking it up into 4

Each subject, or game, comes with its own poster. These are full of information and on glossy paper. The posters are how you will interact with the Virtual Reality part of the games. In combination with the app, of course. In the app, you will hit that triangle for the Play option while looking into the center of the poster that corresponds. This will show you a spinning blue circle (think loading symbol) and then you will be transported into the interactive part.

Dinosaurs:

First up is the one my youngest was most excited for - the Dino-Dig. She absolutely loves dinosaurs.

And had been begging me to open it up since the party pack first arrived. I highly suggest that you lay down something like a junk towel or take it outside.

Also - be prepared for some dusty kids afterwards. I found that using water while we worked made the plaster come off easier.

Solar System:

Next up is the Solar System. I was disappointed that Pluto was not included in our solar system. Call me old schooled, but Pluto is still a planet in my book.

Putting together the solar system diagram or planetarium was a little difficult because the instructions included were... lacking. Thankfully, my son was able to eyeball the picture and pieces included to make it work. The kids needed extra paintbrushes so that they all could paint at the same time. Thankfully, we keep a bunch on hand for craft projects. But if you have multiple kids, just be warned.

I suppose it would have been better with the VR giving us instructions, but I was using my phone to take the video and photos at the time. 

Crystals:

Then we move on to learn about Crystals in the Lab. Growing the crystals takes 3-5 days. But in the video I'll load, you can at least see the process that we took to get them started. Within about 2-3 days, this is where the crystals were in their growth.

Green looks like a dud for us. I appreciate that the cups had lids you can set down in the top to keep the dust out.

Volcanoes:

And finally, we check out the Volcano Lab! Did you ever build one of those erupting volcanoes? Maybe with clay? Painted to look real? Building a volcano was one of the best experiments I can remember doing as a kid. And my kids get to do it now too. Actually, this isn't the first one we have done. The VR part had so much for them to see. And it describes all the aspects of volcanoes.

Right out the gate, we came to find we were missing some kind of "tube" that is needed to 'cap' the top and leave the place where the baking soda and citric acid goes to make the 'eruption' magic happen. We tried to improvise with a small plastic cup piece.

I wasn't too thrilled with that option or optimistic in it working. It wasn't deep enough. The bowl that comes with the kit is definitely not big enough to mix the plaster either. So I suggest using a bowl or pot that you don't use for food, for the mixing step.

Mixing with the stir stick they included was a little time consuming, but we managed pretty well I think. Move quickly though. this stuff starts to harden fast. You can see how we did it in the video. I'd suggest packing in the sides a little as you pour the plaster in. Although, I think ours looks really neat and more realistic with all the ridges along the sides.

Then came the painting time. It can be interesting with multiple kids. I had them take turns adding in colors and details. 

Here is the video we made of the various hands-on kits we did.

 

Pros to using these

First off, there is a lot of good information. You might have to correct some of the things spoken of or read from the posters, depending on your worldview. The interactive portions on the VR is really in depth! The kids had fun and found it very easy to use. I'm also glad that the kits came with hands-on parts. Things you can build or dig into. I find that kids are more likely to remember things if they interact.

Not conducive to those with glasses

Well, it was a bit of a let down for some of us who require glasses to see. Thankfully, with it being so close, it wasn't so blurry for me. And even my son (who is the most blind of us) said he only had to squint sometimes. You could attempt to wear your glasses with the headset, but it caused a tight pain on the nose. Kinda like wearing tight goggles. 

Where can you find them? 

I know our local Walmart had some of them on hand. In single sets. 

Amazon has the 4-in-1 kit for about $60. 

Or you can go straight to the makers! Abacusbrands.com has so many others to choose from. The Human Body and The World Atlas sure caught my eye.

Cons to the information taught...

As a Christian, I don't agree with the evolutionary teachings in the Dinosaur and Solar System programs. So if you are like me, be warned. You may need to remind your kids that the world is not millions of years old. That the universe we live in did not suddenly spring from nothing. That evolution is not how things came to be what they currently are. That dinosaurs died off because of an astronomical disaster. And my favorite? That we are still reaching out to aliens. We sent out a record with instructions on how to use it. This was hilarious to me. Why? Because I don't believe in intelligent life outside of our planet. And even IF I did, what makes us feel so pompous that we can assume they speak and read English?? 

Anyhow... These are theories (NOT PROVEN FACT) thought up by mankind, for mankind, to try to remove God from the equation. These kits are saturated with such views.