Last Christmas, I bought my oldest son a Martian Matter playset. I thought it would be a fun craft thing that would last a day or two and then it would be tossed aside. I got an amazing deal on it at Amazon at the time so it was more than worth it in my opinion.
In Their Words:

"Get ready for some creative fun that’s totally out of this world! Pop open this alien spaceship to discover all sorts of alien-making technologies, including LUNAR LAVA gel and reusable METEOR MUD compound, which are used to create alien forms! Mix and match the 14 different half-molds to create more than 90 different wacky alien combinations! Place your finished alien creations in the spaceship’s pods to “fly” the aliens home!"

My Take:

Our Martian Matter playset has actually been a well used and well loved toy for the last few months. The boys don't usually keep all of the pieces to any "playset," but this one has stayed mostly intact and they return to it time and again to make new aliens. They love to make them a little less firm so they can "squish their guts," or so they say.

The best part to me is the value. Even with all of the times they have played with it, this playset has not yet needed a refill. The Meteor Mud that is used to mold the aliens is reusable and can be used over and over again without getting worn out. It also only takes a few squirts of the colored gel to fill in the alien shape so a kit lasts a long time too. There is little to no mess involved, depending on whether your children like squishy guts or not, but the gel has not stained anything in our home.

All of my children are old enough to make these as they are simple to use . The hardest part is getting the children to wait a few minutes in order for their alien to harden. Smaller children should be supervised obviously, and there are no safety caps on the gels so they should be kept out of reach of any child who may put the colorful liquid in their mouths.

The only thing I do not like about the product or would improve, are the lids on the "pods" where you can put the aliens when you're done. They are not hinged and so come off easily. Ours have all been lost, but it does not effect play in any way.

Buy It

I would definitely recommend Martian Matters Alien Maker Playset to anyone who has children ages 5 and up. The recommended age is 5-8, but my oldest is 10 and still loves it. Right now, Amazon.com has the Martian Matter Mega Set which comes with more items, on sale for only $15.99. That is almost half off what you will find it at Khols and other stores where is $29.99 and even less expensive then the basic playset at Walmart. Stop by and take a look if you think it is something your children would enjoy. it would make a great rainy day activity during the summer break!