KiwiCo Review 2023: How These All-In-One Crates Make Learning Fun
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This KiwiCo review features our experiences in 2023 with 3 crates designed for different ages.
These crates are easy yet excellent ways to make learning fun and exciting.
Find out how my boys are having a blast with KiwiCo crates plus why I'm making these enrichment activities a permanent part of our learning fun at home (and why I think you should, too!).
Disclaimer: I received these products for free and was compensated for my time. As always, I’m sharing my honest opinions and was not required to provide a positive review.
I'm sharing our experiences with KiwiCo crates. As you read through our review (thank you!), please jot down any questions that you have about these resources and let me know if I can be of any help. Keep in mind that you can find crates for ALL ages and interests to enjoy. Oh, and you can use my code ROCKHOMESCHOOL to save 50% on your first month (that’s only $11.98!) 😊
Simple Ways to Take Learning Fun to the Next Level
Finding fun stuff for your kids to enjoy doesn't have to be hard - or expensive!
In fact, there's a super smart way to consistently make sure that your children have a variety of opportunities that encourage creativity, growth mindset, and learning fun.
I'm always on the hunt for easy ways to add enrichment to our learning fun at home.
Although our homeschool adventures keep my boys quite busy, I've found it essential to have engaging activities on hand. Cool activities, like games and projects, spark curiosity plus provide fun screen-free time.
As we wrap up our current homeschool year and approach a short summer break (we're year-round homeschoolers), I knew that I wanted a fresh way to get my kids excited about learning and enjoy their free time. I had a few requirements for these new additions to Milcic Homeschool Academy (our official homeschool name) like:
- Affordable: Our homeschool budget is limited so funds for extras are at a minimum 😉)
- Easy on mama: I need set-and-forget. Nothing that I need to manually renew or order.
- All-in-one: I do not have time to run out and pick up extra supplies.
- Quality: We've tried a bunch of monthly kits and subscription boxes. Flimsy doesn't cut it for this family!
- Encourage independence: Again, busy mama here! I need activities that my boys can do on their own - or at least continue to work on after a bit of help from me or an older brother.
- Appealing: The themes and activities need to capture my boys' interests and inspire them to get busy with their new projects.
Well, I found the perfect solution - KiwiCo crates!
Before I share about our experiences with all this incredible learning fun, I wanted to chat about why I'm so glad we gave these crates a try - and will keep using them.
Benefits of Using KiwiCo Crates with Kids
When I first started researching enrichment resources for creative activities for my boys to enjoy, I felt stuck. My three homeschool-age boys are ages 14, 12, and 9. It seemed like I couldn't find one company that provided quality projects and activities designed to cover that age range (and variety of interests).
When I stumbled upon KiwiCo and its cool crates, I felt like I hit the jackpot. KiwiCo has crates for kids of all ages.
PLUS, KiwiCo has a variety of themes and different crates within the age ranges so it's easy to find one that works for you and your kids:
- Panda Crate (ages 0-24 months) -> These crates help babies learn through playing, exploring, and interacting with adults. *Panda crates arrive every other month AND are filled with two months of goodies!
- Koala Crate (ages 2-4) -> Your preschooler will have a blast with these fun hands-on activities that spark curiosity and creativity through play-based learning. Great way to boost fine motor skills with this age group!
- Kiwi Crate (ages 5-8) -> Your young innovators will have all the materials and inspiration needed for hands-on projects as they explore science, art, and engineering.
- Atlas Crate (ages 6-11) -> Help your kids see themselves as citizens of the world AND spark their sense of adventure with these crates that are amazing for learning about different countries and world cultures.
- Doodle Crate (ages 9-13) -> Got a young designer? These crates will help them build creative confidence through monthly hands-on projects featuring different art and design techniques.
- Yummy Crate (ages 6-14) -> Your kids will have tons of fun unlocking the science of cooking and building confidence in the kitchen.
- Tinker Crate (ages 9-13) -> This crate encourages your young innovator to discover and learn all about science.
- Eureka Crate (ages 12-104+) -> Provide your older kids with fun ways to learn and apply principles of science and math as they make super cool things they'll enjoy using every day.
- Maker Crate (ages 14-104+) -> This crate provides your teens (and kids at heart) with opportunities to experiment with a new technique, draw inspiration from real designs, and take pride in a completed project that's fun and functional.
Now that my boys have used KiwiCo crates, my hopes for their enrichment activities have been surpassed. I feel like I have to pinch myself to make sure that I'm not dreaming up all of this screen-free fun with different activities on our limited budget!
A few of the benefits that I've noticed so far (and I can't wait to see what else comes of their experiences - I'll update when I do!) include:
1. Easy enrichment
If you groan at the thought of the time and energy that goes into enrichment activities for your kids, you'll be relieved to find this KiwiCo review and its crates.
These crates make it easy to enjoy open-and-go projects and activities that your kids will actually want to do.
2. Hands-on activities
My boys love building, working with blocks, crafts, perler bead projects - really anything hands-on. I was finding it difficult to provide alternative ways to keep this interest going.
KiwiCo crates have saved me for searching from and buying a hodgepodge of materials and trying to figure out how to put them all together for hands-on learning fun. There are so many different options for educational activities to boost kids' natural creativity and more.
Saving time + money = busy mom joy!
3. Outside the box thinking
These crates encourage creative thinking yet provide a starting point and support.
Each kit comes with a kid-friendly magazine that empowers your child to be able to complete the projects on their own, take a deep dive into learning fun, and tweak to customize the experience.
4. Exciting experiences
My boys were thrilled with their KiwiCo crates. I loved watching them exercise their growth mindset skills with projects that helped them stretch their skills and abilities.
Experiential learning that you find in KiwiCo crates is so powerful!
5. Beyond curriculum
Need a simple way to break out of a homeschool or educational rut? Bored with textbooks and worksheets?
To keep our learning fun momentum going, I've found it helpful to switch things up every now and again. Hands-on projects and activities (with instruction booklet) are remarkable remedies for finding your way out of a rut.
KiwiCo Review: Why This Busy Mom Loves These Crates
Naturally, I got these KiwiCo crates for my boys to enjoy. I have, however, been pleasantly surprised by how much I've appreciated having these monthly learning fun crates in our lives. I can't believe how each crate's theme provides a great opportunity to learn in so many creative ways.
Here are a few of the benefits that I've appreciated :
1. Affordable
I had seen ads for KiwiCo in the past and assumed the crates would be expensive. I mean, look at all those quality materials!!
Well, did you know that most KiwiCo subscriptions are only about $20 per month at regular price? I was thrilled when I found that out. Psst! Make sure to use my code ROCKHOMESCHOOL to save 50% on your first month (that’s only $11.98!) AND subscribe to their email newsletter to take advantage of their sales 😉
2. Engaging
My boys jumped at the chance to create with their KiwiCo crates. And their projects kept their attention. #priceless
3. Variety
Although each crate has a theme, each one has multiple activities to explore. My boys found enough variety in the activities to motivate them to complete their projects.
And that variety continues throughout all 9 lines (Panda Crate, Koala Crate, etc.) to spark interests and practice different skills.
4. All-in-one
An important thing that I wanted to highlight in this KiwiCo review is that you don't need to buy anything else to enjoy these crates. These activities and projects truly are open-and-go.
Our Honest KiwiCo Review and Experiences
When our KiwiCo crates arrived, it felt like Christmas morning. You know that slightly crazed chaos of opening boxes, tearing through tissue paper, and the "oohs" and "aahs" of a gift that perfectly hits the target.
I thought we'd gently get acquainted with the contents of each box and make a plan of action. Well, I was lucky to get some quick pictures of all the quality resources before my boys dove into their learning fun with that month's project!
01
Atlas Crate (ages 6-11)
Xman (age 9) explored Japan with Atlas Crate.
He had so much fun learning about Japanese culture and geography using the Atlas cards (sturdy informational cards that include facts, pictures, and step-by-step directions).
Xman liked having a variety of things to do in his Atlas Crate. He had a hard time picking his favorite activity. "The Koinobori (flying carp windsock) was fun to learn about and make by myself but playing Daruma Otoshi (a knock-out-the-blocks game) has been awesome!"
He loves art so learning how to Draw Kawaii (which means cute in Japanese) was another big hit.
The Atlas cards include prompts for different types of activities to help your kids:
- Explore (geography and culture)
- Do (Kawaii and Karate)
- Eat (Onigiri - adorable stuffed rice balls)
- Go (more geography and fun facts)
- Journal (travel journal of Anya & Milo two KiwiCo pals)
02
Tinker Crate (ages 9-13)
Bear (age 12) built a domino machine with his Tinker Crate.
He had a blast creating this machine that sets up dynamic dominoes. This type of engineering + creativity project was perfect for my young innovator!
Bear was able to quickly get started with this project because this Tinker Crate included ALL the pieces plus a step-by-step instruction manual with pictures to follow. He struggled for a short time but the Troubleshooting section helped him make corrections and independently complete this cool project. Love how KiwiCo has these types of supportive resources that bolster growth mindset!
Oh, and Bear thought it was such an amazing bonus to have the Tinker Zine included in the crate. This colorful mini-book explains chain reactions, domino history, cool facts, new challenges, and ideas for creative tweaks. He barely finished his dinner that night because he couldn't stop talking about his project and everything that he wanted to do with it.
03
Eureka Crate (ages 12-104+)
Smiley (age 14) astounded all of us by assembling this Programmable Music Box.
He loves to tinker, fix, and build. Smiley spread out all the materials (this crate option had all those rubber bands to make it easy to get started) and got straight to work. He completed his project in just over an hour. And was all smiles as we listened to the first programmed song - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ⭐️
Smiley squealed when he saw his Eureka Crate (and that's saying something for a teenage boy!). This crate was the perfect challenge that allowed him to build his strengths (hands-on work) while learning math and science. The Maker's Guide included in the crate provides an incredible mix of history, design, science, and music.
The best part was that one of his older brothers had a birthday the next day. Smiley used the "Happy Birthday" programmable tune to give Professor (18) a special surprise. Then, Smiley beamed as he explained how it all worked to our family.
KiwiCo Review: FAQs
I recommend popping over to KiwiCo. Take some time to read over all that they have to offer. You'll find helpful guides and information plus ways to save money on your order. Like, using my code ROCKHOMESCHOOL to save 50% on your first month (that’s only $11.98!)
That's a tough one! I think it depends on your family and the age ranges of your kids. My boys are very used to working together on projects and activities. But, I wanted each boy to have their own unique experience.
You may want to try one crate at first and see how it goes. The crates are super affordable so if you can swing it, I do recommend getting a crate per child 😉
Well, that depends on what you pick! You'll find a variety of ways to give KiwiCo a try.
If you're new to KiwiCo, you may want to shop the individual crates available in the KiwiCo Store. There are a bunch to choose from at each age level.
Subscriptions vary (with options for monthly, 3, 6, and 12 months- the more you get, the more you save) AND free shipping in the US for all subscriptions.
Good news! KiwiCo has a quiz that you can take to help you find the perfect crates for your kids.
AND these crates are fantastic gifts. Consider gifting a crate (or subscription) for friends and family members.
You can even pick a themed bundle pack (like Young Chemist and Pretend Play + Early Math) to try a few crates at time plus get a nice discount.
Nope! You can start with a crate line and easily switch if you'd like. KiwiCo wants your kids to feel inspired and enjoy their maker time 😊
Jumpstart Your Learning Fun with KiwiCo Crates
Ready to take your kids' learning fun to the next level? Give KiwiCo crates (and their high quality resources) a try! Remember to use my code ROCKHOMESCHOOL to save 50% on your first month 😉
These affordable crates are open-and-go ways to boost enrichment activities and much more. Your children will be having so much fun with the variety of themes and projects. And you'll be all smiles as you watch your kids learn and grow.
I hope this Kiwi crate review empowers you to take the next step in providing your kids with learning fun experiences and crafty projects that they'll remember for the rest of their lives. If you have any questions about this KiwiCo review, please let me know in the comments area at the bottom of this post 😊
