The Best Kids' Crafts Subscription Boxes – Early Childhood STEAM Projects
Since COVID hit, I’m often searching for more inside activities to do with my son. My degree is in Early Childhood Education. I have taught PreK–1st grade in public and private schools all around the world including London, Virginia, Utah, and New York City. I have also been a private tutor for several families across the United States as well as a nanny. I strive to engage my son in educational activities that will prepare him for future learning opportunities while keeping his mind active. Anything where screens aren’t involved is often a win in my mom book.
I recently started subscribing to kids’ craft subscription boxes, and they have been life-changing for us this past year. My son loves getting packages in the mail each month that are addressed to him and are full of fun things for us to do together. There are several different companies that offer these types of subscription boxes, so it was hard at first to navigate through the options. After hours of research and Googling, I have picked my three favorite kids’ craft subscription boxes. The three companies highlighted in this blog post are all companies that i would order from again because they create quality educational products. I would recommend all of them as they produce exceptional STEAM material for children. While all three companies are fantastic, for the purpose of this blog post, I have ranked the companies from favorite to least favorite. The order goes as follows: Kiwi Co., Green Kid Crafts, and Little Passports.
Disclaimer: I received no compensation for the boxes that were tested or for doing this review. I bought these boxes with my own money. All of these ideas and opinions are my own. But, I may receive a small percentage through referral links that I use to pay for my site.
#1 Kiwi Co.
Overall, Kiwi Co. is my favorite kids’ craft subscription box. Sandra, an engineer and mother of 3, is the founder and CEO of Kiwi Co., which was started in 2011. Kiwi has shipped over 20 million crates. We ordered the Kiwi Crate line recommended for ages 5–8. (My son was almost 5 at the time, so I have the perfect product tester!) Kiwi Co. makes subscription boxes for infants through adults.
Activities Included
Each monthly box is centered around a unique kid-friendly STEAM theme. Our first box theme was, “Arcade Games.” Each Kiwi Co. box provides one major “wow” type of activity (with an instruction booklet included)—something that parents wouldn’t throw together at home on an average day. The arcade games box had a moving claw—which your child assembles—similar to an arcade game claw that grabs stuffed animals or other prizes. We also made pom pom creatures from yarn that the claw can grab. This activity was fabulous, and my son and I loved doing it together.
In addition, each box comes with a separate magazine filled with comics, facts, stories, and other additional activities to do and make with items around the house that correspond with the overall theme. We really enjoyed the “Tilt-to-Win” activity created with household items such as paper towel rolls, a cardboard box, and construction paper. I was impressed that one of the activities in the magazine even used the box that the subscription was shipped in, including it in the activity itself. Kiwi Co. really knows how to be resourceful with materials and reduce waste.
User Friendliness
Kiwi Co. was the most user friendly out of the three subscription box companies. The directions were written clearly and simply, step–by–step, with age-appropriate words and pictures. My son was able to look at the pictures and copy what he was supposed to do with his given materials. The written directions were easy for me to follow, understand, and execute. I never had to guess about anything. They were thorough in their design, and I could tell that it had been extensively product tested with children. I felt confident as I navigated through each step that the project would come together in the end, and it did.
Age Appropriateness
In order for a child to complete the Kiwi Co. box alone, they need to be an independent reader. Adult participation (or an older child) is necessary for younger children when working on a Kiwi Co. box. With that being said, my son still enjoyed all of the activities that were provided even though he is just shy of turning 5. The materials definitely kept his interest as he is currently fascinated by video and arcade games. I think the recommended age range of 5–8 is appropriate, but I’d also say that older children would enjoy this box as well, maybe through age 11. If there is an older sibling, it definitely would be fun for two children to work together to complete the box.
Materials
The materials in the Kiwi Co. box are visually pleasing. The colors are vibrant and bright, subtly persuading children to start working with them. The wooden pieces were smooth and sliver-free. The stickers used to secure things together came off easily from the paper and were strong enough to hold securely. I appreciated how Kiwi Co. gave us duplicate materials in our subscription box. (They are the only one of the three who did this!) With little kids, it is so easy to lose track of a small part in the box, which could end up being a big part if its loss keeps a child from completing the project.
Duration to Complete
i love the ongoing activities that one Kiwi Co. box provided. It took my son and I a few days (during homeschool hours) to complete all of the activities offered in one box. Also, the main claw activity was something that he continued to play with for days afterwards. He used his claw to pick up things around the house. He also continued to play with his “Tilt to Win” game. This box provided hours and hours of fun until the next monthly box arrived in the mail.
Box Focus
The Kiwi Crate from the Kiwi Co. boxes (the one I ordered) are perfect for my son’s interests because he leans more towards math and science. He really doesn’t prefer arts and crafts. They offer a number of other boxes, however, with different focuses or target age. I think the Kiwi Co., boxes overall are also more on the fun and entertaining side of learning, keeping it light and friendly for kids. (Slightly different than the focus on the other two boxes) If your child in this age range prefers geography and culture, they also sell the Atlas Crate for ages 6–11. (There are several lines besides Kiwi and Atlas in this company scanning all ages and interests within STEAM– Maker, Tinker, Doodle, Panda, Koala, Eureka crates)
Cost
A 1–3 month subscription of Kiwi. Co boxes are $19.95 a month. 6 months is $18.50 a month, and 12 months is only $16.95 a month! I recently ordered the 12-month subscription and can’t wait for each box to arrive.
Progess Monitoring
The first Kiwi Co. box that you receive comes with a progress booklet for the child. Every box comes with a rewards sticker that you can keep and collect, sticking it in your progress booklet after you’ve completed the box. It is a fun way for my son to see how may boxes he’s completed and to anticipate his next box arriving in the mail.
*I have been so impressed with Kiwi Co., that after completing this box, I subscribed for their 12-month subscription. We now receive boxes every month. I also ordered three of their separate holiday themed boxes– a light-up gingerbread house, a magnetic ice skating rink, and a Santa sleigh automation. I have been impressed with everything that I have received from this company.
To learn more about Kiwi Co., click the link below:
Materials Provided
Making the Claw
Making the Claw Handle
Making the Yarn Pom Pom Creature
Practicing with the Claw to Pick Up the Yarn Creature
Extra Activity– Tilt to Win
#2 Green Kid Crafts
My second favorite kids’ craft subscription box goes to Green Kid Crafts. Green Kid Crafts has been around for 10 years. I love their commitment to the environment and their motto of being kind to the earth and reducing waste. I ordered the Discovery Science and Craft Subscription box for ages 5–10. They offer Junior Boxes for ages 2–4, and Discovery Boxes for ages 5–10+.
Activities Included
Each monthly Green Kid Crafts box is centered around a science based theme. The theme of our box was “Saving the Ocean.” Every box provides 4–6 small activities, each individually wrapped in pouches full of craft supplies and items to complete each one. The topics were broad, covering things like types of ocean animals, the ocean habitat, the coral reef, and how adults and your child can help with oil spills. While every activity was fun and educational, none of them impressed me as much as the Kiwi Co. activity did. There wasn’t a standout activity in the Green Kid Crafts box. Not much in the box was original thinking, but instead a majority of the activities were things that I had seen before as a teacher, as a mom, and as a Pinterest lover. With that being said, it was still convenient to have all of these activities prepared for me at my finger tips to do with my son without much effort. And, I did enjoy the facts listed on the bottom page of each activity which focused on the topic. (I never knew a group of jellyfish was called a smack until completing this box!)
User Friendliness
Each of the six projects were quick and easy to complete. Every activity was simple with just a few items needed. Only one of the activities needed items from around the house to complete. The instructions for the activities were clear but not quite as clear as Kiwi Co. I found that there was some room for error or mis-interpreting the instructions. But because these projects were more-or-less simplified everyday teacher and parent type of things, common sense could fill in the gaps. The instructions included pictures—actual photographs of the projects being done—but I didn’t find them very visually pleasing or high quality. Green Kid could use an upgrade on their visual aids.
Age Appropriateness
Compared to the Kiwi Co. box, I felt like the activities in the Green Kid Crafts box were much more basic and elementary. While my son enjoyed all of the activities, because he is on the younger side of the age range, I think older children might quickly get a bit bored with it. I felt like the age range of 5–10 years old was a little bit of a stretch and this box would be more suitable for ages 4–7. Many of these activities, however, my 5-year old son was able to do semi-independently where with Kiwi Co., he always needed an adult’s or older child’s help to succeed.
Materials
I found how Green Kid packaged the materials to be slightly confusing. They didn’t fully divide each activity’s materials into their own individual pouch. Instead, materials were mixed together across different activities. At one point, I thought we were missing some materials for an activity, but then later found that they were in a pouch for a different project. Some of the activities were labeled while some weren’t, making the material-gathering process confusing. Also, one activity provided glow sticks, and two of the three glow sticks were broken and didn’t glow. There are no extra materials provided in the box, so take care not to misplace anything!
Duration to Complete
While I felt like each individual activity wasn’t overly impressive, I was impressed with the number of activities one box provided. The box that we received provided six different activities for my son to do. We completed everything that the box had to offer in two days and we spent a majority of our “school hours” on the box during that period.
Box Focus
While the ideas and concepts of this box were mostly science based, the activities leaned more towards arts and crafts. Art isn’t something that my son usually prefers, but he was still fully engaged in the activities because he was interested in the ocean science theme. This box didn’t have one specific ocean focus but briefly skimmed over several different ocean topics and animals. I also appreciated how this box focused on teaching children about real (and often negative) issues that our planet is currently facing and then teaching them about solutions and ways they can help, for example, oil spills. Green Kid Crafts does a good job at motivating the child to be a better community member and to take care of our Earth.
Cost
A one-month subscription is $30 a box, but if you order a larger subscription each box becomes cheaper. For the 12-month subscription, you pay only $20 a box. Green Kid Crafts offers free shipping throughout the United States.
Progress Monitoring
Green Kid Crafts doesn’t do progress monitoring.
To learn more about Green Kid Crafts, click the link below:
Materials Provided
Coral Reef Painting
Sea Life Rescue
Catching the Fish
Ocean Motion
#3 Little Passports
Little Passports, while still a great product that I would 100% order again, came in third out of the three. This company was created by two moms—best friends who both grew up in culturally diverse households. They created this company to spread their love of culture and geography to children and families worldwide. The Little Passports boxes are made for children ages 3–12. I ordered the Science Junior box recommend for ages 5–8.
Activities Included
Each Little Passports monthly box is centered around a science-based theme. The theme of this box was “Weddell Seals” living in Antarctica. The box included two main activities. The first activity involved building a Weddell seal out of the provided paper pieces. The interesting thing was the mechanics behind the project, including a spring inside of the seal where a string was attached with a fish at the end. As you pull the string out from the seal’s mouth, the seal “eats” the fish. The activity explained about Weddell seals and their diet in Antarctica.
The second activity was a board game that teaches facts about Antarctica and the scientists that study there. I thought the game pieces were really adorable, different colored Weddell seals that move around the board. My son enjoyed playing it and learning as he went. In the booklet, there were also some workbook type of activities that I appreciated from a teacher perspective, like a Webb diagram comparing and contrasting Antarctica vs. the Arctic, a maze showing the Weddell seals’ predators, and some informational stories put into comic form. There are human characters that the company has created in the booklet that teach the kids about these topics. The characters are repeated in every box, creating some familarity for the children. They also included a pack of ocean animal stickers for children to use independently.
User Friendliness
I found some of the written directions of the Little Passports box to be confusing. There were tasks that I had to read a few times to understand. I think they could improve the clarity of the instructions, making it a bit more user friendly and kid-friendly. Some of the knots that were required to tie were far beyond the age range of this box. However, I liked the illustrations in the booklet and thought they were useful. Another thing I found helpful was the fact that they provide instructional videos on their website, showing step-by-step directions on how to complete the activities. After watching the video, I was able to better understand the written instructions that were unclear and move forward with the project.
Age Appropriateness
I think the Little Passport box was age appropriate for what the box stated, ages 5–8. My 5-year old son was able to complete some things on his own, but did need adult help along the way. The topic kept his interest (he loves animals), and he found the information to be exciting. As far as fine motor skills go, he needed help to put the seal together and maneuver around the folds and taping. It was a two-person job. The board game is also best played with two or more people, as it is a race game to get to the colony of seals.
Materials
I found some items hard to use in the Little Passports subscription box. The stickers that are meant to be used as tape to secure items in place were fairly difficult to get off of their page, even for an adult. However, I appreciated the quality and thickness of the game board, so that children can use it again and again without it being destroyed. I also thought that the items in the box were organized in a clear way so there wasn’t any confusion of what materials were needed for which activity. There were no extra materials provided in the Little Passports box, so be careful not to lose any small pieces!
Duration to Complete
The Little Passports box took the least amount of time to complete out of the three subscription boxes. My son and i completed the entire box in one evening. The other boxes took us several days to complete, but I found this box to be a bit short lived. All of the activities were quality, but it would be nice to have an additional activity included to lengthen out the total box completion time.
Box Focus
The main focus of the Little Passports boxes is on social studies and science. The box that we received focused on one specific topic, Weddell seals, really diving into these creatures at all angles– what they eat, their habitat, their predators, their bodies and blubber. It was a deep dive into one topic instead of a brief skim over several topics. To each their own, but I think a deep dive is preferable and helps the child to really take in what they are learning.
Cost
Each Little Passports box starts at $25.95 a month, but if you buy a year subscription, each box drops down to $22.95. Free shipping in the United States is included. (Prices vary depending upon which box you purchase.)
Progress Monitoring
Little Passports doesn’t do progress monitoring.
To learn more about Little Passports, click through the link below:
Little Passports Subscriptions for Curious Kids.
Materials Provided
The spring inside of the Weddell seal.
The Weddell seal activity with the fish.
Antarctica Board Game
I hope you enjoyed this post! These subscription boxes have been a game changer for us with so much home time. I’d highly recommend them for any family who is looking for something fun to do together. For other creative ideas to do with children during the winter and the pandemic, check this post here and this post here. Thanks for reading!
