Together Unplugged is a monthly subscription box designed with the whole family in mind. Each month you will receive 3-4 interactive games and loads of activities and reading material. This subscription is much more than a single-session box. They include activities and resources to help families play, create, read, learn, goal-set, laugh and celebrate together throughout the entire month all while establishing a healthy digital/analog balance in our homes.
This box is being reviewed by popular demand!
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 Together Unplugged
The Subscription Box: Together Unplugged
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $5 off your first box!
CODE: MSA5OFF
The Cost: $47.95/month
The Products: Each month is different, but may include games, puzzles, crafts, team building activities, Highlights magazine, and much more.
Ships to: The US, Puerto Rico, and military addresses for free!
Together Unplugged May 2020 Box Review
The first item is a welcome note and a list of all the included items in this month's box. I love every aspect of this content directory! Each main item is printed in blue and includes a summary about the product and links for teasers and instructions! They even use symbols to indicate what skill you are using for each activity. I have found this very helpful to make sure I have utilized this box in every possible way!
On the opposing side of our welcome sheet we are given some literature on how to get the most out of the box. I love that they include items like "Bring Enthusiasm" and "No Phone Zone." These tips will help you get the most out of your box and really bring your family together. I know all too well that Distance Learning has created wayyyy too much screen time, and these screen-free activities help us strengthen our family bond!
This month we also received a little note card with some monthly updates. I noticed right away that this month's packaging was different. I was excited to see that the bright blue box was not only larger than previously, but stronger too! Unlike previous months, this box came in perfect condition! They also issued an apology for poor planning with featuring marshmallow games in May. They realized some people's marshmallows may melt. This was not a problem for us, as it's still pretty chilly in Minnesota. This sheet also included allergies and ingredients for this month's treats!
1 of 2
Each month we receive a calendar with unique, fun, and festive reasons to celebrate in May! I love having a calendar around, and this one features fun clip art and lists even non-traditional holidays! Following Minnesota's "Stay Home" order, we have been homebound since March 17, but while all events around us are being cancelled, Together Unplugged has really us looking forward to ways to celebrate even when it's just at home! We really had fun with "Limerick Day", and of course we had to celebrate "Dance Like a Chicken Day!" If I'm being honest, we tried saving the included taffy to celebrate "Taffy Day" on the 23rd, but we just couldn't resist...
1 of 2
Every month we are also sent information on two different holidays courtesy of DUCKSTERS Education site for kids. This month we received information about Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day. I very much appreciate the fact that the included facts are easy to read, easy to understand, and include interesting trivia! While we usually head to our local cemetery for a Memorial Day program, this year we will honor our fallen servicemen and women from home.
Goal Sheet
I think now is a great time for everyone to focus on goals. While it seems all of our "normal" activities are being cancelled, we still have to remember we will get through these tough times. Goals propel us forward and getting to talk about them with my family has become a conversation I look forward to each month. This handy sheet includes space for a family goal as well as individual goals. They also include an area to reflect on the goals at the end of the month. Our family goal this month (largely suggested by my kids) is to get the pool set up. Hank's individual goal is to earn $10 by doing chores and asking grandma and grandpa for jobs to do around their house. Charlie's goal is to catch more baseballs. I can't wait to see how our reflection looks at the end of the month!
Expressions of Gratitude Sheet
On the other side of the goal sheet, we received a gratitude sheet. This sheet is broken down into weeks, and has different questions to answer for each week. This exercise is to have you reflect on your thoughts and helps us implement gratitude into our daily lives. I love these in-depth questions as they are easy to understand, yet actually help us engage in meaningful conversation that we might not otherwise have! Some highlights included Hank saying "I am grateful that my parents are so nice and do so much fun stuff with us and love us so much." Charlie was also uber sweet by saying "this week I am thankful for every day because God gave them all to us." These answers alone make me grateful for such sweet boys!!
1 of 5
Family Activity Pack
The family activity pack is one of my favorite parts of this subscription. I love sharing the jokes, riddles, and puzzles with my family. On Thursday, we all piled into my bed and had a "joke night" instead of a movie night. It was really fun and completely different! The only complaint my kids had was that half of the jokes were Star Wars themed, and they didn't understand them. My husband and I got chuckles out of them though!
1 of 4
1 of 10
S.T.E.A.M Craft: Paper Circuit Cards
The STEAM craft this month was paper circuit cards, and it has me wondering why I have never done this before!! How cool did these turn out?! We received all of the necessary tools to create 5 cards that light up with LED light bulbs! All you do is create a card using whatever materials you like (we used markers and watercolors.) Once the image is finished, you poke a hole where you want your light to be and push the light through that spot. Using a pencil and ruler, create a track for your copper tape, and add your battery. Make sure your + and - ends are placed correctly. I found the included websites to be extremely helpful! I thought they turned out pretty dang cute, and can't wait to use the other 2 bulbs on more projects!
1 of 3
1 of 2
Minute-to-Win-It Challenge Sheet
We also love the Together Unplugged Minute-to-Win-It games! Like I said above, our marshmallows were received unscathed by heat, so we were able to play these games straight away! We were having so much fun with these challenges that I didn't get a whole lot of pictures of our experience, but I can tell you firsthand that this bag of marshmallows made for the BEST games! Why didn't I think of these games 2 months ago?! "Tricky Transfer" was hilarious. You had to use a straw to transfer marshmallows from one cup to another! My kids thought the cup toss was a blast, as well as tic-tac-throw. Such simple games, yet so very entertaining!
1 of 2
I totally dominated at tic-tac-throw, while the kids beat me at the cup toss!
1 of 4
Family Team Building Activity
This month's team building activity began with the story, "From Sprout to Stout." This story starts with a father noticing him children beginning to develop bad habits, so he took them for a walk in the forest, and progressively they had to pull out saplings that were bigger and bigger and bigger until they were up to a large oak tree. By the end these kids were out of breath, drenched in sweat, and dirty. The father explained that it is easier to uproot, or break a tree before it got too big and too out of hand. Similarly, it is easy to break bad habits before they have time to develop or strengthen. On the back of the story card, we received some reflection questions. We also received a card for character building. This activity utilizes the sticks and string sent to break the thread when placed between the craft sticks. Each round you add more thread so it cannot be broken by pulling the sticks. The threads are like bad habits, that are more difficult to break the longer we continue doing them. I found this to be a great visual, and really helped my kids understand the moral of the Sprout to Stout story!
1 of 3
Learnin' Limericks!
Because May 12th is "Limerick Day," we received a guide on how to write the five-lined poem that tends to be silly and fun! We also received a nice stack of writing sheets to create a collection of our own! I created my own, while my kids liked listening to them. Hank is working on one as we speak, so I can't wait to read it when he is finished.
Here is my finished poem!
This is the last "paper" item we received, and one that was a lot of fun! They kindly sent us a stack of indoor scavenger hunts in a riddle style! Not only was the front in riddle style, but we also received a regular indoor scavenger hunt and separate outdoor scavenger hunt on the back!
Here the boys are working on their scavenger hunt!
Taffy
Because May 23rd is "Taffy Day" we were blessed with 5 pieces of strawberry saltwater taffy. Because we just couldn't resist, these were not saved until the 23rd, but who says one can't celebrate early, right?
1 of 3
Blink Game - Retail Value $5.39
My kids are obsessed with Uno (seriously, we play it almost every day.) So when my kids saw the "Uno" logo on top of this packaging, they were thrilled! I have never heard of "Blink" before, but it truly is a fast-paced game! One of the perks of this card game is that it can be played in 2 minutes! This 2 person game is played by splitting the deck between both players and holding 3 cards in your hand at a time. Each player lays a card out of their pile and it is a race to match all of your cards onto either pile by shape, count, or color. It is very fast-paced, and is a little unfair if you are pairing an adult with a child, as it is a lot to think about! We had a really fun time playing this, and it has been perfect for a short, late-night card time!
1 of 2
Fast and fun!
1 of 5
Outfoxed! - Retail Value $19.99
Another game that we don't have! How is this possible?! I love it! Outfoxed is a game I have seen in stores, but have never played it. Mrs. Plumpert's prized pot pie has gone missing and now it's a chicken chase to crack the case! You scoot around the board gathering clues to eliminate suspects. I love this game because it is a cooperative game - meaning everyone works together. It is also a great learning game for rolling dice, counting spaces, working on comparison, and working as a team. This game is for ages 5+, and my five year old loved it. It took us about 17 minutes from start to finish, and the kids beg to play it over and over!
Easy to set up, and so much fun to play!
1 of 4
Extreme Dot to Dot - Retail Value $9.95
This month we received a book of extreme dot to dots, pet edition! This cute book includes 32 puzzles bound in a nice quality jacket. The puzzles range in dot numbers, some having more than 1,400 dots!!! Another cool feature about this puzzle book, is that some of these puzzles are actually 2 pages, so they create an even bigger poster! My 7 year old did pretty well at this, but while my 5 year old could start a puzzle, he became frustrated quite quickly and asked me to finish it for him. I love these puzzles because I find them very relaxing, and it's fun to see what connecting all those dots will create!
1 of 3
Highlights Magazine May 2020 - Get a one-year subscription here for $39.96
Another item we always enjoy from this box is the Highlights magazine. I have mentioned before, but my grandma had subscribed me to this magazine when I was a kid and I would read it cover to cover. I now find my kids sitting on the couch scouring over the articles, and it is so fun for me to see! I love their jokes, their articles, and of course the hidden pictures! I find myself still reading it cover to cover!
Certificate of Recognition
Last but not least, we have the Certificate of Recognition. This certificate shows that in May 2020 we were a family that was focused on making time for us. I love the saying "For being a family that's focused on making time for the good stuff." While the "stay at home" order has been a challenge, it has also been really nice to focus my time on our family and strengthen our bond.
Verdict: Together Unplugged boxes are the best! Because we are still in the state-mandated "Stay at Home Order," we have been having a lot of Together time but it definitely hasn't been unplugged. Between the iPads needed for schoolwork, and the countless Zoom meetings, I am almost ready to lose it! So when I receive this box I am absolutely thrilled. Every piece of this box has value and adds to our family bond. Each month we go through the box piece by piece and go through all of the content, leaving no paper unread. I love the mix of original content with the physical items. It is so well curated and put together, that I can't say enough good things about it! This month the "Outfoxed" game and the circuit cards were my favorites, although I found everything to be fun and engaging. Like I've said before, this experience is one that lasts all month long. I can't wait to see what we will receive in June!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, the May box is sold out, so you will receive the June box.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $5 off your first box!
CODE: MSA5OFF
Check out all of our Together Unplugged reviews and our list of the best kids subscription boxes for 2020, recommended by MSA readers like you!
Keep track of your subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of this month's Together Unplugged?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.