In an era where subscription boxes seem to have lost their allure, there remains a steadfast niche: parents seeking creative ways to engage and educate their children.
As a parent myself, I found solace and delight in toy and book subscription boxes for my little ones.
Recently, while exploring options for my goddaughter, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of STEM boxes, reigniting my curiosity.
I got caught into the weeds but think I’m going to go with but here are the results of my finds including my partners at MelScience:
Mel Science: STEM kit offers engaging and educational experiments for curious young minds. The materials in each kit are super high quality. Each project comes with instructions that are clear and easy to read.
The steps are truly hands-on learning experiences in various scientific fields.
From chemistry to physics, these kits inspire children to explore and understand the world around them in a fun and interactive way.
It compares to another STEM kit my children have used and loved: Creation Crate.
It’s also a subscription box but also sells one-off kits!
With the monthly boxes, your child gets a hands-on coding experience to build electronics and learn programming basics.
Creation Crate focuses on electronics and programming, while Mel Science offers a comprehensive approach with virtual lessons.
I love this about the Creation Crate moto:CRITICAL THINKERS ARE MADE, NOT BORN
Becoming a critical thinker takes work.
Flex your critical thinking muscles with the challenges and problem-solving mindset required to finish a Creation Crate project.
My son tinkered with his Creation Crate subscription when he was 15 years old.
He has always been fascinated with taking apart tech that he started fixing laptops at home.
Today, he is a fourth year STEM student at a top ranked university.
Try Creation Crate!
For younger kids , ages 8–14, I looked into a few other popular options:Bitsbox:
Voted as the #1 STEM box for kids, Bitsbox introduces children to coding through hands-on projects.
Your child starts with coding examples and quickly progress to creating their own apps, fostering a deep understanding of computer programming.
Bitsbox is suitable for beginners with no prior coding experience.
Each kit includes a helpful Grownup Guide and unlimited email support, making it easy for both kids and parents to get started.
It’s real computer programming while having fun and kids learn to create various applications, including video games, greeting cards, and simulations, all of which work on real phones and tablets.
With a subscription box mailed monthly, Bitsbox introduces a new coding concept with each delivery.
Each project builds on the previous one, encouraging kids to tackle more complex and exciting app development challenges over time.
You can also buy the entire box in one go!
Tinkercrate: Encourages hands-on learning with STEM projects, including coding activities, engineering challenges, and science experiments.
It has a lot of great reviews from previous users and subscribers who described the challenges within each project as Educational, Creative, Engaging.
While Bitsbox empowers kids to create their own apps, Tinkercrate offers a broader range of STEM activities beyond coding.
For even younger kids as young as age 6, look to CodeWizardsHQ.
It offers live online coding classes for kids, offering personalized instruction and projects in a collaborative virtual environment.
This option is very cool for children who already are showing an interest in STEM or even for those who are not sure and want to tinker around to see how things work under the hoos.
I also like the maker of TinkerCrate Kiwico Kiwi ‘s other offerings which include coding projects alongside a variety of STEM activities, fostering creativity and problem-solving skills in kids.
It was founded by a mom who is also an engineer and I can tell she put her everything in each subscription box!
Founder Sara Oh Lin left her corporate job to create a company that celebrates kids’ natural creativity and curiosity, while helping parents who want to bring enriching experiences to their children.Love it!
Subscribe to KiwiCo!
No matter which you choose, you cannot go wrong when you hardwire your child’s brain for STEM success!