We are drowning in toys. I often joke that we own a small toy store. As we near the holidays and birthday season for our family, I start to panic. What am I going to do with more toys! Even getting rid of our toys or following our tips for getting rid of toys without getting rid of them, we are still left with plenty of toys. I rack my brain for non toy gift ideas to give family and friends.
I love the idea of subscription boxes! Our kids love to get mail, especially when it comes in the form a package that they get to open and explore.
These subscription boxes for kids provide fun hands on learning opportunities without cluttering your house with more toys. Kids will have so much fun exploring their new box each month.
It will be like their birthday or Christmas all over again as their subscription box arrives each month.
I tried to categorize the subscription boxes, but many of them follow under more than one category, so be sure to read through all of them. Click on the name of each subscription box for more information to purchase a subscription.
This post contains affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for details.
Adventure Boxes
- Monthly adventure subscription boxes based on your child’s age: Early Explores (3-5 yrs), World Edition (6-10 yrs), USA Edition (7-12 yrs).
- Destination-specific boxes arrive monthly filled with letters, souvenirs, activities & more.
- Plans start at $11.95 per month.
- Monthly adventure kits for kids ages 6-11 years.
- Suprise activities center around art, geography, outer space, food, and more!
- Boxes include two activities, a book, a snack, fun extras, and easy-to-follow instructions.
- Plans start at $24.99 per month.
- Subscription boxes include a new mission to a new ecosystem with new animals each month.
- Receive a 10 piece kit of collectibles, activities, and a secret code to unlock fun online experience.
- Designed for kids 5-12 years.
- Best for kids, who have an interest in animals, nature, and exploring the planet.
- Plans start at $15.24 per month.
STEAM Boxes
- Boxes provide materials that encourage kids to tinker, create, and innovate with a focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, & math).
- Cricket Crate (0-36m) coming soon
- Koala Crate (3-4) play & learn theme
- Kiwi Crate (5-8) science, art & more theme
- Doodle Crate (9-12) art & design
- Tinker Crate (9-12) science & engineering
- Plans start at $12.95 per month.
- Hands on eco-friendly Discovery Boxes, Creativity Kits, and STEAM kits.
- Boxes contain 3 or more fun and educational projects each month.
- Plans start at $17.95 per month
- Also offer speciality boxes including birthday favors, holiday box, and creativity boxes.
Spangler is probably best known for his Mentos and Diet Coke geyser experiment that went viral in 2005 and prompted more than 1,000 related YouTube videos.
- Join the club to start receiving monthly subscription boxes that include the tools and resources needed to conduct multiple hands-on science experiments and design challenges related to the monthly theme.
- New theme each month.
- Each kit comes with two sets of instructions. One for the little scientist and a top secret instruction guide for the adult that explains the science behind the experiment.
- Target for kids K-6th grade.
- Plans starting at $24.99 per month.
- Also can purchase individual kits.
- Tech education in a box that teaches kids to build electronics.
- Each kit contains building hardware and programming software with a focus on helping your child understand how it works.
- Each kit is different based on the project but contains 3 main parts: the UNO R3 (Arduino-compatible), which is like a pocket-sized computer, various components, and the instruction booklet.
- Each month a new project is sent that is slightly harder than the last.
- Recommended age is 12+ or parental guidance with younger children.
- Plans start at $22.49 per month
Book Boxes
- This subscription box is a great way to build your home library.
- Each month kids receive either 3-4 gift wrapped board books or 2-4 wrapped picture books. You choose which you want.
- Examples of books sent in past months: The Day it Rained Hearths, Counting Kisses, Me and My Dad.
- Plans start at $15 per month for board books and $15.99 per month for picture books.
- Great way to build your home library. Each box contains 2 books and a parent guide.
- Each box curated by a national certified speech-language pathologist.
- Board Book Box (0-2 1/2 years)
- Picture Book Box (2 1/2-6 years)
- Family Package (for families with children in both age groups)
- Plans start at $14.99 monthly for the board book box up to $107.94 for six months for the family box.
Imaginative Play Box
- Boxes contain open-ended materials to inspire creativity, imaginative play and learning, with hands on activities to explore science, art, math, geography and social studies.
- New theme each month with the opportunity to be surprised for choose your theme.
- Designed for kids ages 3-7 years with emphasis on creative, pretend play.
- Offer recurring subscriptions, gift subscriptions, and single activity kits.
- Plans start at $27.95.
