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It’s important to keep kids’ curious minds engaged in fun and educational activities. Getting a monthly subscription box delivered right to your door is an excellent choice.
Which ones are the best? And what kinds of activities do they include? We’ve done our homework, so you don’t have to.
Article Overview
- Best Activity Subscription Boxes For Kids
- Best Subscription Boxes For Kids’ Clothes
- Additional Monthly Activity Box Options
- Indoor Activity Ideas (Video)
- For Parents: Beer & Wine Subscriptions
Best Activity Subscription Boxes For Kids
It was hard to narrow down this vast market. We chose our top picks and other noteworthy options based on several factors, including the variety of educational activities, quality of products, creative projects, pricing and more.
KiwiCo Review
#1
KiwiCo takes our top spot for their variety of fun and educational activities (science, art, engineering, crafts, etc.) and high-quality products you get each month. They have 8 different subscription boxes to choose from, ranging in ages from 0 to 104. When you sign up, you pick one of their 8 “lines” for your first month, but you can switch lines anytime.
And when you’re signing up, you give them your child’s birth date so they can custom design the products specifically for the age and developmental stage of your child. Customers rave about the value and quality of the products, and KiwiCo gets overall good reviews for their customer service. See our pricing section below for each of their lines.
Personal Experience
To fill the gaps between schoolwork and outdoor play, our family subscribed to a 3-month subscription with KiwiCo for our 9-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son. Once their crates arrived, there were written and online instructions, which we really liked, but I found myself still helping at least one of my children a lot during the 2 hours it took for them to complete their projects. So, another takeaway, if you have a child that might not work very well independently, maybe pick an age category well within their limits and not stretch to get a crate above their age range. That way, you’re lucky to get a couple of hours of peace and quiet! I’m glad I signed up for 3 months because immediately after they were done, they were asking about the next delivery. Two thumbs up from both our kiddos! – Debbie L., Mom of two
To fill the gaps between schoolwork and outdoor play, our family subscribed to a 3-month subscription with KiwiCo for our 9-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son. Once their crates arrived, there were written and online instructions, which we really liked, but I found myself still helping at least one of my children a lot during the 2 hours it took for them to complete their projects. So, another takeaway, if you have a child that might not work very well independently, maybe pick an age category well within their limits and not stretch to get a crate above their age range. That way, you’re lucky to get a couple of hours of peace and quiet! I’m glad I signed up for 3 months because immediately after they were done, they were asking about the next delivery. Two thumbs up from both our kiddos! – Debbie L., Mom of two
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Pricing
The following pricing is for month-to-month payments, but you can save money if you prepay for 6, 12 or 24 months. All boxes ship once a month unless otherwise noted.
- $19.95/mo Panda Crate (0-24 months); delivered every 2 months
- $19.95/mo Koala Crate (ages 2-4)
- $19.95/mo Kiwi Crate (ages 5-8): science, art & more
- $19.95/mo Atlas Crate (ages 6-11): geography & culture
- $19.95/mo Doodle Crate (ages 9-16+): arts & crafts
- $19.95/mo Tinker Crate (ages 9-16+): science & engineering
- $29.95/mo Maker Crate (ages 14-104): art & design
- $29.95/mo Eureka Crate (ages 14-104): design & engineering
Coupon
Little Passports Review
#2
Little Passports is another excellent option for fun activities that will spark your child’s curiosity and keep them engaged. They offer 5 different monthly subscription boxes, ranging in ages from 3 to 12. Their activities, designed by parents and educators, center on world geography, culture and science exploration (there are minimal arts activities). They also have a great online store full of individual products, including books, science kits, STEM activities, board games and much more.
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Pricing
The following pricing is for month-to-month payments, but you can save money if you prepay for 6 or 12 months. All boxes ship once per month.
- $19.95/mo Early Explorers (ages 3-5)
- $17.95/mo World Edition (ages 6-10)
- $15.95/mo USA Edition (ages 7-12)
- $21.95/mo Science Junior (ages 5-8)
- $21.95/mo Science Expeditions (ages 9+)
- View all options
Coupon
Green Kid Crafts Review
#3
Your aspiring scientists, artists and engineers will love the STEAM-focused (science, technology, engineering, art and math) boxes from Green Kid Crafts. Each themed box includes 4 to 6 science and art kits as well as an activity-filled magazine. Themes range from Outer Space, Save our Oceans, Green Energy, Rocket Science, Climate Change, The Human Body and much more. They have 2 age ranges: 2-5 and 5-10+.
Although their subscriptions are pricier than many other options, you get a lot for your money, so it could be worth it to keep your kids occupied for longer. And we love the company’s eco-friendly practices — they plant one tree for every order placed, all boxes are 100% recycled and they donate 1% of sales to environmental organizations.
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Price
The following prices are for their Junior Discovery (ages 2-5) and Discovery (ages 5-10+) boxes and are for month-to-month payments. However, you can save money if you prepay for 3, 6 or 12 months. All boxes ship once per month.
- $29.95/mo per box
- $49.95/mo for sibling subscriptions (2 boxes)
- View all options
Coupon
Honorable Mention (Books): OwlCrate Review
Encouraging your kids to read is one of the most rewarding things you can do for them, and OwlCrate’s kids’ book subscription boxes can do just that. Their main box features young adult fiction for ages 14+, but they also offer OwlCrate Jr. for ages 8 to 12.
Each box contains one book, 3-5 high-quality bookish items and exclusive goodies from the author. OwlCrate is an excellent option for your middle or high schoolers and will keep them occupied for hours.
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Pricing
The following pricing is for month-to-month payments, but you can save money if you prepay for 3 or 6 months. All boxes ship once per month.
- $29.99/mo OwlCrate (ages 14+)
- $27.99/mo OwlCrate Jr. (ages 8-12)
- View all options
Coupon
Best Subscription Boxes For Kids’ Clothes
If you’re strapped for time or want to avoid shopping in person, we’ve also researched the best clothing subscription boxes for kids. Our top picks give you a fun way to personalize clothing boxes for your kids based on their ages, genders, sizes, style preferences, and much more. Many carry clothes for all sizes, from babies to teens.
Our top pick for the best kids’ clothing box subscription is Kidpik, but there are many other reliable options. So head over to our reviews of the best kids’ clothing subscription boxes to find your best fit.
What Are My Other Options For Activity Boxes?
We’ve handpicked these other noteworthy monthly boxes for kids that you should also consider in addition to our top winners.
Amazon STEM Club | Brick Loot | Girls Can! Crate | MEL Science
Amazon STEM Club Toy Subscription Review
Amazon STEM Club is an activity box subscription that sends a high-quality, age-appropriate toy each month. The toys incorporate STEM concepts (science, technology, engineering and math), and they’ve also recently brought arts and crafts into the mix. They have 3 age categories: ages 3-4, 5-7 and 8-13.
While each toy is a name-brand you can find elsewhere, the Amazon STEM Club’s price is up to 40% off the retail value. And the club takes the hassle of searching for educational toys off your plate.
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Pricing
- Note that prices are for the first month, the renewal price is a little higher
- 3-4 years old: Check Amazon for availability
- 5-7 years old: Check Amazon for availability
- 8-13 years old: Check Amazon for availability
Brick Loot Review
If your kid is a LEGO fanatic, you’ll want to check out Brick Loot. Each month you get a new themed box with 4 to 8 items and Brick Loot exclusives and the newest brick items before they hit the market. Each package includes custom LEGO brick kits, accessories, mini-figures and other LEGO compatible products. Each box has a retail value of $45+, so it’s a super value for any collector or enthusiast.
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Price
The following pricing is for month-to-month payments, but you can save money if you prepay for 3, 6 or 12 months. All boxes ship once per month.
Girls Can! Crate Review
Do you want to empower your young girls? Girls Can! Crate’s subscription box features fun, educational activities focused on female role models, including artists, activists, explorers, Nobel Prize winners and more. Each container includes 2 to 3 STEAM projects, props and stickers for creative play and a 28-page activity book with the story of each month’s inspiring leader. The recommended age range is 5-10 years old.
Crates aren’t cheap, but they also offer a smaller version of their featured leader in a more affordable mini-mailer, which includes a 16-page activity book, 1 hands-on STEAM activity and a collectible sticker. Or you could go with their budget-friendly digital subscription, which consists of the leader’s story, printable activity pages, instructions for a hands-on related activity and more.
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Price
The following pricing is for month-to-month payments, but you can save money if you prepay for 3, 6 or 12 months. All boxes ship once per month.
- $27.95/mo Individual Crate ($9/mo sibling add-on)
- $36.95/mo Multiple Children
- $18.50/mo Mini-Mailer
- View all options
MEL Science Review
MEL Science is one of the best science-based subscription boxes for kids. They offer a monthly MEL Chemistry box for kids from 9-14, which includes 2 to 3 complete chemistry kits. To supplement their experiments, kids can use their mobile app as a virtual reality (VR) microscope so they can explore molecules and atoms in 3D. The app also includes instructional tips and videos. Your first shipment includes a free starter kit with a beaker, flask and other equipment they’ll need as well as a cool VR headset that they’ll use with their smartphone.
They also offer MEL Kids, a monthly box for younger kids aged 5-10. Each month has a different theme, like electricity, magnetism, earth science and more. And each box contains a building model of a functioning device, an activity book, educational comics and an augmented reality lesson you can access on their mobile app.
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Price
- $34.90/mo MEL Chemistry (ages 9-14)
- $24.90/mo MEL Kids (ages 5-10)
- View all options
Need Some Indoor Activity Ideas?
Check out these fun and easy indoor activities you can do with your toddlers and younger kids.
Parents: Get A Monthly Wine Or Beer Box
Now that you’ve got the kids covered, take care of yourselves. If you or your loved one is a wine or beer enthusiast, you can explore new brews and vintages with a monthly subscription box of your own. See our reviews of the best beer of the month clubs and the best monthly wine clubs for our top picks.
Do you have any tips on keeping your kids occupied during long days at home?
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