Panda Crate is a bi-monthly subscription from KiwiCo for ages 0-36 months. You will receive one crate every 2 months which comes out to $20.95 per month or $41.90 per crate with free shipping. Boxes are curated based on the science of early development with materials that are practical, helpful, and convenient for parents. In fact, they actually consulted researchers at Seattle Children's hospital to make sure everything is well suited for each stage of your child's brain development.
This review is of KiwiCo's Panda Crate (for ages 0-36 months), which costs $41.90 per month.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
Our theme for this box is "Travel with Me" and it contains items to help your baby develop motor skills and strengthen their muscles both at home and on the go. We have not been out very much just test seeing as my son is only 6 weeks old, but this is something we will be working on as we try to resume a somewhat normal schedule in the next few weeks, so this box could definitely come in handy!
What's Inside This Box
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This Wonder magazine was divided into four categories; grow, learn, play, and connect. This edition talks all about tummy time and working on getting out of the house, which can sometimes be intimidating. While this is not my first child, I have found it pretty intimidating this time around, mostly because I also have 3 other children to bring with me! I admit, this did make me feel less alone in my thoughts!
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These four "Beyond the Crate" cards provided a few activities we could do and listed the ages that it would be appropriate to do them at.
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The next set of cards gave detailed information about each of the items we received in our box. Let's check them out!
Travel Play Mat
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This travel play mat is essentially an infant-sized blanket but it is much thicker with a nice soft fleece layer underneath. I love that it actually looks hand-made and it seems to be very well constructed. This mat does roll up to take with you and it has thick straps with velcro to help hold it closed. I really love all of the details! Each section has a different shape: we have a velvety triangle rocket ship with some satiny ribbon tails, a cute crescent moon pocket to hide things in, a fabric sun with crinkle paper inside, and a star made of little loops so that all of our toys (I'll show you those next) can hook onto them for even more fun. This blanket has something to appeal to your baby's different senses with the bright colors, the variety of textures to explore, and even the sound of the crinkle paper.
It is a great size as you can see with my two youngest on the mat here. My older son is almost 4, to give you an idea of the size!
My youngest was not quite ready for tummy time this day, but you can tell he found the mat to be pretty comfortable!
Poppy On the Go Fabric Book
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This fabric book is soft and cute featuring a strap with velcro at the top so that we can hook it through the loops on our mat. It is very simple with some cute illustrations and just the right size for him to hold when he is ready! This also has the crinkle material adding another aspect of play to it.
Hanging Rattles
These adorable rattles also hook onto our blanket and each makes a different sound. They have fun little ribbons that will appeal to your baby and with the cloud being a soft fuzzy material, we have some different textures to explore.
Star Grasping Toy
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Lastly, we have this fun silicone star with a piece of soft fleece fabric wrapped around it and more crinkle material inside. I love how it resembles a shooting star! This is great for little hands to grasp and will most definitely be mouthed at some point!
Since he wasn't here yet for the first box, I wanted to show you how cute the pillow is and how perfect it is for those monthly pictures!
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $41.90
You may think this looks like a box of baby toys, but play mats can actually be quite expensive! I think this Panda Crate is a great deal for a quality mat with so many nice features and all of the little toys to go along with it! I also think there is a lot of value in the research behind it and the helpful parenting advice they provide through the guide and cards.
Key Takeaways
High-quality materials and a focus on developmentally-appropriate toys are what make this a great box! It would be such a thoughtful gift for first-time parents, and even though I am not a first-time parent, I can still appreciate the little reminders of what skills I can be focusing on with my youngest son!
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To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, this is one of the boxes they send during the 0-36 month age window. Panda Crate is more of a "line" of boxes from KiwiCo than a typical subscription model with different themes each month. When you sign up, you input your baby's age or your due date and they'll send you the appropriate box for your child's age and development at the right time. (Good to know: you can pick what month you want your first box to arrive. By default, it will arrive the month of your due date.)
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