Hank Green talks about the history of the chemistry sets for young people and why they disappeared:

He also discusses attempts to resurrect chemistry sets such as the SPARK Competition contest at Science Play and Research Kit:

SPARK is a project of the Society for Science & the Public, in collaboration with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation that will inspire adults, through the challenge of competition, to generate a new set of experiences and activities that capture children’s imagination in science, spark and fuel their interests, and foster persistent curiosity and creativity.

The top prize is $50k. The competition

challenges participants to reimagine the chemistry set for the 21st century and generate a new set of experiences and activities that encourage imagination and interest in science, recapturing the spirit of the chemistry set.