Koala Crate is the preschool subscription box offering from KiwiCo, designed for hands-on learning and fun every month!
KiwiCo offers boxes for different age groups: Cricket Crate is for 0-36 months, Koala Crate for ages 3-4, Kiwi Crate for ages 5-8, Atlas Crate for ages 6-11, and Doodle Crate and Tinker Crate are for ages 9-16 and up.
This review is of the $19.95 a month Koala Crate, for Pre-K kids ages 3-4.
This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Koala Crate
The Subscription Box: Koala Crate
The Cost: $19.95 a month + free shipping
The Products: 2-3 fun DIY projects for you to do with your preschooler!
Ships to: US
Koala Crate Nature Explorer September 2018 Review
My family was excited to review this month's Koala Crate! Kiwi Co's teaching methodology perfectly aligns with how my kids learn today. My son is in early pre-school and goes to a school that is focused on hands-on and project-based learning. My 2nd-grade daughter attends a school with a STEAM curriculum and was happy to assist her little brother with some of the more challenging tasks in the projects.
This month’s theme is “Nature Explorer”. It’s the beginning of Fall and a great time to take advantage of the mild weather and get the kids outdoors for a little fun!
Koala Crate includes a parent’s guide with step by step instructions on how to complete each project. I recommend looking at the instructions and gathering all the materials for the project before engaging the kids. My preschooler lacks any amount of patience, so I wanted to be prepared to get the project started right away!
The crate includes three fun and engaging projects for outdoor fun: a scavenger hunt box, discovery tools, and nature notes.
The crate includes everything needed for all 3 projects.
Here are the materials for the scavenger hunt box. It comes with multiple scavenger hunt cards that the kids can use for a fun hunt in your backyard or at a nearby park.
Here are the materials to create the discovery tools which includes a cute measuring tape and a magnifying glass the kids can use to explore.
Here are the materials for the nature notes which allows a place for the kids to doodle their adventures. It also includes additional nature activities.
Let’s get started with the Scavenger Hunt Box!
The first steps were to construct the scavenger box and choose a scavenger hunt card.
Next, we created a handle for the box and an installed the velcro sticky dots to the box flap to keep the box closed.
And finally, we decorated the box. The kids had the most fun at this step!
With the box now complete, it’s time for the scavenger hunt!
My kids had the blast running around the backyard trying to find all the items for the scavenger hunt.
I sat back and watched them roam, laugh and get excited when they found the perfect item.
Because it’s Fall, we swapped out flowers for acorns and there were no 3-leaf clovers in sight. This activity made for a fun afternoon!
Let’s create our Discovery Tools!
First, we gathered all the materials for the frog box and constructed the box.
Next, we spun the measuring tap using the clothespin secured inside the frog box.
And, finally, we added the frog eyes to the box. My daughter had a fun time measuring the items they found during the scavenger hunt and random items around the house. My son was more interested in spinning and unraveling the frog’s tongue!
And finally, the Nature Notes!
This activity didn’t require any construction, so we jumped right into it by doing a nature rubbing. Three rubbing plates were included in the crate. My daughter placed a rubbing plate under a page in the nature notebook while my son helped color the page.
They repeated this activity a few times using different rubbing plates and picking different colors. I even gave it a try!
Koala Crate also sends a mini-magazine every month that goes along with the theme of the box.
It includes a story, additional fun activities and even a DIY project using items that are not included in the crate:
My son enjoyed the story the most while my daughter was excited to complete the fun activities in the book.
Verdict: This Koala Crate by KiwiCo was a lot of fun! We loved the “Nature Explorer” theme of the box and that it encourages outdoor play time. The materials in the crate were high quality and sturdy – necessary for rough preschoolers. The project instructions were clear, age-appropriate and easy to follow. Best of all, my kids loved completing the projects, especially the scavenger hunt. And, since there were multiple scavenger hunt cards included, they can continue having fun with the box and discovery tools even after the projects are complete. Plus, at $19.95, I am getting activities that are already planned for me and a monthly magazine with extra activities and DIY projects!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, sign up now for the October box.
Coupon – Save 40% off your first month! No coupon required, just use this link.
Check out all of our Koala Crate reviews and the Kids Subscription Box Directory!
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