KidArtLit is a literature and art based subscription designed for kids ages 3-8 by two longtime educators and moms. Each month is carefully curated to include a hardcover picture book, two different art experiences with enough supplies for two children, two lit-inspired art guides, and expert tips to help you spark curiosity and creativity.
Good to know: Not only does this subscription benefit our children, but each KidArtLit box is packaged by CSS, a non-profit group that provides employment and job training to adults with developmental disabilities. The boxes are made from 100% recyclable, and they also partner with dozens of women-owned companies!
There are multiple subscription options available including the Spark box for $35.95 a month, the Deluxe box for $51.95 a month, and the Digital box for $14.95 a month. As of November 2018, the Digital membership is included in the Spark and Deluxe boxes! All kits can be customized to include supplies for up to 8 children!
This is the review for the Deluxe Box which is $51.95 per month plus $8.95 shipping.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About KidArtLit
The Subscription Box: KidArtLit Deluxe Box
The Cost: $51.95 a month + $8.95 shipping. Save with longer commitments.
ACTIVE DEAL: $10 off new memberships
CODE: BOOKISHFAM
The Products: A specially curated box containing a gorgeous hardcover picture book, (brand new release, or from boutique or international publishing houses) enough high quality art supplies for two children to complete 2 different art projects to coincide with the included book, art guides, and expert tips to enhance the entire experience and bring the joy back into family time.
Ships to: Spark kits ship for $7.95 and Deluxe kits are delivered for $8.95 in the US. Canadian subscriptions ship for $18.95, while all other international orders ship for $25 a month.
February 2019 KidArtLit Deluxe Subscription Box Review
This box came with a nicely organized Content List, featuring a photo and information of the included book, the contents of the Ready-Set-Go! Art Pack, and the contents of the Deluxe Process Art Kit.
On the back of the contents card is a sweet letter from the Co-Founders of KidArtLit. This note explains a little about each activity and why it was chosen. I really enjoyed this added information!
Robot In Love by T.L. McBeth (2018) - Retail Value $17.99 (found here for $12.75)
The hardcover book featured this month is called Robot In Love and it features a lonely robot who falls in love with a shiny, beautiful stranger. The robot is so smitten and shy that he can’t seem to work up the courage to talk to her. Finally, after several attempts, he makes her a special present to win her over, but when he goes to find her, she is gone! Will Robot ever see her again? This book is very cute and is perfectly themed for Valentine’s Day! My kids love robots and they really enjoyed the fun illustrations and all of the robot talk in this book. They also really enjoyed the ending, they thought it was very funny!
And just to make this whole experience a little more special, the author T.L. McBeth has included a little note about her book! I feel this really adds to the thoughtfulness of this box, and really helps me feel connected to the whole curation!
Because the crafts and activities in this subscription are based on the book included, we read the book first and then continue onto the projects. There is nothing better than snuggling up with my boys and a book, especially when it’s -30 outside!
Activity #1
The first activity we did was the Ready-Set-Go! Pack. This craft included 2 heart-shaped wind-up toys, 2 neon acrylic paints, and a set of 4 notecards and envelopes. Each child gets to create 2 Valentine cards! Because acrylic paint can stain, there is a note to work on a covered surface and wear clothes that are suitable for play. This craft only took about 10 minutes from start to finish, although drying time was overnight. Each child took a white note-card and laid it out flat. We then added a few drops of paint onto the card and wound up the toy. You release the knob and are to watch the toy hop through the paint creating patterns and lines. While this is great in theory, we found it didn’t work as we hoped. The paint was much too thick and sticky for the little feet of the heart to make it through and didn’t really make a pattern. We tried less paint and it still didn’t work like we wanted it to. We ended up using the feet as a stamper and the kids just smeared the paint around however they wanted. And while my kids enjoyed the bright orange and blue paint, I would have preferred red and pink paint to match the Valentine theme a little more. That being said, we had a fun time creating these cards and talking about the book. And to top it off, the grandmas and great-grandmas will have special mail coming to them soon!
Is there a thing as too much paint? We don’t think so!
Activity #2
The Deluxe Process art kit included all the supplies to make salt-dough heart garland. It came with 2 heart cookie cutters, a mini wooden rolling pin, aluminum pie pan, craft stick, white flour, table salt, dried rose petals, satin ribbon, and a paper straw. The directions were very easy to follow and the kids liked doing all the steps themselves. The most exciting part for them was adding the rose petals! We found it a bit difficult to get the cookie cutters to cut through the rose petals to form perfect hearts. If we were to do it again, we might have poked the rose petals in at the end to avoid jagged edges. The instructions also included extra ideas on how you could paint the hearts, or even use excess salt dough for beads! It was fun to talk about the Robot In Love book while creating the hearts, and the kids really enjoyed this project. We turned one garland into an ornament, and the other we hung up on our wall.
This project took about 30 minutes not including drying time. We have made salt dough before, but the incorporation of rose petals really made it special!
And here is all of our completed projects! We spent about an hour from start to finish on this box, and have already enjoyed reading Robot In Love more than once!
The Verdict: This KidArtLit box was so much fun! I absolutely adore reading and craft time, so when I can tie it all together and share it with my children I am ecstatic! This month we spent around 50-60 minutes on the box, which is about half the time we spent on the January box. The kids really enjoyed reading the “Robot in Love” book and extending our experience with a book study and craft projects. While we wish the paint project would have worked a little better, we still enjoyed it! The boys loved getting their hands dirty with the salt dough so that was a definite hit!
The KidArtLit Deluxe box costs $60.90 a month ($51.95 + $8.95 shipping), so between a hardcover book, and a total of 4 completed projects, it costs about $12.18 for each completed piece. While it is extremely convenient to receive a box with every craft supply needed, plus the literature to complete them, this price point seems a little steep, especially for this month. I really appreciate how educational and fun this was, but when I can buy the book for less than $13 on Amazon, I really find it hard to justify spending this every month. I can definitely see myself ordering this for special occasions, but I don’t think I could afford it every month.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. If you sign up between the 1st and 15th of the month, your shipment will be sent on or around the 15th. If you sign up after, your box will ship within 3 business days. If the current delivery sells out, you will receive a past box as their inventory allows.
ACTIVE DEAL: $10 off new memberships
CODE: BOOKISHFAM
Check out all of our KidArtLit reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory to find other craft boxes.
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What do you think of this month’s KidArtLit? Who did you share your project with? Tell us in the comments!
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