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.
March 2019 KidArtLit Deluxe Subscription Box Review
This box comes with a list of contents, which shows a picture of the included book, the materials included in the Ready-Set-Go! Pack, and the materials included for the Deluxe Process Art Kit. I like that they include this so I can go through and make sure I received everything I need before I start the projects.
On the back of the contents list is a nice letter from the KidArtLit Co-Founders Julia and Megan. This sweet note gives a summary of what this box includes and why they chose this curation.
The Bluest of Blues - Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs - Retail Value $17.99 (found here for $12.32)
The book featured this month is called “The Bluest of Blues - Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs.” This book is a biography about the woman Anna Atkins, who created the first books of photographs. This story starts in 1807 and weaves together the history of women, science, creativity, and art. The illustrations are all in blue and white, with the exception of a few red accents. It is unlike any other books we have. I would say it was a little advanced for my 4 and 6 year olds. It uses a very large vocabulary and is quite long. Both kids stayed in my lap for the entire book, but they didn’t seem to really understand some of the information. As an adult, I really enjoyed this book; It has a lot of educational information and was very interesting.
To add to the thoughtful curation of this box, the author of the book, Fiona Robinson included a note with information about the book and herself. It was also beautifully decorated with cyan colored illustrations!
Like always, we read the book first, so we can talk about it and really engage in the included activities. Like I said above, this was a long story, so get ready to settle in!
Activity #1
Sunprint Kit - Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California - Retail Value $5.99
The first activity we completed was the Ready-Set-Go! Pack. This project included a Sunprint Kit from the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley. The kit included 12 sheets of cyan paper, and an acrylic cover. In addition to the Sunprint Kit, they also sent different yarn scraps, buttons, and small shells to create fun prints! This craft took about 10 minutes from start to finish. It seemed a little intimidating but after reading the instructions it was very easy and fun.
You use your KidArtLit box and place a sheet of photo paper in it (as far away from the sun as possible)
Then you get to add your objects to the top of the paper. We tried one with a lego alligator, and the included shells and buttons, and one with a pinecone and a leaf. The options are endless for what you could use, it even says you can use negatives to transfer! After you arrange your items you set the box in the sun for 2-5 minutes. It wasn’t the sunniest day that we did it, so we left them out for a full 5 minutes.
After the alloted time, you bring in your picture and rinse it in water for 1 minute. Then voila, you have your very own cyanotype sun print! This was super cool and something I have never done before. My kids were obsessed with this and already want me to order more of the paper!
Project #2
The Deluxe Process art kit included all of the materials needed to make a stamped art frame that can hold your cyanotype sun prints. This kit came with a ‘Just for Kids’ stamp pad, 2 wooden backgrounds, 2 foam flowers, 2 wooden clothespins, 2 foam paint brushes, white acrylic paint, glue dots, and chenille stems.
‘Just for Kids’ Stamp Pad - Retail value $4.99
Darice White Acrylic Paint - Retail value $1.00
I love that they include everything you need to complete these projects! It makes it so easy!
To start the stamped frame, we set out all of our materials. Because acrylic paint stains, we used old placemats to paint on.
We then followed the included instructions and painted the wooden backgrounds and clothespins white.
While we waited for our backgrounds to dry, we took the foam flower for our stamp base, and added the geometric stickers to create our stamp pattern. Charlie had a great time choosing which ones and learning about shapes! We found these shapes suuuper sticky, so be sure to place them exactly where you want them on the first try!
Next, we pressed our stamps in the ink and pressed them onto our dry, white, wooden backgrounds.
Here Charlie is with his frame. We used the included glue dots to attach the clothespin. We also forgot about the chenille stems until after this photo was taken. Charlie created his own hanger on his!
And here are our finished projects! How cool do these look?
The Verdict: This KidArtLit box was so much fun! My favorite things in life are reading and crafting, so my children automatically have these qualities instilled into them, but I have to admit it is sooo nice to receive a project in one box that has hours of fun in it! We get so excited to receive this box in the mail because we never know what we are going to learn and get to create next. I loved learning about the cyanotype prints just as much as my kids did, and we loved spending quality time together creating crafts we can enjoy all year round!
To wrap up:
Value Breakdown: The KidArtLit Deluxe box costs $60.90 a month, so between a hardcover book, the sunprint kit, and the 2 frames, it comes to around $15.23 a finished item. I love the idea of this box and how well it is curated. I honestly needed nothing but the included items to create the projects. That being said, it is expensive. When I add up the retail value of the branded items, I could get them for $26.31. There are a lot of materials I didn’t include, and you can’t put a price on family quality time and the learning experience, but I still feel it doesn’t come to the $60.90.
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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