Green Kid Crafts is a kids subscription box company that sends you up to six science and art kits each month for $29.95 (with free U.S. shipping).
Green Kid Crafts strives to encourage the growth of the "whole child," which includes fostering a sense of care for our environment. Their process and products seek to have a minimal environmental impact, and the activities in each box aim to help kids engage with nature in creative ways. It's not surprising that Green Kid Crafts was actually founded by an environmental scientist! The thoughtful approach makes this box one of our favorite kids' art subscriptions.
FYI, COVID-19 Update: From Green Kid Crafts:
Thanks to our customer and community support, we have grown! We are excited to have recently shipped out our 1.5 millionth box!
While our production is on track, we are still experiencing some shipping delays as carriers face strain and high volumes due to COVID.
Green Kid Crafts is a small mom-owned, parent-run business committed to providing a high level of service.
Thank you for supporting our small business and our mission to empower the next generation of environmental leaders!
For more ways to keep your kiddos educationally engaged during these times, check out our Returning to Learning back-to-school guide to see how subscriptions can help make your life easier as you navigate this unique school year.
Choose between the Junior Discovery Box (ages 2-4) or the Discovery Box (ages 5-10+), both of which are $29.95/month. Green Kid Crafts also offers a Sibling Discovery Box (ages 2-10+) for $49.95/month, which sends two of each project. All subscriptions include free shipping.
This is a review of the Discovery Box for ages 5-10+, which costs $29.95/month + free 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 Green Kid Crafts Discovery Box
The Subscription Box: Green Kid Crafts Discovery Box
The Cost: $29.95 per month + free shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: Materials and instructions for up to 6 science and art projects aimed at helping children ages 5-10+ get creative and engage with nature.
Ships to: The U.S. for free, to Canada and select countries for a flat rate of $6.50/month
Green Kid Crafts "Color Science" January 2021 Box Review
I have to admit, my kids had extremely high expectations for this months box, as they absolutely drooled over last month's "Arctic Science" theme. How did "Color Science" compare, do you ask? Even better!! While we didn't turn our weekend into a full-fledged color science extravaganza, we had a wonderful time experimenting with color, and spending time with one another. Read below to find out what type of activities we received this month.
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Every month we receive a well thought-out, illustrated pamphlet that includes an introduction, activity instructions, other DIY activities, and a maze. We always find this addition easy to read, informational, and fun. The back of the pamphlet includes their social media hashtags, along with a blurb about Penny Bauder, who is the founder of Green Kid Crafts.
Project 1: Colorful vs. Clear
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Our first activity included cups, color tablets, clear jelly marbles, colored jelly marbles, and a little scoop. Through this activity we learned about magnifying marbles, color changing, and comparing and contrasting.
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To start our colorful vs. clear experiment, we first added water to 5 cups on the table. Using the provided color tabs, we added them to the designated cups of water and added the clear marbles to each cup. For the 2 cups of uncolored water, we added one scoop of clear marbles to one cup and one scoop of colored marbles to the last cup. As time progressed, we kept an eye on our marbles and watched them expand and change color! It was crazy to us that you couldn't even see the clear marbles in the colored water - they had no outline! How is that possible?! These marbles were an absolute hit, and basically made the box this month.
Project 2: Color Mixing Laboratory
For our color mixing laboratory, we were given a pipette, a mini mixing tray, clear jelly marbles, and the colored water from Project 1.
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My son received a Crayola color lab kit for Christmas a couple of years ago, and while we have a bit of experience with color mixing, I have to say this experiment was sooo much cooler. Using the primary colored water we created in the first activity, Hank and Charlie filled 24 wells of the mixing tray with different color concoctions. It was so fun to watch them get excited over learning and they felt like magicians creating new colors. Once they filled the wells, they added a clear marble to each and let sit overnight. Like magic, the marbles expanded and took on the very bold colors. It was interesting to see the size variation of the marbles based on how much water was in the wells - sooo neat!
Project 3: Petri Dish Kaleidoscope
To create our petri dish kaleidoscope, we received a petri dish, rubber band, and jelly marbles from the first activity.
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Using a handful of each colored marbles, we put them in a paper towel to dry and laid them in the petri dish to make a "jelly marble pie." We slipped the rubber band around the dish and let them sit overnight. The next morning, we observed that the colors ran together and created more colors... so fun!
Project #4: Spin Art
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The fun continues on! For our 4th project, we received a wooden top, paint, recycled paper circles and clothes pins.
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This was our messiest project of the month, but a really fun one. To start, we placed the top in our empty box. We then slid the paper circle on the top of the wooden top. Spinning the top, we applied small squirts of paint onto the top while it was spinning. We added colors and created new colors turning our white circles into tie-dye magic! I really want a shirt with that blue/purple/pink pattern on it! I also appreciated the additional information about centrifugal force explaining why the colors mixed together - educational and fun, but I still am not sure what the clothes pins were for?
Project #5: Tissue Art + Color Mixing
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The supplies included to make our tissue art were an art canvas and bleeding tissue paper.
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To create this tissue paper art, Hank first wet his entire canvas with water and applied ripped up tissue paper to it. Once it was covered, we set it aside and let it dry. Once the paper completely dried, we peeled it off and were left with the print of the paper. While we were expecting the colors to be a bit brighter, I thought it turned out pretty neat - especially in the spots where the paper had crinkled.
Project #6: Tie Dye Treasure Bag
For our last project, we received a muslin bag, and more bleeding tissue paper.
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Just like the canvas, the first step in this project was to wet the bag. Once it was wet, Charlie added the ripped up tissue paper to the bag as he pleased. We watched the colors bleed and blend and he set it in a safe place to dry. Once it was dry, he peeled off the papers to reveal his snazzy new pouch! I am actually a big fan of the pattern on his bag. Do you see a man walking if you look really close?
The final inclusion in this month's box is our "Color Expert" sticker badge. After completing all of the activities, we are now considered experts in the world of colors. Hooray!
Verdict: This month's Green Kid Crafts might just have taken over the top spot! Last month's "Arctic Science Kit" was fun, but I don't think anything can beat those jelly marbles! We found the curation to be well thought out, well executed, educational, and fun. We learned a lot about primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, and just had a general good time while conducting all of the experiments. I appreciate the STEAM involvement in each of these boxes and the fact that it supplements learning at home in a entertaining way. I can't wait to see what next month's theme might be!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Here's what Green Kid Crafts says:
The first box of all subscription orders will ship immediately, through the 25th of the month. After the 25th, the initial box will ship with the following month’s mid-month shipment. After the first month, subsequent boxes will ship around the middle of the month.
Check out all of our Green Kid Crafts reviews and the best kid subscription boxes for more kids' activities!
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