KiwiCo Crates Review: Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy

KiwiCo is a monthly subscription service full of fun STEM projects for kids. Here is my completely honest review of what we love (and what we don’t like) about the KiwiCo crates.

If you ever looked into the best subscription boxes for kids, you probably come across KiwiCo and its products numerous times. What’s in the crate? Does it live up to the hype? 

As a homeschool mom, I’ve found the KiwiCo crates to be an integral part of our science curriculum. With cool projects, experiments, and products designed to expose kids to STEAM concepts (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), KiwiCo has made learning so much fun for my kids.

I also appreciate that the KiwiCo crates include the tools, materials, and inspiration needed to explore that month’s project. Without such an easy open-and-go box, I doubt we would be spending as much time learning about science and engineering.

Below, you’ll find details about the KiwiCo product lines and a guide to decide which box is right for your child. Also, you’ll find pictures of us unboxing one of the monthly Kiwi Crates we received and decide for yourself if it’s worth the investment.

We also tried out the Yummy Crate and one of KiwiCo’s kits you can find in their online store. Scroll down to learn more about the different crates and grab the special discount for being a Mombrite reader!

Which KiwiCo Crate is Right for Your Child?

Not sure where to start? Here’s a quick overview to help you pick. All crates are $24/month with free shipping.

Crate	Ages	Best For	Verdict
Panda Crate	0-36 mo	Developmental play for babies & toddlers	Perfect first subscription for new parents
Koala Crate	3-6	Preschool play & learning	Our favorite for little ones – they actually finish the projects!
Kiwi Crate	6-9	Hands-on science, art & more	The sweet spot – my kids did these for years
Atlas Crate	6-12	Geography & world cultures	Amazing for homeschool social studies
Doodle Crate	6-12	Create & craft projects	Great for artsy kids who love making things
Tinker Crate	9-12	Science & engineering builds	When your kid is ready for “real” builds
Maker Crate	12+	Art & design projects	I do these myself – no shame!
Eureka Crate	12+	Engineering & design	Functional projects you’ll actually use

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How Does KiwiCo Crate Work?

KiwiCo crates are hands-on STEM and creative projects shipped straight to your door – everything your kid needs to build, tinker, and learn is right inside the box. No running to the craft store. No scrambling for supplies. Just open it up and go.

Each crate is designed around a specific age range, so the projects actually match your child’s skills and interests. Babies and toddlers? They’ve got that. Tweens who think they’re too cool for crafts? Covered. (Spoiler: they’ll love it anyway.)

Pricing starts at $24/month with free shipping, and gets cheaper the longer you commit – as low as $18.50/month with an annual plan. Members also get 10% off everything in the KiwiCo Store, a birthday surprise, and early access to new crates.

And if you’re not ready for a subscription, KiwiCo also sells individual crates in their store for a huge range of ages and interests. Great for gifts or just testing the waters.

Use the code MOMBRITE to get 50% off your first month’s subscription!

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Panda Crate 

Age range: 0-36 months

Designed for babies and toddlers, the Panda Crate is delivered to your door every 2 months. 

The activities in each crate will help babies develop through playing, exploring, and interacting with their beloved parents and caregivers.

The Panda Crate contains stage-specific quality products made just for your little one’s developmental stage:

• Let’s Bond! (0-1 mo): Bonding and early brain development
• Let’s Sense! (2-3 mo): Sensory discovery
• Let’s Discover! (4-5 mo): Tactile play and fine motor skills
• Let’s Listen! (6-7 mo): Hearing and motor skills
• Let’s Explore! (8-9 mo): Spatial awareness
• Let’s Chat! (10-11 mo): Language development
• Let’s Move! (12-13 mo): Motor skill development
• And more stages through 36 months!

Examples of Panda Crate toys include:

• Tummy time mirror
• Crinkle tag toy
• Coin box puzzle
• Stacking cups
• Peg puzzle

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Koala Crate

Age range: 3-6 years old

Koala Crate is made to inspire creativity and curiosity for preschoolers. The themed activities promote bonding as parents and kids can build, explore, and create together.

Examples of Koala Crate projects include:

• Use a fishing pole to catch felt sea creatures.
• Use a stethoscope to check your patients’ vitals.
• Design and dye a rainbow tote bag.
• Build a fire with paper flames for your camping trip.

My Review of the Koala Crate

Looking for fun and creative projects to do with your preschooler? KiwiCo’s Koala Crate fosters your kids’ curiosity and introduces them to a variety of engaging activities that will help them discover the world around them.

This Koala Crate included three project-based activities that would help little ones explore music in innovative ways. Activities focus on learning how to play instruments, listening to soundscapes, and creating their own unique music projects.

The “imagine!” magazine had an adorable story about 3 animal friends finding creative ways to make music together. You could use different things around you, like cups, or you could even use your own body, like how the crocodile used its tail to thump on the ground. 

We also used this opportunity to introduce the literary term, onomatopoeia. The story used several words formed from their sounds, such as clink, bum, and toot! 

The magazine also had a section on the different sections of an orchestra. It gave a brief description of the conductor, as well as percussion, woodwind, brass, and string instruments. We talked about how each instrument could produce beautiful music on its own, and how they could also work together in an orchestra or band to create different melodies and harmonies.

The instruction booklet contained detailed directions for each instrument. The projects were not too complicated so preschoolers could do most of the construction with minimal help. 

With the xylophone, you first needed to arrange the wooden boards from largest to smallest. This was a great way to teach your preschooler how to differentiate items by size and compare one or more objects.

Next, we used the dot stamps to stamp each bar with a different color. Then we wrapped the rubber bands around the box and slid the xylophone bars between the sets of rubber bands. It might be confusing for a preschooler to cross the rubber bands so they hold the bars securely, so you might need to step in and help with this step.

The xylophone was finished! Allow your kid to tap the bars with the mallets and hear the different pitches made by the different bars. Ask your kid whether the longest bar sounds lower or higher than the shortest bar. What a great way to train their ears! 

The crate also came with music sheets that your kids can stamp and make up their own melodies! Simply use the dot stamps to make a pattern in the empty circles, then follow along with the colored dots and hit the matching bar on the xylophone!

The next project in the Koala Crate was the tambourine, which really worked on your preschooler’s fine motor skills. You had to thread the elastic through the holes in the tambourine frame, as well as slide the elastic through the bells. The tambourine worked really well, and my kids had a lot of fun shaking it to make music.

Lastly, we made a dancing streamer with the fabric streamer and mallet that came in the Koala Crate. The kids decorated the streamer with dot stamps and had a lot of fun blending two different colors. 

The dancing streamer was my daughter’s dream come true, as she had always wanted to do rhythmic gymnastics. So while my son played the xylophone and the tambourine, she would dance and twirl the streamer in circles.

My Koala Crate Verdict

Best for: Preschoolers (ages 3-6) who love crafts and parents who want quality bonding time
Time to complete: 20-40 minutes per activity
Supervision needed: Full – this is meant to be done together (and that’s the fun part!)
Replay value: Medium to high – my daughter used her tambourine for months
Worth it? 100%. Better than random craft kits from the store because it’s actually educational

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Kiwi Crate

Age range: 6-9 years old

Creative projects paired with a fun illustrated instruction booklet, the Kiwi Crate contains innovative activities that kindergarteners and early elementary school kids can do independently or with very little help.

Examples of Kiwi Crate projects include:

• Create an arcade claw game with pom pom prizes.
• Construct a stomp rocket that flies.
• Build a balancing tree game.
• Color paper flowers with capillary action.

My Review of the Kiwi Crate

With any Kiwi Crate, we always start with the Explore! Magazine before constructing the project. My kids love reading through the comics about Steve the Kiwi and his friends. The mini graphic novel is hilarious and introduces the scientific concept behind the project in a way that kindergartens and elementary school kids can understand.

The first step in building the water-powered worm is to construct a pair of hydraulic systems. The instruction manual took the kids step by step through how the system works, and my daughter studied how squeezing the syringe pushed the water through the tube to the other syringe.

My daughter then constructed the water-powered worm. She followed the instruction manual and finished constructing the project with little assistance from me. Since she is a beginner reader, the detailed illustrations helped her understand the orientation of the different pieces.

The water-powered worm was so much fun! The worm was connected to the top of a syringe, and whenever the syringe plunger moved up or down due to the hydraulic system, the worm would extend and contract just as a real worm would. My daughter tried to move the worm as fast as she could through the “race track” and analyzed why placing the worm in the other direction on the track wouldn’t work. 

The wonderful thing about the Kiwi Crate is that there are multiple projects in the box to demonstrate one scientific concept. After we were done playing with the wiggly worm, we moved on to the next activity – Mystery Color Machine!

As a fan of arts and crafts, my daughter was excited that this Kiwi Crate project let her use her creativity to color the sea creatures. Then, using the same hydraulic systems, she moved the picture up and down the frame.

Magically, the sea creatures went from black and white to colored! My daughter took some time to study the design and the engineering behind how the color change happened.  

I love how KiwiCo crates amaze my kids with these innovative projects and make learning feel like playtime!

Another Look at the Kiwi Crate

I am sure your kids see you vacuuming the house all the time, probably cleaning up after them. Us moms can’t live without a vacuum, especially if you have little ones who love to snack and leave crumbs everywhere. 

But can your kid construct something that can sweep up small objects too? KiwiCo has the answer for you in the Mechanical Sweeper crate from the Kiwi Crate subscription line.

The crate came with everything needed to make a toy mechanical sweeper that can pick up small objects, much like a vacuum cleaner. My kids always look forward to the Explore! booklet and the fun cartoon explaining how things work. 

Since my kids grew up with Kiwi Crates, it’s interesting to see how they progress each time we open a crate. Now that my daughter is 6, she can follow most of the instructions and build the mechanical sweeper without assistance. I just needed to help her hold the loose parts in place while she slipped rubber bands on the slots of the sweeper wheel.

The crate also came with pom-poms for the kids to pick up. My kids loved pushing the mechanical sweeper and watching the multiple moving parts that allowed it to pick up the pom poms. 

In addition to the mechanical sweeper, the Kiwi Crate included a watercolor painting project. Included in the crate were a watercolor paint set, salt, and a paintbrush. The kids were free to use their imagination to color a whale cutout made out of watercolor paper, which you can use later on to decorate your sweeper.

What’s different about the watercolor whale from a simple art was that the kids sprinkled salt on the watercolor paint afterward. This created a very interesting texture for the whale. Also, the area where the salt touched the paper will be lighter in color as the salt pushed the watercolor pigments away. 

The booklet also provided interesting facts about whales. Your kids will learn about the biggest animal on the planet (spoiler alert… it’s the baleen whale!) and how the whales sing to communicate. Did you know that there is a humpback whale named Mr. Splashy Pants somewhere in the ocean today?

My kids had tons of fun seeing the reaction between salt and water as well as seeing the inner workings of engineering a sweeper. Maybe I can convince them to help me clean the floor with their mechanical sweeper?

Here is a summary of the Kiwi Crate review:

What We Like:

• Multiple projects per box
• Easy-to-read instructions with detailed illustrations
• Fun and cute comic that teaches the kids science concepts
• Upcycle the cardboard box for additional STEM activities
• Innovative design so you don’t feel like you are doing projects you could have done by yourself at home
• The projects are reusable and your kids might like them better than store-bought toys

What We Don’t Like:

• If you are looking for activities your kids can do 100% independently, Kiwi Crate is not for you. 
• The quality of the products, though not bad, could be slightly better

My Kiwi Crate Verdict

Best for: Kids ages 6-9 who like building and can follow picture instructions with minimal help
Time to complete: 30-60 minutes per project
Supervision needed: Light – you’ll want to be nearby but don’t need to do it for them
Replay value: High! My kids played with the mechanical sweeper for weeks
Worth it? Absolutely. This was our go-to crate for 3+ years

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Atlas Crate

Age range: 6-12 years old

Atlas Crate is made to help your child explore the world and the different cultures. Beginning with the World Crate, where your child will build a real spinning globe, each crate takes a deep dive into a country and immerses your kid in the country’s customs, history, and foods.

Examples of Atlas Crate projects include:

• Craft a koinobori fluttering carp windsock from Japan.
• Create your own Nazca Line art from Peru.
• Make a hanging three-toed sloth from Brazil.
• Paint hojalata tin art from Mexico.

My Review of the Atlas Crate

You can pick up a book, you can watch a YouTube video, or you can even dine at an ethnic restaurant. But how do you really experience another culture without spending tons of money traveling there? Atlas Crate delivers just what you need to teach your kids about different countries with fun activities.

For our Atlas Crate, we joined our travel buddies Anya and Milo and discovered Nigeria. The box came with Atlas cards that you can bind together to form your own travel book. 

The pages include fascinating facts and photos about Nigeria, such as exotic animals, the Shuku Shuku recipe, and directions for playing the okwe game.

The Atlas Crate included materials for making an adire eleko bag. First, you use a wax pencil to draw your own design or trace the stencils on the bag to create a unique design. Then you use the paint provided to color the pouch. The wax will resist the color, and the white designs will come through.

What a beautiful bag and a wonderful project to learn about the traditional Nigerian dyeing and printing technique.

The box also came with the game board and wooden pieces for the derrah game. The goal of the game was to form three sets of three-in-a-rows before your opponent. It might resemble tic-tac-toe, but the gameplay was far more complex. At the same time, the directions were clear, and my children were able to follow the rules and play the game.

As you can see, the Atlas Crate provides you with a set of activities that you can do with your kids to teach them about another country. Through the games, crafts, and recipes, your kid can experience what it’s like to be a kid in a different culture. I highly recommend it for kids to learn about and appreciate other world cultures.

My Atlas Crate Verdict

Best for: Curious kids (ages 6-12) who love learning about different cultures and countries
Time to complete: 30-60 minutes per activity, plus optional recipe time
Supervision needed: Light for crafts, more for cooking activities
Replay value: Medium – the games are reusable, crafts become keepsakes
Worth it? Yes, for homeschoolers or anyone teaching world cultures

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Doodle Crate

Age range: 6-12 years old

If you have a crafty and creative kid at home, Doodle Crate has the perfect projects to explore fun crafting tools and interesting techniques. 

Examples of Doodle Crate projects include:

• Create a cute felt succulent garden. 
• Design a faux leather portfolio so you can sketch anywhere you go.
• Make custom soaps with beautiful designs.
• Learn candle molding and make intricate candles.

My Review of the Doodle Crate

With tons of craft paper, googly eyes, stickers, pipe cleaners, and other craft supplies lying around the house, I have resisted getting the Doodle Crate. I am so glad that KiwiCo sent me a box to try because the project was so fun and something I would have never thought to try with my kids.

In our Doodle Crate, we have all the materials needed to make our own handcrafted sculpture. I was so excited when I saw the paper clay. I have fond memories of taking sculpting classes and using paper clay to make intricate bowls, jewelry, and even dolls. 

The instructions are very clear but also leave plenty of room for creativity. Instead of taking you step-by-step through how to make one particular sculpture, the instructions laid out the basics and let you decide what the end product is. 

For example, the booklet described and illustrated how to shape the wire for sculptures with legs. You can choose to do a sculpture with 2 legs, 4 legs, or even 6 legs. There are also directions on how to make sculptures without legs. This means you can create virtually any animal or insect you like using wire and paper clay.

My daughter decided she wanted to make a person. The wires were pretty easy to shape, and the Doodle Crate gave you extras in case you mess up or want to construct another sculpture. 

Next, we started to stick the paper clay onto the wires. My daughter had a lot of fun adding the paper clay little by little, but she needed some help smoothing it out with water.

After we finished molding the paper clay, we used the tools provided to add details to our sculpture. By dipping the tips of the tools in water, she was able to make designs in the dress. We also added some details to the long hair to make it look more realistic. 

The paper clay did take longer to dry than expected. We had to leave it overnight for the clay to dry completely before we could paint it. I love how the instruction booklet included a color mixing chart to teach the kids how to make new colors from the ones they have. 

Painting the sculpture was difficult but so much fun! As we worked on the sculpture together, my daughter and I realized that we should have gone from a lighter color to a darker color. This way, if you mess up and accidentally paint parts of the sculpture a different color, you can easily cover it up with the darker paint. 

Not bad for our first sculpture!

My Doodle Crate Verdict

Best for: Creative kids (ages 6-12) who want to explore real art techniques
Time to complete: 60-90+ minutes (some projects need drying time)
Supervision needed: Some for younger kids, minimal for older ones
Replay value: Medium – you learn the technique and can apply it to future projects
Worth it? Yes, for artsy kids. These aren’t basic crafts – they’re real art techniques

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Tinker Crate

Age range: 9-12 years old

The Tinker Crate aims to inspire kids to use their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to tackle challenges with no single right answer. With awesome hands-on projects designed by experts and tested by kids, Tinker Crate is an excellent resource for helping kids gain crucial skills while having fun.

Examples of Tinker Crate projects include:

• Build a wooden automaton that makes a marble climb up the stairs.
• Wire up an electric-powered droid that eats coins.
• Construct an electric-powered motorcycle.

My Review of the Tinker Crate

The Tinker Crate is the older kid version of the Kiwi Crate, and it has become my children’s favorite subscription line from KiwiCo. The projects are more complicated and take more patience to make, but the machines are so fun to play with once you are done!

Inside our Tinker Crate was everything we needed to build a domino machine. How exciting! Do you know how many times my kids and I tried to set up a long row of dominoes only to have one fall by accident and knock the whole thing down? 

The instructions are very detailed with illustrations for each step. I like how the booklet broke the directions into sections, such as “Start the drivetrain” and “Add the wheels,” so you know what you are putting together. 

I also really appreciate the “Stop & Check!” steps highlighted in yellow. Sometimes you assemble a part upside down or miss a step, and it’s great to have a checkpoint instead of waiting until the end of the instructions to find out that your machine doesn’t work.

My kids were thrilled to find the motor and battery pack in the supplies. In the Kiwi Crate, we dealt more with mechanical contraptions that you move manually. Now with the Tinker Crate, we get to explore machines powered by electricity. 

Look how cute it is!

The domino machine worked so well! You load the machine with a stack of dominoes and turn on the battery pack. The machine then pushed out the dominoes one at a time while moving backward. Once in a while, a domino would fail to line up correctly, and the machine would push it out crooked, but we never had one that fell and knocked over the entire line. 

The kids spent the next few hours playing with the domino machine. They tried lining up all the dominoes that came in the Tinker Crate. They tried using the machine for straight lines and then manually placed dominoes to make the design curve. We also discussed that the machine’s speed was critical in determining how far apart the dominoes were.

The Tinker Crate also came with a booklet explaining the science behind the project – in this case, reaction attraction.

Then the booklet expanded beyond the basics and shocked us with the power of potential energy. Who knew that you could knock down a skyscraper with just 29 dominoes?

Lastly, the booklet also contained a challenge for your kids to try. Instead of just lining up the dominoes on the floor in one straight line, the challenge asked us to use the dominoes to complete a simple task. Imagine if you could make popcorn or ring the doorbell by pushing over one domino!

My Tinker Crate Verdict

Best for: Kids ages 9-12 who want to build “real” machines and understand how things work
Time to complete: 45-90 minutes per project
Supervision needed: Minimal to none—my 10-year-old does these completely solo
Replay value: Very high! The domino machine became a permanent fixture in our playroom
Worth it? Yes – the jump in complexity from Kiwi to Tinker is perfect for growing kids

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Maker Crate

Age range: 12+ years old

Whether you are 14 or 48, you can discover new art and design techniques that you can use for a lifetime. I have a mom friend who gets the Maker Crate for herself every month, and she loves all the projects that she gets to create while her kids play with the Kiwi Crate.

Examples of Maker Crate projects include:

• Make a pair of macrame hangers and clay pots for your plants.
• Learn to create textured designs with loops of yarn and make a cozy, colorful pillow.
• Create a terrazzo tray and a set of handcrafted containers.

My Review of the Maker Crate

Designed with teens and adults in mind, the Maker Crate takes art and design to the next level. With high-quality materials and tools, the Maker Crate will inspire you to create amazing projects and explore new techniques. 

For our Maker Crate, we learned how to make electroluminescent wire sculptures. The box came with all the materials you needed to make the sculpture, and some extra parts in case you wanted to make a second one!

Unlike the other KiwiCo subscription lines for younger kids, the Maker Crate only came with one booklet. My kids and I enjoyed reading about the history of wire art, and my daughter was determined to learn how to make a wire necklace after we finished the wire sculpture.

There were fewer booklets in the box because the instructions were online! The Maker Crate included detailed, step-by-step instructional videos you can follow to complete your projects. 

I was impressed that before attempting to make a wire sculpture, the instructions walk you through how to practice bending and twisting the wires into any shape by using the jig tool. If you are a perfectionist like me, you would appreciate the extra practice to make the wire sculpture as close to the template as possible. 

The first step to making an electroluminescent wire sculpture was to determine how long of a wire you need. After selecting a template (there were 8 to choose from), we ran the string along the outline. The string acted as a ruler to measure how long the wire should be. Brilliant!

After you measure the wire to its proper length, you simply start bending the wire to match the design. The wire-shaping tool was extremely helpful in making the loops and curves, and the aluminum wire was malleable enough that you could make adjustments as you go.

As I continued to shape the wire, my son helped me put together the base and battery pack. The instructions were easy to follow and he put everything together without my assistance.

I was able to finish the wire art without too much struggle. Then we attached it to the base with foam tape.

To make the sculpture glow, you need to add the EL (electroluminescent) wire! I helped my kids attach the EL wire to the base, then left them to secure it to the aluminum wire with zip ties. 

It was much easier to have one person hold the EL wire while the other zip-tied. That said, I was able to zip tie the EL wire to the sculpture by myself after my kids ran out of patience and left me to finish.

After using the wire cutter to trim the excess pieces off the zip ties, it was time to display the wire sculpture. We found a dark spot in the house, pressed the power button, and lit it up!

My Maker Crate Verdict

Best for: Teens and adults (ages 12+) who want to learn new creative techniques
Time to complete: 60-120 minutes
Supervision needed: None – this is a true solo activity
Replay value: High – the skills transfer to future projects
Worth it? Perfect for moms who want their own creative time while the kids do Kiwi Crate

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Eureka Crate

Age range: 12+ years old

Do you have an inventor in your house? If so, he or she will love the Eureka Crate. Aimed to inspire innovators to think about the design and engineering behind everyday objects, the Eureka Crate will teach your kids how things work so that they can apply creative solutions to real-world problems.

Examples of Eureka Crate projects include:

• Engineer a cantilevered, adjustable lamp that comes with an energy-friendly LED bulb so you can use it to read.
• Build an electromechanical pencil sharpener that automatically detects pencils.
• Make a real four-string concert ukulele and explore the science of sound waves.

My Review of the Eureka Crate

My kids grew up with the Kiwi Crate and had a blast with the Tinker Crate. Now it’s my turn to play with the Eureka Crate!

The Eureka Crate digs deep into how things work. It makes you wonder about how an adjustable lamp moves, how an electric pencil sharpener shaves off the wood, or how string instruments make different sounds.

We received the mechanical lock box in our Eureka Crate. As with the other KiwiCo crates, it came with all the materials you need for the project. 

The booklet that came with the box taught us about key innovations in lock technology, including the history of locks and the latest biometric lock technology.

My kids were fascinated by how pin tumbler locks work. We learned the different parts of a pin tumbler lock and how the bumps on the key must match the pins in the lock for the lock to turn.

The booklet also included detailed instructions for building the mechanical lockbox. We really appreciated that the instructions included illustrations, so we knew exactly which pieces to use and how to assemble them.

As with the Tinker Crate, the instructions included “Stop and Check” sections where you performed a quick check to see whether your lock box was working as planned. This was super helpful in ensuring you don’t make a critical mistake during assembly that can’t be corrected later.

The mechanical lock box was fairly simple to put together. I would say that the difficulty was comparable to the domino machine we constructed with the Tinker Crate, perhaps just with more parts. 

We loved the cool spiral effect when you turn the key. It was also fascinating to see how the key turned the gear that moved the teeth of the vault door and spun it open.

My kids were so excited to use the mechanical lock box for their precious belongings!

My Eureka Crate Verdict

Best for: Teens and adults (ages 12+) who want to understand how everyday objects work
Time to complete: 60-90 minutes
Supervision needed: None – designed for independent work
Replay value: High – the projects are functional (like a real working lock!)
Worth it? Yes, these “real-world” projects KiwiCo offers are perfect for future engineers

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KiwiCo Store

Need a birthday gift for a STEM-loving kid? Or perhaps you want to reinforce a concept that you are teaching your kid as part of your homeschool curriculum. The KiwiCo Store has many fun on-off crates you can choose from for kids of all ages.

If you are not sure which kit to get, the KiwiCo Store has a crate matcher-upper to help you decide. All you need to do is select your child’s age range and interest, and it will show you all the kits in that category.

Review of the Crystal Ombre Soap Making Kit

I have been wanting to make soap with my kids for a while now so I was super excited to receive this Crystal Ombre Soap Making Kit from KiwiCo!

The kit comes with everything you need to make colorful, crystal-inspired soaps. I have looked at different soap molds before, but never pulled the trigger because of the cost, so I was so happy to see the different molds included in this crate.

As with all KiwiCo crates, this one comes with a very detailed, illustrated instruction manual. The steps are clear and easy to follow. If it wasn’t for the fact that we needed to use the microwave to melt the soap base, I would have let my 5 and 7-year-olds do this activity completely by themselves.

After melting the soap, my kids stirred until all the lumps were gone. Then we added mica powder and the kids were excited to see the shiny flakes in the soap.

It’s a good thing the kit came with enough materials to make two ombre soaps, because my kids were fighting over which colors to use. We finally decided on blue for the first liquid soap, and we will use red for the second.

My kids had no problem pouring the soap into the crystal mold, and I was glad to see that it was sturdy and held up well. I was worried that the mold would tip over and all the soap and our hard work would seep out!

After waiting for an hour, the soap was cool enough to take out. I have to admit, it wasn’t the easiest thing to get the ombre soap out of the crystal mold without damaging the soap. After carefully folding the sides of the molds over, I was able to pop the pretty ombre soap out. 

Look how beautiful it is with the mica powder and the different colors!

We followed the instructions to make the crystal soap while waiting for the ombre soap to cool down. This one took longer to make, but we had no issues with the square mold. 

My kids loved making these crystal-inspired soaps! I love how I can reuse the molds and leftover mica powder and liquid colors for future soap-making projects.

Review of the KiwiCo Holiday Crates: Christmas Candle Carousel

Wonder how other countries around the world celebrate Christmas? There are so many fascinating holiday traditions out there. If you haven’t done a Christmas around the world unit study with your kids, I strongly suggest it!

Many of today’s Christmas traditions originate in Germany, including the Christmas tree and Santa Claus. The Christmas Candle Carousel, or the Christmas pyramid, from the KiwiCo Store is the perfect way to explore the centuries-old Christmas decoration. 

Dating back to the Middle Ages, the Christmas carousel was crafted by miners, who relied on candle flames to ensure good air in the mines. The booklet that came with the KiwiCo crate explained the history behind the Weihnachtspyramide – and even included how to pronounce it! 

Not only do the kids get to build a mini Christmas carousel, but they also learn about the aerodynamic forces that make it turn! The candles heat the air around them, causing the molecules to move faster and faster. As the air molecules bump into each other and start to spread out, they create a gust of wind. The rising air then pushes against the blades of the fan, causing them to spin.

My kids loved building the carousel, and the project gave them some freedom to decorate the Christmas tree and characters to their own liking. Then they were amazed that the fan was turning without electricity! 

The kids enjoyed learning that Christmas carousels come in all sorts of shapes and sizes around the world. A small one can be used as a wind chime that plays beautiful music. The world’s tallest Weihnachtspyramide is in Desden, Germany, and is almost 50 feet tall!

Overall, this KiwiCo Christmas Candle Carousel was a wonderful STEAM project to get your kids into the holiday spirit. I showed them videos of the Christmas pyramids in Germany, and they were amazed at the Christmas tradition. What a great way for the kids to learn about another culture as well as about aerodynamics!

Make sure you check out KiwiCo Store for other fun holiday projects to do with your kids to make this winter an extra exciting one!

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FAQ

“Is KiwiCo worth the money?”

Honestly? Yes – if your kid will actually do the projects. Each crate costs $24, and you’d easily spend that much buying supplies for ONE comparable project at a craft store. Plus, you’d have to plan it, source it, and clean up the extras. KiwiCo handles all of that.

“What if my kid doesn’t like it?”

KiwiCo lets you switch crate types anytime. My son started with Kiwi Crate and moved to Tinker when he was ready for more challenge. You can also pause your subscription (I’ve done this twice during busy seasons) or cancel anytime after your first box ships.

“I’ve heard canceling is hard—is that true?”

I’ve paused and restarted our subscription multiple times with zero hassle. You can do it right from your account dashboard. The horror stories I’ve seen online are usually about people who forgot they were on auto-renewal, which… happens with any subscription.

“Can my kid do these independently?”

Depends on age and reading level:

• Koala Crate (3-6): You’ll do it together – that’s the point!
• Kiwi Crate (6-9): Most kids need help reading instructions, but can do the actual building
• Tinker Crate (9-12): My 10-year-old does these completely solo

“What if we get a crate we’ve already done?”

KiwiCo tracks what you’ve received. If you switch crate lines or buy from the store, just check your history. I’ve never gotten a duplicate in all the years I’ve been subscribing.

How Do I Get Started with KiwiCo?

Here’s the thing: my kids have been getting these crates since kindergarten. We’ve built rockets, domino machines, hydraulic systems, musical instruments, and even a working lock box. Every single project taught them something – and more importantly, they had fun learning.

As a homeschool mom, I can tell you these crates have saved me countless hours of lesson planning and supply shopping. And the mess stays contained to whatever’s in the box (mostly).

The deal for Mombrite readers:

Pause whenever you need to

50% off your first month with code MOMBRITE

Cancel anytime after the first crate ships

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