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T is for Tot is a monthly children's subscription box for ages 3-6. Each themed kit contains supplies and activities for play-based learning both project-based and open-ended. The box is curated by a mom and kindergarten teacher to prepare your little one for K with arts and crafts projects, simple STEM experiments, laminated learning materials, a quality children's book, and more.
The Cost: $38.95 per month + free US shipping with annual subscription; $42.95 per month + free US shipping monthly.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
Meet your reviewers
As mentioned above, this box is meant for children ages 3-6, as a way of preparing them for Kindergarten. I happen to have two children in this age group—well, almost—one is a couple months shy of 3 and in part-time daycare, and the other is on the latter half of age 5 and in Kindergarten now.
I explored this box with both children present, and my 5-year-old was quite interested and capable of engaging with all the activities inside, while my 2-year-old was coming and going amid her own independent play.
What's Inside the T is for Tot Box?
T is for Tot arrives in a white box with a sticker indicating the month's theme on the flap. Open it up and you'll find a checklist of items/activities under the lid, and an enticing pile of possibilities within the box. Right on top is a trifold information card that holds all the instructions you need.
Info Card
Our theme for March is The Human Body. Inside there are 7 activities to explore, ranging from crafts to math to equipment for imaginative play to an on-theme children's book. My 5-year-old is just on the heels of a Human Body unit in school, wherein we discovered that she's quite squeamish to innards. So I was curious to see how these activities would be received!
Me and My Amazing Body by Jason Sweeney (author) and Edward Miller (illustrator) — Retail Value $8.99
Books are always helpful for introducing new topics—or reintroducing them in our case. This one is a cute, age-appropriate, non-controversial overview of the parts and functions of a body. It was clever to put a cat throughout the illustrations, because even when my kid wanted to abandon the book, the cat kept her curious.
Lung Activity
The lung activity comes with a laminated illustration of lungs, two straws, two pink balloons, and thin masking tape. The idea is to tape the straws to the picture, then secure the balloons to the ends of the straws, where the lungs go. When the child blows into the straws, it fills the balloons to mimic what lungs do.
It required some of my help and a little finesse to get the straws secured, as the tape wasn't all that sticky. (This later proved to be favorable, when my 2-year-old stuck it all over our cabinets.) It also took my assistance to get the balloons tape-sealed so as to be airtight enough to work. Once finished, the kids got the point pretty quickly, and dismantled it to play with the balloons. I loved that they found multiple uses for one item!
X-Ray Playdough Cutter & Homemade Playdough
Next up, we explored this cool 3D-printed playdough cutter and its coordinating handmade playdough. The grey-cream colors are so unique and cool for this project. The stamp on top of the playdough was a delight to discover. And the texture of the playdough was incredibly soft and nice to work with.
Unfortunately the same softness that we appreciated initially made it tricky to get a clean break with the cutter. We realized pressing it in might not be in our best interest, so after cleaning the crevices out with a toothpick (great fine motor work!) we tried the approach of smooshing a square of playdough down on paper, and embossing the cutter on top. It still didn't go great, but it was good experimentation.
Human Body Playdough Mat
Another little jar of homemade playdough—pink this time—arrived alongside a laminated page identifying where a handful of organs go. Seven laminated cards give pictures and simple definitions of each organ, and there are opportunities for your child to work independently to replicate them, or to create a game out of it.
I was pleased to discover my kiddo was getting used to the concept of these body parts. She wanted to work quietly, making her own representations of each.
Clipboard & Stethoscope | Heart, Letter, & Math Doctor Notes
We are big fans of our wooden doctor kit over here, and going several years strong with it. We've lost a few pieces and added others; we already have a stethoscope but a second doesn't hurt. The mini clipboard with laminated pages and a white board marker are a very welcome addition! You can see from the second photo above that there are opportunities for learning to write numbers and shapes (and letters on the flip side) while they stay in character.
Here the sisters are doctor and patient. The stethoscope had a hard time staying in one piece, and ultimately the struggle to keep it connected derailed the play. That was a shame, and the only complaint regarding quality that came up for us. I see a lot of great play ahead using the clipboard and pages.
Pretend X-Rays
In this yellow envelope come four "pretend" X-ray files. They really look real! To get a sense of size, you can see that two fit on an 8.5x11" piece of paper. There are no apparent breaks or fractures, just a glimpse at a child's ribcage, shoulder, feet, and knee. Very exciting.
Per the encouragement of the info card, my daughter used the white board marker on the X-ray sheets. It added an extra element of fun for her to illustrate for her "patient" what exactly was "wrong." This is yet another inclusion in the box that has tons of potential for future repeated enjoyment.
Skeleton Wikki Stix Activity
Who doesn't love Wikki Stix? For those who aren't familiar, they're cotton strings coated in colored wax so that they can be bent endlessly into different shapes or figures. We often stock up on them for air travel but don't keep them on hand otherwise, so they remain quite novel for our crew. This skeleton illustration was included in the mini clipboard pages. The suggested activity was to use the 8 provided Wikki Stix to outline the body. I like this unique idea.
I was impressed with how precisely my 5-year-old was able to complete this activity. It was a new way of playing with this toy for her, and she was satisfied to complete it.
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $42.95 per month + free US shipping. Save when you sign up for a 6-month or annual subscription.
For March 2024, T is for Tot sent 7 activities, and each came with its own grouping of items to complete it. The only item for purchase independently online is the book, which costs $8.99. While I couldn't find the exact stethoscope that was provided, there are options out there for about $10. A mini clipboard at my local Staples store costs about $4.50. A roll of thin masking tape I can find for about $2, and a dry erase marker for about the same. This all adds up to nearly $30, but those calculations aren't really the point...the box contains mostly proprietary or hand-prepared goods that you truly cannot source anywhere else. The laminated pages used throughout activities feel like a labor of teacherly love. The homemade playdough is luxurious and in custom colors! The activities using all of these items are clearly a person's idea. And many of them have novelty and use beyond the confines of the hour-or-so that this box is first enjoyed. These factors have value far beyond what can be quantified.
Bottom line is, yes, this subscription is so worth the cost. When you sign up for a full year's worth of monthly boxes, it costs $38.95 per month + free shipping, which feels particularly like a steal when you consider this is a small business with the touch of human hands throughout.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, as of publication of this post, this box is still available. Your first kit will ship within 1-2 business days after ordering. Expect the following kits to ship by the 10th of each month.
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