Isle Box and Hike It Baby (a non-profit that encourages parent-and-child hiking meetups across the country) have teamed up to launch a new outdoorsy subscription box for kids – Little Hiker!
My Subscription Addiction received this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Little Hiker
The Cost: $24.99 a month + $3.49 shipping
The Products: "Over $30 of goods and adventures. Includes an item for parents, and item for kids, snacks, outdoor themed products, and kid’s activities."
Ships to: U.S.
Good to know: This box has customization options! You can select Baby, Toddler, Preschool, or Big Kid (5+) age ranges, and also let them know if you or your child have any nut, fruit, or gluten allergies.
Check out our Kids Subscription Box Directory to browse more great kid boxes!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
I've been anticipating this box since it was announced - not only do I personally love to get outdoors in the summer, but my toddler is basically knocking down the door every morning to try and get his hands on as many sticks and rocks as possible. I've also been a fan of Hike It Baby for awhile and have been reading Andy's Isle Box reviews, so I really couldn't wait to dig into this box!
The intro card has a nice greeting and lists out everything that's included - looks like some useful items, plus activities and snacks.
Hike It Baby Sticker - Value $1.50
This little promotional item was one of the first things I pulled out. I haven't actually gone on any Hike It Baby meetups in my area, but they are active here and it's been on my to-do list forever. They have a lot of great hikes near us for parents with small kids as well as toddlers, even planning toddler-led walks that end at playgrounds and other fun ideas. It's a really cool organization for outdoorsy parents!
Two Branded Trail Books - Value $7
These branded notebooks are also for sale in the Little Hiker shop, so I'm using their retail price. I wish we'd have gotten two different designs, but it's nice to have two - I am always losing these pocket-sized notebooks. My 2-year-old is way too young to use this himself, but I think we may use it to stick some leaves into and just jot down a little diary of our adventures.
Set of 2 Twig Pencils - Total Value $2.50
My two-year-old is obsessed with sticks in general; he hasn't seen these yet since pencil and crayon time requires extra supervision unless we want our whole house decorated. These are super cute and I know a slightly older kid would really enjoy taking these out on the trail to use with their notebooks...
Hike It Baby Postcard
...or to write a postcard with! I love writing postcards for no special reason so we'll probably use this one soon.
Jumbo Magnifying Glass from Learning Resources - Value $7
I was surprised this was only $7 - it's pretty heavy duty and made to last, other than the little stand bit. (This was on Amazon for cheaper, but shipping was more than the price of the item!)
We got a solid 30 minutes of entertainment out of this before bedtime tonight, as my son ran around the house examining my face, the floor, some vegetables we were chopping for dinner, and finally some bubbles in the tub. I can't wait to actually take it outside! Sometimes the simplest toys really are the best.
Mini Monkey Mat - Value $8 (also available on Amazon for $11.99 )
This is one of those things I would never have thought that I needed, but I can tell we're going to get a lot of use out of it this summer. It's a nice big size at 5 feet by 3 feet and packs down so small that it's super easy to carry with you. And it was easy to pack too - I just stuffed it back into the zipper pocket with no finicky folding.
It also has weighted corners and loops in case you want to stake it down, so it can actually be a nice little way to claim a spot if you go to outdoor movies in the summer, or even just want a spot at the pool or beach to throw your bag onto. I can see this being used to make a little sunshade in a pinch, too, if you can hook the loops around some tree branches. It's also machine washable. Despite being so lightweight, I'm impressed with the quality so far and (once again) surprised at the low price!
This Bar Saves Lives, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter & Sea Salt, 2 bars - Total Value $4 (Buy 12 on Amazon for $24.98)
This brand is new to me, and these bars were really, really good. I am a sucker for peanut butter and chocolate and this was rich and satisfying. I do like that this brand gives back, too, by providing food to children in need.
Kudos to Little Hiker for including two bars and not just one - thank you for helping fuel both parents and kids!
Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, 3- 1 oz. packs - Value $1.35 (Buy 36 packs on Amazon for $16.24)
Once again, multiple snack packs is a big win! My son can crush these crackers faster than you can say "Are you hungry?" so having 3 packs means they might last a full day out instead of just the car ride to our destination. Hope other subscription boxes are taking note.
Annie's Cheddar Bunnies are my favorite cheese cracker snack: they are cheesier tasting than most others and so delicious!
Hike It Baby 30 Day Challenge Calendar
This is full of so many great ideas! It can be tough to come up with new ideas to entertain a toddler outside, but we try to get outside every day when the weather cooperates. This definitely got me excited for the weekend - I think we'll head back out to our local botanic gardens for a little adventure.
Verdict: I had such a blast unpacking the first Little Hiker box and am really excited about spending more time outside this summer with my son! For this first box, I thought the curation was really great - B loves the magnifying glass, I love the Monkey Mat, and everything else will definitely get used or eaten one way or another.
They did promise $30 or more in each box, and I think they cut it awfully close... but even though there were a lot of smaller/cheaper items in the box and I'm not confident about the retail prices on all of them, the box still felt "complete" to me. I like that they thought to include multiple snacks and multiples of the smaller items like the notebooks and pencils. I can tell we'll be looking forward to this one all summer and fall for sure and I can't wait to see what's up next!
What do you think about Little Hiker? Do you have any other ideas for fun outdoor activities for a 2-year-old?
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