The best subscription boxes can cater to your child’s age and individual preferences, while at the same time lightening the mental load for caregivers. They make life more fun by periodically providing kids with a fresh activity that requires minimal planning. There are even options for babies with developmentally appropriate toys for each stage between birth and toddlerhood. Our favorite subscriptions for kids overall are from KiwiCo, for their wide range of ages and of topics, along with Little Passports, for the focus on STEM, culture and interactive learning.
The best subscription boxes for kids provide opportunities for open-ended play, as well as projects.
Illustration: Forbes / Photos: Retailers
According to early childhood therapist Jodi Huffman, play helps children develop cognitive skills, language, social-emotional intelligence, and fine and gross motor skills. “From a very young age, play stimulates brain development by helping children make sense of the world around them,” she says. Huffman suggests that parents “look for play kits that promote open-ended play,” and “choose toys that can be used in a variety of ways.”
We love that there are kids’ subscription boxes with dozens of topics, from art and STEM to math and cooking—all in one neat package. Read on for the best.
Theme: STEM, maker, crafts, cooking, baby | Ages: 0 and up | Subscription period: Monthly, 3-month, 6-month, 12-month
KiwiCo makes some of the most popular activity subscription boxes for kids, with everything from toy kits for babies and tots to maker crates for teens. We’ve highlighted the KiwiCo Kiwi Crate here, because it sits squarely in the middle of the brand’s offerings. It’s a monthly STEAM subscription for kids ages 5 to 8. Each kit is bursting with fun things to do, games and toys to make or experiments to test out.
You’ll also find subscriptions for doodlers, for aspiring chefs and kids who just really want to build stuff. In short, there’s something for just about every kid at KiwiCo, making it one of our top all-around picks. The monthly box price gets to as low as $18.50 per month for a yearlong subscription to most of its subscription lines.
Teach Kids About The World Around Them
Little Passports
Little Passports Subscription Boxes
Theme: Animal and nature-based exploration | Age: 3 and up | Subscription period: Monthly, 6-month, 12-month
Little Passports offers several types of subscription boxes for kids, grouped by age and interest. There are science kits, cultural travel explorations and plenty of games and crafts. Select the right one based on your child’s age and interests. “These activities encourage my son’s natural curiosity and excitement about the world around him,” one reviewer writes. At roughly $25 to $30 per month, it’s not the cheapest box on this list, but it’s fairly budget-friendly. While it might not have many options for kids under 3, the range of topic options can keep any preschooler happy.
Think of this as Hello Fresh for kids. Raddish Kids has three options for its cooking subscription box for kids: a cooking club, a baking club and a global eats club. This programming exposes kids to different types of foods they might not otherwise see until later in life (if at all), while also introducing them to kitchen tools and tricks. One reviewer raves: “My 8-year-old daughter is so excited to get her new box each month and she is able to cook most of the recipes herself with just some supervision.”
Themed Cooking Boxes That Build A Cookbook Over Time
Kidstir’s monthly boxes are all centered around a theme, which creates an educational food experience for kids. Each box contains three tasty recipes, a high-quality kitchen tool that’s essential for that month’s recipes, Foodie Fun magazine, stickers and a shopping list. The first kit arrives with an apron and recipe binder that all the future recipes can be neatly stored in. The boxes are less than $20 a month if you opt for the yearlong subscription and there’s a tie-in with MasterChef Junior. We love that the binder allows kids to build their very own cookbook over time.
Best Subscription Box For Babies
A Montessori-Style Subscription Box
Lovevery
Lovevery Play Kits
Theme: Montessori-style learning for babies and toddlers | Ages: 0 to 4 | Subscription period: Every 2 months for babies under 1, every 3 months for toddlers 1 to 4
For parents who subscribe to the Montessori approach of early education, this box is a definite go-to. Many new moms at Forbes have love it as easy way to diversify baby’s playthings. “The kits have helped me see how much my 2-year-old loves water play, for instance,” writes Forbes contributor Cassie Shortsleeve in her Lovevery review.
Each box also comes with a 30-day warranty from the company, with a commitment to replace any toys lost in the first 30 days of play. This quality approach comes with a higher quality price tag, though; your total cost in a year is double that of some of the subscription boxes on this list.
Best Subscription Box for Toddlers
Developed By Play Experts
Lalo
Lalo’s The Play Box Year 2
Theme: Development | Ages: 13 to 24 months | Subscription period: Individual or every 3 months
While pricey, these thoughtfully designed play boxes are made with durable, non-toxic and sustainable materials. Each box in the “Year 2” toddler subscription is especially crafted for the specific 3-month stage that your toddler is in. The toys are made to help support language development, social and emotional learning, fine motor skills and more. Along with the high quality toys, each box comes with a Play Guide for grown-ups with ideas, explanations and developmental notes to help guide playtime.
Best STEM Subscription Boxes For Kids
Electronics And Engineering For Tweens And Up
Creation Crate
Creation Crate
Theme: STEM | Ages: 10 and up | Subscription period: Monthly, 3-month
A subscription box geared toward older kids (ages 10 and above), the Creation Crate focuses on more technical STEM topics like electrical and chemical engineering with an emphasis on being challenging while remaining doable for kids of this age. Each subscription includes online content for additional educational opportunities. One parent writes that they opted into the Creation Crate as a chance for some quality time with their child: “We are both learning and having fun with this. I highly recommend this to parents and kids who are interested in electronics.” Adult supervision is suggested for this subscription.
Teach STEM Even Earlier
Spangler Science Club
Steve Spangler Science Club
Theme: STEM | Ages: 5 to 12 years | Subscription period: Monthly, 3-month, 6-month, 12-month
Kids as young as 5 can learn STEM with this kit, which includes between five and eight experiments or challenges each month, on varying themes and topics. Every box can almost guarantee a month’s-worth of engaging entertainment. “I have to hide it sometimes because he will open his box before homework is taken out of his backpack,” says one parent reviewer. “I love that he’s learning about science by doing it.” You can also buy the kits separately without a Spangler Science Club membership or monthly commitment.
Think like an engineer with this monthly subscription box that has kids building their own toys. Designed by Mark Rober, a YouTuber, educator, inventor and engineer, kids may love the celeb tie-in, but these boxes are legit. Each month your box includes a build-it yourself toy, educational videos from Mark Rober and a chance to win a trip to Mark’s CrunchLab. Parents praise these boxes and share that the toys are well-crafted and long-lasting. It’s not just one and done—kids can build a fun toy and then play with it afterwards.
For the kid who loves to build and create, each We Craft box has a theme, a story and all the materials required (with photo instructions) for two or three different craft projects. The box gives parents something to pull out on “a rainy day or when I need to get her off the television or computer screen,” says one parent reviewer and several others noted that the leftover materials can be used on other, unrelated projects. Most of these craft projects don’t require any help from grown-ups and include engaging directions plus fun seasonal stories.
If you’re looking for more ways to keep crafty kids busy, consider our list of the best art supplies for kids.
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