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With the majority of children’s preschools and schools being closed, many parents are looking for hands-on learning activities to keep their children engaged and learning. We tested out the very popular KiwiCo activity crates to see if the subscription is worth the cost.
What is KiwiCo?
So what exactly is KiwiCo and what do their crates offer? KiwiCo is a company that creates and sells activity/project crates for children all of all ages (they list activities appropriate from age 0 to 104). The crates are typically sold through a monthly subscription service where you can provide information on your child’s age and interests. However you can also purchase individual crates at a higher rate through their online store.
The crate lines are separated by age and interest. Here are all of the crates that KiwiCo currently offers:
- Panda Crate (0-24 Months) – Explore and Discover
- Koala Crate (Ages 2-4) – Play & Learn
- Kiwi Crate (Ages 5-8) – Science, Art & More
- Atlas Crate (Ages 6-11) – Geography & Culture
- Doodle Crate (Ages 9-16+) – Create & Craft
- Tinker Crate (Ages 9-16+) – Science & Engineering
- Maker Crate (Ages 14-104) – Art & Design
- Eureka Crate (Ages 14-104) – Engineering & Design
The KiwiCo crates are designed by a team of experts that include former educators and child development professionals. After they are designed, they are then reviewed by a team of experts in their fields and tested out by kids as well. This ensures the crates are developmentally appropriate, engaging and fun to complete!
The crates focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) content designed to inspire children to be critical thinkers and creators through fun and engaging learning. They also provide a great activity for you to do with your child that is both fun and educational.
It is super easy to manage your subscription through the online portal where you can buy additional boxes, modify your subscription or cancel anytime after your initial prepaid term.
What’s in the Box?
Each crate is personally addressed to your child. Inside the box, there is a pamphlet which provides instructions on the craft, games and activities included. Typically there are 3 of those total to complete. All of the materials to complete those activities are included in the box. There is also an “Imagine” paperback magazine that provides more educational information on the subject, a short story, and sometimes additional DIY activities and games to keep the fun going for longer.
Example KiwiCo Koala Crate
You can get examples of additional crates on the KiwiCo website, but I wanted to share an example crate to give you a better sense of what to expect. The most recent crate we received was “The Bugs Crate”. The crate included 3 main activities:
- A craft to create bug wings that can be worn like a cape and antennas
- A craft to make a ladybug pouch to hold an included viewfinder
- A memory matching game with bug themed cards
As you can tell by the pictures, my daughter loved this crate. She gets so focused working on the crafts! We’ve been playing the memory game almost daily since it came, and her and her brother both love wearing the bug cape and antennas. This one was a huge winner!
KiwiCo Pricing
Monthly subscriptions are $19.95 per month for most lines (Koala, Kiwi, Atlas, Tinker, Doodle). While the Maker Crate and Eureka Crate are slightly more expensive at $29.95 per month. The Panda Crate is $39.90 per crate (shipped every 2 months). These prices include free shipping within the U.S. You can also get discounted pricing by signing up for a 3, 6, or 12-month subscription. For these, you pay upfront at checkout for the term length that you selected. You can also purchase boxes without a subscription. They usually run about $5 more than the subscription box.
You can also upgrade your crate to a deluxe crate for an additional $9.95 per month. This upgrade includes a specially curated book complementing the theme of the crate.
KiwiCo Review – My Honest Opinion
We’ve now been subscribed to KiwiCo for 6 months or so, and I can honestly say that I love these crates as do my children. My daughter is always SO excited when the box arrives and can’t wait to open it up.
They are such a fun activity to do together, and I love that everything I need is included. The crates are always thoughtfully crafted, and even when I might originally think the theme of the box doesn’t sound that exciting…I’m surprised to find that the activities are fun and the materials have always been high quality. Many of the included games or toys made can be used long after the craft making is done, which really makes you feel like you get your money’s worth out of the box.
Overall, I highly recommend the KiwiCo crates to anyone looking for an activity subscription box. If you are super crafty, I’m sure you could pull together similar activities at home yourself, but these boxes make it so easy that I find the cost of the subscription well worth it. We don’t pay for the deluxe upgrade personally as I prefer picking out our own books (and usually for less than $10 a book). However if you don’t have a ton of books already or don’t enjoy selecting them, that upgrade could be a good option for you. If you are interested in trying out a KiwiCo Box, you can use this link to get 50% off of your first crate!
Have you tried out KiwiCo or another activity crate? If so, please leave a comment below sharing your thoughts and experience.
Thanks for stopping by! If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy this post on Fun activities to do to spend quality time with your toddler.