Oyster is a monthly STEM & Art-based "profession" subscription for kids ages 5-9. Each month you will receive an educational kit made with the help of professionals and rigorously tested by kids, which includes equipment, information, and experiments to try out a different profession. According to Oyster, kids closer to 9 will be able to complete the tasks independently, while younger kids will require participation from their parents.
This box is being reviewed thanks to MSA reader request!
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About Oyster
The Subscription Box: Oyster Kit
The Cost: $39.95 a month + free shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: A new profession to explore every month through STEM & Art learning materials, online tests, and DIY projects
Ships to: The US only
Oyster "Interior Designer" Kit September 2020 Review
I can't even believe we are at the end of September already. Where has the time gone?! The kids are back to school, and I'm back to work, but with COVID-19 starting to ramp up in our area, we have been on the DL by staying home as much as possible. With our usual traditions being canceled and re-scheduled, the kids have been getting a little down, so seeing this box in the mail gives them something to be excited about when everything else seems to be a disappointment. Let's see what kind of profession we will learn about this month!
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Interior Designer Guide
This month's Interior Designer Guide was chock-full of interesting information about Interior Designers, such as what they do, why we need them, and even the science behind their art. My kids were really enthralled with the color wheel, and how and why certain colors work together better than others. While my boys didn't take that to heart, I found myself learning things I didn't know, and feel a little more informed than I did going into this box! With a vast amount of new information, we were given 4 projects to complete, and while I wasn't sure if the kids would be interested, they loved every second of all the missions! Read below to find out what they had to accomplish this month.
Hank loves going through and reading the guides before digging into any of the projects. It's not only boosted his reading skills but has taught him new information and skills that he otherwise may not have ever thought about.
Project 1: Designer Skill Practice
The booklet describes how Interior Designers use color, textures, and shapes to create a visual experience. They gave some examples of how to practice this art, and one of them was to arrange small items in an area. Hank decided he would work on his night-stand in his bedroom, and without any help, came up with this design. While I didn't see this particular style listed in the examples, I love the fact that he got creative and came up with his own thing. I have to say, when he called me up to unveil his staging, he was a very proud 7-year-old!
Project 2: Design Project
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For our second project, we received a cardboard room to put together, furniture stickers, wallcoverings, and flooring options.
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When we opened up this kit, I have to admit I was a bit jealous seeing this project. We received four pieces of cardboard that fit together to form a room. Along with the cardboard, we received all of the necessary supplies to create our very own room in the style of our very own. When I was a kid, I used to take shoeboxes and cut out furniture and decorations from the JCPenney's catalog and do something similar, but nothing was to scale like these stickers were! I gave Hank full rein, and he chose his flooring, the wallpaper, and all of the furnishings by himself. I did have to help him unstick some of the stickers, as they easily stuck together, but he ultimately placed them exactly where he wanted. He was very excited to add as many stickers as he could fit, which leads me to believe he takes after my mother! Hank was very proud of his display and his GI Joe mini figurines now have a sweet pad to crash at after battles!
Project 3: Lucky Streak
Painter's Tape
For our third project, we received 3 rolls of painter's tape in the primary colors. This tape was to be used to temporarily decorate any living space to your liking....check out how awesome the boys' rooms look now...
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Check out this fantastic décor! While Hank went for some colorful stripes, Charlie went all out and had tiny pieces of tape EVERYWHERE. Just check the new addition to our now colorful switch plate! I have to say, I would never, ever have thought of this activity on my own, but it literally kept the boys busy for a good 45 minutes. They were having the time of their lives sticking this tape wherever they saw fit, and couldn't wait for daddy to get home to show off their hard work. While they didn't really utilize the instructions in the guidebook, they had so much fun that I'm thinking about buying them each a roll of painters tape to stick in their stockings for Christmas!
Project 4: Pillow Fight
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Our last project involved creating a designer pillow. We received a white slip cover pillowcase, and fabric markers in various colors.
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The pillow fight project was exactly that.....a fight. I let Hank create the above design project all on his own because Charlie was having daddy time outside, but told him he had to share the pillow project with his younger brother. That was all fine and dandy until it came time to make the design. While Hank was carefully planning exactly how he wanted the pillow to look, Charlie stepped in and just started going to town with the markers. Hank was not happy, but after talking about the importance of sharing and letting everyone add a little piece of their style to the pillowcase he calmed down and was okay with working together.
What a piece of art! We decided it went swimmingly with the colors in our Halloween throw and added it to the chair in our living room. Another project I was jealous of, as it slightly reminded me of my 1990's purple Doodle Bear!
Verdict: Oyster Kit was really fun this month, and unlike anything I expected. I wasn't sure what kind of projects they would include for the Interior Designer theme but was impressed with not only the information included but the way they showcased exactly what someone in that profession might do. My boys love crafts, so the missions this month were all things they were excited to do, and while I was really jealous, I had a really great time watching their artistic sides come out, and playing referee with the pillow debacle. We can't wait to see what we will get to add to our resume next month!
This month included supplies to create 4 projects that were extremely customizable, well thought out, easy, and fun. While for $39.95 I wish we would have received a few more physical items, the information guide and projects helped us all identify what an Interior Designer exactly does and we had fun learning about it.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Possibly; it depends on kit availability.
Check out all of our Oyster Kit reviews and our list of 2020's best subscription boxes for kids!
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