Tinker Crate is a subscription box for kids and tweens ages 9-16+ created by kids subscription box company KiwiCo. Each monthly Tinker Crate contains all the materials and instructions needed to create innovative, hands-on STEM projects, as well as a "Tinker Zine" full of educational information and additional activities.
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 KiwiCo's Tinker Crate (for ages 9-16+), which costs $19.95 per month.
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 Tinker Crate
The Subscription Box: Tinker Crate
The Cost: $19.95 per month + free shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 50% off your 1st month! No coupon needed - just use this link.
The Products: Innovative hands-on STEM projects for kids, plus the materials and detailed instructions your child needs to complete them. You'll also get a "Tinker Zine" full of educational information and additional activities.
Ships to: The U.S. for free, Canada for $3.95 per month, worldwide from $4.95-$6.95
KiwiCo Tinker Crate "Water Fountain" Review
1 of 9
The theme of this month's Tinker Zine is "Powered by Water" to go with our water fountain project. They included a lot of educational information about water and plumbing and even included some fun extra projects we can try out later.
1 of 4
Our project instructions come on a separate sheet and they include detailed directions along with colorful illustrations for each step.
Part A: Build the Wheel
1 of 3
The first step for our water fountain was to build the wheel for our fountain. They provided these cardboard pieces for the side with foam stickers, a plastic axel, some zip ties, wooden dowels, and a plastic tray to set it in along with some plastic wheel paddles.
1 of 7 | She placed the adhesive squares onto the marked spots and then added the sides to the tray.
Part B: Build the Figure
1 of 2
Next, it was time to build the figure. They provided these pieces along with a foam circle, some brad fasteners, and a plastic handle.
1 of 4
Next, she added the adhesive pieces to stick the shelf onto the side of the tray and added the small foam wheel to the axel. Then she assembled the little figure using the brad fasteners they provided and attached it to the foam wheel using the little handle and adhesives at the bottom.
When we blew on the wheel the little figure started to move.
Part C: Complete the Fountain
1 of 2
The last step was to complete our fountain. They provided two plastic cups, two tubes, a syringe, some foam pieces, and a plastic tube connector.
1 of 6 | She added some foam pieces to the tube connector piece.
1 of 4
She used some adhesive foam to stick the cup to the top of our box which we stood on its end. Then she stuck the end of one of the tubes to the inside of the cup and I added some water for us.
1 of 4
She filled up the syringe with water from the cup and then she hooked it to the end of the other tube and pushed the water through while covering the empty tube connector piece over our wheel.
Then she removed her finger and we realized our connector piece had slid down so we made a bit of a mess, but our wheel turned!
This little guy spun as our water went through the wheel like he was turning a crank for us.
Here you can see the whole thing in action!
1 of 2
We just used the syringe to transfer the water back and forth, and then we let baby brother get in on the action. Then it was time for some free play! She had fun moving the tubes around and testing out different ways to get the wheel going. It certainly allowed for a lot of open-ended play and a fun way to explore how to get the water to do what you wanted it to using the mix of tubes and connector pieces we had.
Verdict: This month's Tinker Crate project was a really fun one, and I think I'll be setting it aside for a warm day when we can be outside because this is perfect for a fun water station activity! It was simple to assemble and all of the tubing and materials they provided allowed it to be more open-ended so that we could actually "tinker" with it and have some fun! It was slightly messy, but since the cups were small and so was the water tray, there was only so much of a mess we could make, which I appreciated! Overall, this box was engaging, well organized, and I love that we have some other fun activities we can try in our Tinkerzine!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? It is possible you might get this crate, but it is not a guarantee. From KiwiCo:
Crates are assigned each month based on availability and your crate history - not all subscribers receive the same theme each month.
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 50% off your 1st month! No coupon needed - just use this link.
Check out all of our Tinker Crate reviews and the best subscription boxes for kids!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of this month's Tinker 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.