I received this product for free in order to review it. I was compensated for my time, but all opinions are my own! Don't miss the discount code and free trial link at the end of the post!
Enter Kiwi Crate. Have you heard of them? I had only recently heard people talking about the company and was excited to be able to try out one of their crates!
I was a little skeptical as to whether or not the service would be worth the money, but they proved me wrong! Essentially a Kiwi Crate is a box of fun, shipped right to your house (designed for kids ages 3-8)! Each box has all the materials you need to do 2-3 activities (art, science, games, etc.) and there are lots of different themes to choose from (like Robots, Fairies, the Rainforest, Wind Power, etc.)!
The theme for the crate that we got was Around The World. We got a craft where we made 5 flags out of felt to hang on a rope to make a banner, a board game about the continents, an activity book, and even a pair of scissors! Each activity within the crate is bundled separately, making it super easy for the kids to do (mostly) on their own.
Hours (and Days) of Fun with Kiwi Crate
My only real concern with Kiwi Crate was wondering if the price of the boxes would be justifiable. So, I decided to keep track of the time that the activities occupied my kids. In my eyes, the major benefit of these boxes is providing my kids with engaging fun where I don't have to be right next to them (freeing me up for a few minutes to do luxurious things like wash the dishes ;)
Making Flags with Kiwi Crate
Our first activity was making a flag banner. All I did was open the materials and then let the kids have at it. Once they were done, I strung the flags on the rope to make the banner. Total time: 30 minutes.
I really liked this activity because it used materials that I don't usually have on hand, so the kids thought it was special. Both my by 4 and 6 year old really enjoyed the project. I have a feeling that the folks at Kiwi Crate know what they are doing when they design these kits =) For this particular project, if you have a 3 year old, you could just let them design any kind of flags they wanted. If you have an older child, you could have them replicate real flags and then find the countries on the map. I like how it is able to be customized to your child's abilities.
Learning About Continents with Kiwi Crate
The next activity in our box was a game about the continents. This one really impressed me! The map it came with is huge and the deck of cards is really great quality. The game required a little bit of time on my part to set up, but after that the kids were able to play themselves.
In this game, the kids take turns picking a card and visiting key places across the globe. It is a really great way to familiarize little ones with the continents and landmarks! The best part is that both of my kids LOVED it. They played for about an hour the first time we got it out, and then have asked to play it multiple times since then.
I was seriously starting to get board because they were occupying themselves for so long =) I would hear, "I won! Ok, let's play again!" over and over. A really neat game. If I would have thought ahead better, I would have laminated the map and hung it up, because it is a really big, nice looking map, but it's just made of paper so I'm sure it's life span won't be more than a year being used as a game.
Here's my son, not loving the 'lose your turn' card he just picked up =)
Is Kiwi Crate Worth the Money?
My final conclusion is YES! If you get the yearly subscription, each month's crate is just over $17 (shipped free!) In the particular crate that I got, I would break down the value this way:
- Scissors: $2.00
- Craft Supplies for Flags: $5.00
- Continents Game: $10.00
- Activity Book: $1.00
- Time and Gas Saved: $5
- Kids getting to do something fun and different: BONUS!
- Mom not having to come up with an idea for once: BONUS!
That totals up to more than the cost of the crate for me! Now, you may be different. You may put different monetary values on things. If you are seriously living paycheck to paycheck, I would not recommend spending your money on this, but if you spend a few dollars here and there doing fun things with your kids anyways, Kiwi Crate is a worth while choice! Who do I think Kiwi Crate is especially good for?
- Homeschool moms of multiple kids, who need a way to keep the younger ones busy while teaching the older ones.
- Homeschool moms of preschool and lower elementary aged kids who want to add a fun, creative component to their learning.
- Any parent who wants a fun, etc educational activity to do on weekends or days off of school.
- Working moms who want creative activities to do with their kids, but don't have the time to come up with ideas and gather materials.
- Pregnant moms, or moms with newborns, who just don't have the energy to come up with crafts and engaging projects for their preschool aged child.
- Grandparents who want fun activities on hand for when their grandkids come over.
I also think that a Kiwi Crate subscription would be an awesome gift for a 3-8yr old child! Think of how much fun that child would have knowing that they have another box of fun coming in the mail for them for the next 3-6-12 months!
Kiwi Crate Discount Code and Free Mini Crate!
Speaking of subscriptions, let me explain a little better how you can get Kiwi Crates coming to your house. You can simply purchase a single crate of your choosing for $19.95 (plus shipping) if you have a special occasion you want one on hand for, or if you are interested and just want to try it out.
If you want to give Kiwi Crate as a gift to someone, or if you want your child to be able to look forward to receiving their own Kiwi Crate each month, you can choose a 3, 6, or 12 month subscription (and save a few dollars while you're at it!) As a bonus, shipping on the subscription plans is FREE!
If you would like to give Kiwi Crate a try, I have a great discount for you! New subscribers can save 25% off of their 1st month, plus receive a welcome kit and free shipping with code:
BTS25
Or another option is to try a mini crate for only the cost of shipping ($3.95). Learn more about this option here!
Have you tried Kiwi Crate? Do you want to try Kiwi Crate? Let me know what you think!
If you want to get lots of inspiration and keep up with everything new at Kiwi Crate, make sure to follow them one (or more!) of these ways:
