Tinker Crate is a subscription box for kids and tweens ages 9-14 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.
This review is of KiwiCo's Tinker Crate (for ages 9-14), which costs $19.95 per month.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
This month we got to make our own geometric drawing machine. Since my kids love their spirographs, I knew my daughter would love making her own version!
What's Inside This Box
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Our Tinker Zine is full of educational information related to our project. This month we learned about ancient geometry and how to draw mystic roses!
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The directions for our project come on a separate sheet with illustrated steps broken into different sections. They always include helpful troubleshooting information as well.
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This month they supplied us with some wooden pieces, foam stickers, rubber bands, and washi tape. There were plastic nuts and bolts, springs, and other smaller pieces to assemble our machine with, too.
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They also provided some paper circles to draw on, and two metallic markers in silver and gold.
Part A: Build the Base
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First, she got started with the base. She had to add the foam feet to the bottom of the board and then she added the first drawing peg to the dial gear.
Part B: Attach the Gears
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Next, she attached the remaining gears making sure the teeth fit together.
Part C: Add the Drawing Arms
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Now it was time to add the drawing arms. She placed a paper circle in the center using the washi tape to hold it in place. Then she used the rubber bands to hold the arms onto the drawing pegs. Lastly, she added a rubber band to the front of the arms which would act as the marker holder.
Part D: Add the Marker
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The final step was to add the marker and then it was time to draw! She operated the machine by turning the smaller dial gear at the bottom. It was a little shaky to start, but once she got the hang of it, things started to flow smoothly!
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To change the drawing, all she had to do was take the rubber bands off and place the arms on the drawing pegs at a different numbered slot.
Here is her first attempt. We have a lot more playing around to do by adding more colors, swapping out gears (they also included a larger one for us to try), and by changing the position of the arms. The possibilities are endless!
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $19.95
This was a fun project to build and I love that we can play around with it and try so many new variations! I do wish that they had included some more markers for us since the shorter ones seem to work better, but overall, I am happy with the value!
Key Takeaways
There are so many more drawings to be made with this little machine! I love that my daughter got to build something and now she can use it to create something. I always think it's fun when you build it yourself because you get a better understanding of how it actually works, which is invaluable.
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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.
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