Tinker Crate Subscription Box Review & Coupon – December 2015

Tinker Crate is a subscription for kids ages 9-14 from the makers of Kiwi Crate.  Like Kiwi Crate, it comes with everything you need to complete multiple projects based around a central theme.  Unlike Kiwi Crate, however, these projects are less craftsy and more based on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning and enrichment.

Tinker Crate kindly sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

The Subscription Box: Tinker Crate

The Cost: $19.95 per month (free shipping)

COUPON: Save 40% off your 1st month! No coupon needed - just use this link.

The Products: STEM-based crafts and DIY projects for kids, with supplemental learning kits, booklets, and activities.  Projects are designed to enhace children’s critical thinking and problem solving skills through activities that are exciting and fun!

Ships to: Anywhere in the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and APO addresses

Check out all of our Tinker Crate reviews here!

Every box comes with a copy of TinkerZine magazine, which includes articles about that month’s theme, as well as smaller projects and experiments.  This month’s theme is Automatons!  Coooool.  I do this box with my nine-year-old son, and he loves Tinker Crate!

Here’s a peek at the table of contents from this month’s TinkerZine.  In addition to the large project that Tinker Crate sends, the magazine has several articles plus smaller projects you and your child can undertake to gain a deeper knowledge of the scientific principles of that month’s topic.

This month’s big project is an automaton!  OK, I have to admit I had no idea what this picture was all about when I saw it.  BUT, we can always count on Tinker Crate to pick awesome projects, so we dove right in anyway.

These are the instructions for this month’s project.  They are pretty detailed, but they are very clear, complete, and easy-to-follow.

These were the materials Tinker Crate supplied for the project.  With Tinker Crate, sometimes you have to supply a few things, but they are always items you have at home, like scissors or water.  This month they included everything we needed for the project.

This is our completed automaton!  Seeing it still like this doesn’t do it any justice, or explain what it is or what it does, unfortunately.  It’s very cool, though!  It’s the machine we built, and when you turn the crank on the right, the balls roll UP the stairs!  Then they roll back down the chute on top and start back up the stairs again.

Verdict:  My son and I love Tinker Crate!  He loves the projects, and most of the time my seven-year-old is really interested in the completed projects, too.  I love that he’s getting lots of hands-on experience with engineering!  In my opinion, this is one of the best ways to spend $20 and an afternoon with your child every month.  It’s an incredible value!

What do you think of Tinker Crate?