This is one of the latest subscription box for kids from Pley: the National Geographic Kids box! Each Junior Explorers box is designed for kids ages 5-11 and includes activities, toys & accessories, including educational digital games.
This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
This is a review of the Mission: Serengeti Box, which is the 5th box a paying subscriber would receive.
About National Geographic Kids Box
The Subscription Box: National Geographic Kids Box
The Cost: $19.99/month + $4.95 shipping
The Products: Each box is designed for kids ages 5-11 and includes activities, toys & accessories, including educational digital games.
Ships To: US Only
Box #5: Mission Serengeti
This is our second time checking out the National Geographic Kids Box from Pley, and this one looks to be a bit more exciting right off the bat!
Like last time, everything comes packaged in a cute suitcase-style case with a handle, convenient for storing your trading cards in or keeping around for dress-up. (The case is just big enough for an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper inside, and about 1 to 1.5" inches thick.)
Mission Serengeti Booklet
The booklet this time is a larger format than our first box I believe. It takes you through how to access the online educational material (which is a super important part of this box) and also runs through what's inside. You'll also find some fun facts and background info on this month's mission, and some activities too.
The booklet encourages you to use some of the other items you'll receive, like your animal trading cards.
This month's mission is to locate missing migrating herds of animals!
Online Mission & Game
A critical part of this subscription is access to the kid-friendly online portal. This is where the actual "mission" in each box happens!
Kids will join Kyle and Kia as they travel to the Serengeti to try to solve the mystery of missing migrating herds. This part of the mission is part listening to narration and looking at pictures, but there are some activities along to way to keep kids interested.
For example, before we arrive at our destination, we need to pack our bag with the special tools we need for life in the desert!
As the storyline progresses, you learn more about the Serengeti and the animals that live there.
There are also a set of 6 related games that you can play independently of the mission itself! These include some basic "fun" games (like driving a keep around obstacles in the road), but some that help reinforce the educational parts of the mission, too. For example, this particular matching puzzle gives kids various examples of food chains in action:
Subscribers can log in anytime to access the games and past missions, so it's something your child can return to whenever you like.
Animal Fact Cards
We received a set of these in our last box, too! These are perforated so you can separate them and keep them. I used to love my Wildlife Fact File as a kid, so this really brings me back. 🙂
The back of the cards has a National Geographic and Pley graphic.
Serengeti Stickers
I liked that our stickers this time are shaped like stamps! All kids love stickers, right? These are just for fun: there's no specific activity that goes with them, but the animals match all the ones you'll learn about this month.
Mission: Lion Rescue Book – MSRP $12.99
This is a large-format magazine book all about lions! It's really hefty and is more like a softcover book, but shaped like a magazine and reminiscent of big old thick issues of Nat Geo that I remember from my childhood.
The book is full-color and 128 pages and just packed with cool stuff to look at and read. It talks where lions live, about prides and hunting, and how they interact with people (and how people are involved with helping to save them).
Seriously, so many great photos too! I always loved exploring wildlife photography in my dad's Nat Geo subscription as a kid. I think this would be a real hit with any kid who loves reading and nature.
National Geographic Kids Zebra T-shirt
Every box contains a t-shirt, too; you select your child's size when you sign up. Unlike the other Pley subscriptions, these are branded for National Geographic Kids and not the box itself.
I love this shirt! It's a cotton/poly blend (great for kids in my experience) and I just think the bright colors and fun facts are awesome.
Verdict: We definitely thought this edition of the National Geographic Kids Box was a fun and educational box! It's pretty affordable and is perfect to encourage young biologists in the making, or even kids that are interested in the great outdoors in general or nature photography.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? If you subscribe to this box, the Serengeti Box will be the fifth box you receive in the series. (All subscribers receive boxes in the same order, starting with box #1.)
Is the National Geographic Kids Box worth it? As I've said before, strict value statements for educational boxes are really difficult. I'd definitely end up spending over $20 if I purchased the book and the t-shirt separately, so in this case, I do think the online content and other small activities help make the box worth it overall.
Check out all of our National Geographic Kids Box reviews and more educational subscription boxes in the Kids Subscription Box List!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add National Geographic Kids Box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of the National Geographic Kids Box?
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