Little Passports is a subscription box that helps kids explore the world through fun and educational activities and is one of the best subscription boxes for kids as voted by MSA readers. They offer a range of subscription options for ages 3-8+, as well as "Individual Activity Kits" that can be ordered along with any subscription at the time of purchase.
This review is of the new subscription line Little Passports: Space Quest (recommended ages 5-8) for $24.95. This box includes a comic item, poster, and activity kit pertinent to each month's theme.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes
Space Quest: Blast Off!
Science was (and still is) my favorite subject of all time, so when I heard about the "Space Quest" line that Little Passports was working on, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! Being perfectly timed, I recently attended a "Starbase" field trip with a group of 5th graders, and it was awesome! Because I learned all about Mars at this field trip, I was able to take that info home and couple it with this month's "Blast Off!" Space Quest theme and share it with my own kids. Talk about cool! Read below to discover what this month's box included.
"Out of This World Adventure" Poster
Most of the kits Little Passports creates come with pamphlets including directions, project information, and trivia. Switching it up a bit, the Space Quest version sends a brightly colored informational poster instead, featuring pictures and facts about the month's space theme. I hung last month's "Star Cycle" poster up in my classroom last month, and will be doing the same with this one - they are really well-made, and tons of students have commented on it!
Instructions
On the backside of the poster, we received the instructions for one of this month's projects: the rocket. Not only did it include necessary materials, but STEM career options, trivia, and the scientific background to all of this month's projects. With well-written instructions, and step-by-step photographs, the boys were able to easily complete all of the steps without adult assistance, which is very much appreciated.
Soaking up all of the September sun we can, we headed outside for this month's experiment. Hank and Charlie went through the instructions beforehand, to make sure we had all of the necessary supplies ready to go. 3, 2, 1...blast off!
Project 1: "Blastoff!"
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To build our rocket, we received a rocket body, rocket supports, rocket stand, foam stickers, glue, citric acid, baking soda, spoon, and canisters. All of the pieces were well-made and assembled easily. This month we did need to supply our own bowl and olive oil.
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Our rocket project consisted of two steps. The first one involved making "rocket fuel" and was the one the boys were the most excited for. Mixing the baking soda, citric acid, and olive oil, they mixed it up with their hands and formed rocket fuel pellets with the included spoon. Once formed, we placed them in the freezer to set.
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With the rocket fuel pellets in the freezer, the boys started working on their rocket. After separating the rocket pieces out of the foam sheets, they closely followed the directions and added the glue into the slots, sliding the rocket sides in. Once the rocket was glued together, they added the canister. Setting aside to dry, they worked on the rocket stand by adding the foam stickers and lid on. Using a little more glue, they added the stand supports and set aside to dry.
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The next steps were a little hard to photograph because my hands were full, but this is what we got. Adding a bit of water to the canister, we quickly dropped a fuel pellet into the canister. Attaching the base to the bottom of the rocket, we snapped the lid on and set on the ground. I wasn't sure what to expect, so our first go-around, we sprung a leak, as I rushed through the snapping process. Our second attempt didn't have a leak, but the "explosion" was more of a slight "pop" and the rocket just tipped off. We are going to let our fuel pellets sit overnight and see if that helps. I will keep you posted with what we find out!
Project 2: "Viewfinder"
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Our second project included in this kit was a viewfinder. We received a viewfinder body, face, magnifying lens, viewfinder card, foam stickers, and clear stickers, along with instructions. All items for this project were included, and we didn't need to supply anything ourselves.
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Honestly, the steps for this project looked a little more intimidating than they actually were. I was on standby just in case the kids needed me, but they got along just fine. Sticking the magnifying lens on the body of the viewfinder, Hank folded the tabs and created the body of the viewfinder. Charlie added the stickers and peeled the paper off, finishing off the face of the viewfinder. Once aligned, it was easy to add the included cards to watch the magic happen!
We weren't exactly sure what to expect from this viewfinder, but when you peered in, you were greeted with a 3D experience! Perfect for Charlie who is currently despising reading - this little comic got him interested in reading it out loud and was a fun experience! A new themed comic strip for each following Space Quest box would be super cool....just sayin'!
Verdict
This is our second peek at the Little Passports: Space Quest box, and the boys are absolutely loving it. With awesome themes that they are really interested in, they have found the projects to be exciting, easy to follow, and fun. Pairing well with current things we are doing in school, this is a great supplement to our science curriculum. Between the well-designed, exclusive supplies, and educational aspect, we really enjoyed this box, though would like to see one more project for the $24.95 price. Overall, we are really excited about this box, and can't see where following themes may take us. What do you think about this new subscription line? Will you be blasting into space soon?
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To Wrap Up
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, your first activity kit will include the Glowing Galaxies kit, followed by the Blast Off! kit.
What do you think of this month's box?
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