Koala Crate is the toddler subscription box offering from KiwiCo, designed for hands-on learning and fun every month!
KiwiCo offers boxes for different age groups:
- Panda Crate for 0-24-month-olds,
- Koala Crate for 2-4-year-olds,
- Kiwi Crate for 5-8-year-olds,
- Atlas Crate for 6-11-year-olds,
- Doodle Crate and Tinker Crate for 9-16+-year-olds,
- Eureka Crate and Maker Crate for ages 14 and up. There really is something for every age with this company.
This review is of the $19.95 a month Koala Crate, for Pre-K kids ages 2-4.
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 Koala Crate from KiwiCo
The Subscription Box: KiwiCo Koala Crate
The Cost: $19.95 a month + free shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: 2-3 fun DIY projects for you to do with your preschooler!
Ships to: The US for free, Canada for $3.95 per month, worldwide from $4.95-$6.95.
KiwiCo Koala Crate "Storytime" Review
As we plug through the 2nd half of the school year, we have been back to school in full force! Because the weather has been freezing cold, we have been spending extra time indoors, which is when Koala Crate comes in handy! Even though we have tons of toys and games, my kids have still had cases of "I'm-bored-itis" and that is alleviated by this box. Last month's camping theme was a huge hit, so I was excited to see what this month's theme might be. When I read "Storytime" I was a little leery of how this would captivate my boys, but I have to say, they did a good job! This particular subscription is geared towards kids aged 2-4, and while Charlie is a year older than that category, we find this box to be perfect for my two boys to complete all on their own. Check out how our Storytime went below.
1 of 6
Charlie loves to tell stories, we hear a collaboration of hundreds a day, and I hope he never quits. This Storytime box contained activities to help children tell stories using a puppet theater, dress-up puppets, and a whiteboard. While the activities and projects were easy to complete and do (thanks to the well laid out instructions and illustrations,) my kids both loved changing them up and re-creating them over and over again. This isn't a one-and-done box, this is something they will continue to use, which is awesome.
1 of 7
Each month the Koala Crate "Imagine!" magazine is included. This month they included pictures about adventures where stories may take place, an "Ella and Peter" story, a "move" activity, a learning activity, a DIY project, and suggested books about reading. This was fun, as Charlie is currently learning how to read. We enjoyed looking up the recommended stories on YouTube to listen to read-along style, and we can't wait to make the monster bookmark!
Big brother wasn't here to help, so he worked really hard on his own to sound out the big words!
Puppet Theater
For our first craft, we received a theater box, whiteboard, reversible backdrops, a curtain, and round foam buttons to create our very own puppet theater. The supplies are wonderfully made and the instructions were very easy to follow and helpful.
Because there weren't many steps, Charlie was able to create this theater by himself very quickly. He enjoyed having the options of different backdrops and loved moving the curtain up and down for showtime. We went through the instructions and talked about some of the recommended prompts like "What kind of story might take place in each scene?" and "Who do you think you would see in each place?" This led to good conversation, and started getting the creative juices flowing for his production!
Dress-Up Puppets
The next project we got to create was dress-up puppets to create our story with. Charlie was able to depict what he needed to do by using the pictures on the instruction page. He punched the magnets from the magnet sheet and created his scene. He loved the variety of magnets but was hoping for a sled dog, and sled for his Arctic adventure. This afternoon he mentioned creating one on his own, so stay tuned...
Charlie was really proud of his theater and magnet puppets and told a wonderful story about two boys in the Arctic with a penguin friend that was flying a kite. It is so fun to watch your child create stories in their mind and play them out through play. I find this extremely important for growth, and had a lot of fun being Charlie's audience!
Alphabet Card Games
Our last activity included the necessary items for an alphabet card game. The supplies we received were a whiteboard, whiteboard marker, and alphabet cards.
1 of 5
This last project was one I thought Charlie might think was a little boring as he knows all of his letters, but boy was I wrong! There is something about a new dry erase marker that just can't be resisted! Charlie went ahead and drew almost all of the alphabet cards and their corresponding pictures, practicing their sounds as he went. Dustin and Hank were home by this time and got in the action as well! We did use the "ideas for play" and picked a card to start our story, adding more as we went to see how funny they could be -- it made for a great Sunday evening!
Verdict: This Koala Crate was really unique and fun. I wasn't sure what to expect from a Storytime theme but was pleasantly surprised to see how it turned out. We loved the inclusion of the theater and magnets and found telling stories in this manner really fun and exciting. The alphabet card game was also a great activity to do as a family. The curation of this box was really great and made for a very fun experience for my kid from start to finish. We can't wait to see what next month's theme will be!
All of the included projects came with high-quality materials and were educational as well as fun. This month's Storytime theme was fun and entertaining and can be used over and over again. For me, the educational and fun aspects are worth the $19.95.
To Wrap :
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? From KiwiCo:
Crates are assigned each month based on availability and your crate history – not all subscribers receive the same theme each month
Check out all of our Koala Crate by KiwiCo reviews and the best subscription boxes for toddlers and kids!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of this month's Koala Crate?
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.