KiwiCo’s Subscription Boxes Contain STEM-Based DIY Projects for Kids of All Ages

While many parents aspire to create projects that will educate and entertain their kids, finding the time to become independent toymakers isn’t always realistic—something Sandra Oh Lin, as a mother of three, understands all too well. She founded KiwiCo, a subscription service that delivers a new DIY activity to your door every month.

The crates are categorized by age group and type of activity. The Tinker Crate, for example, centers on science and engineering projects for kids aged 9 and up; things like lava lamps, slime, and automaton hands that move when you pull the attached strings. The Kiwi Crate, for ages 5 to 8, mixes science, art, and more—your child might design a rocket powered by an air pump, or an arcade-style claw that picks up a googly eyed toy made of yarn and pipe cleaners.

There’s the Doodle Crate for budding artists and crafters from ages 9 to 16 (and above), the Koala Crate for 2- to 4-year-olds whose main focus is simply to “play and learn,” and several other options. A month-to-month subscription costs $20, but you can save $3 per month by committing to a 12-month plan. And if you start out with the Tinker Crate and later decide your child might like the Doodle Crate better, that’s totally fine—you can switch to a different crate at any time.

KiwiCo also has an expansive online store of individual projects to purchase, no subscription necessary. The hand-crank flashlight ($35) is a much more engaging way for young teens to learn about capacitors and diodes than in a textbook; and the bubbling, colorful chemistry set ($25) is safe for kids as young as 3 years old. Finding the perfect project is easy with the search function, which lets you refine your choices based on age range and interest (anything from “pretend play” to “motion and mechanics”).

You can explore the site here.