History Unboxed is an educational subscription for youth ages 5 and up. “Recipes, crafts, art, myths, and relatable details enable students to experience history with many of their senses and form a lasting and meaningful bond with the past.”
This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is of the ages 5-9, $29.97 a month, box.
The Subscription Box: History Unboxed
The Cost: $29.97 per month + $7 shipping = $36.97 per month
COUPON: Use code MYSA294 to save 50% off your first box when you sign your first child up for a regular subscription!
The Products: Recipes, crafts, art, myths, and relatable details of a different time and place in history every month.
Ships to: U.S. only
Check out all our History Unboxed reviews and the Kids Subscription Box Directory for more educational boxes!
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Because my daughter, Cira, is almost 7 years old we received the box curated for 5-9 year olds. Here is History Unboxed’s description of this subscription level:
Highly visual, approachable materials for younger students that can be explored with the help of an educator. In addition to craft materials, recipes, and souvenirs our monthly magazine helps give educators the background they need to teach about the topic of the month.
Each subscription starts with a welcome kit. Inside the kit are the supplies and crafts needed “to start your historic journey.” The supplies in the kit are used for activities in subsequent boxes.
We received The Welcome Kit our first month, but here is what you can expect to receive:
- A interactive timeline poster
- A welcome letter and coloring sheet
- A time capsule kit to create your own historic memento
- A worksheet to help students understand how to read a timeline
- Additional art and organizational materials to use throughout your subscription
After the welcome kit, each new box explores “a different place in time.” This month’s package is all about Ancient Phoenicia.
Ava and Zane, the History Unboxed characters, take us with them in their time adventures and always have a story to tell that relates to the historic journey.
Activity #1: Batik Dye
The first historic activity we did was create the Batik dye backpack. After pre-washing the backpack, we melted the wax and Cira painted a design on the backpack with the wax. We wet the backpack, sprayed on the dye and then let it dry for a day. The next day I ironed the wax off with a piece of cloth included in the box. We put the backpack and the dryer and voila! Although it took some time to complete, the activity was fun and easy enough for my daughter to complete without much assistance. Plus, she made it as a gift for her friend. I think it turned out really nice too.
Activity #2: Make Your Own Papyrus
Next, we did the papyrus activity. Cira mixed water and glue in a shallow dish. She submerged the papyrus strips in the glue and then we placed them together with cardboard and cloth below and above. We weighted the papyrus down and let it dry overnight. It took at least one full day to dry. The finished product didn’t look so great but it was an interesting project as Cira didn’t know what papyrus was nor how paper was (and is) made.
Activity #3: Phoenician Alphabet
The final project was for Cira to write her name in the Phoenician alphabet on the gold plaque. Since the Phoenician alphabet doesn’t have a lot of vowels, Cira had some difficulty deciding how she would write her name but in the end, we did what I thought on one side and then she made up her own letters (see final photo) on the other.
Verdict: I really like that hands-on approach to learning with History Unboxed and there is so much to do! The activities worked well for my daughter (age 7) and we both learned a lot. While the $37.00 monthly cost is not cheap, there is so much in this box and the quality of the supplies is good, so to me the value is there. We don’t home school any longer but if we did, this box would have been extremely useful. It’s great for supplementing school learning too, so overall we’re very happy with History Unboxed.
What do you think of History Unboxed?
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