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 $23.95 per month or less depending on your subscription length.
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 50% off your 1st month! No coupon needed - just use this link.
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
I can hardly believe that my kids are 8 and almost 11 years old, when it seems like just yesterday they were tiny babies. The quote: "The days are long, but the years are shorts" rings all too true. It seems like there were endless opportunities of subscription boxes when the boys were little, but now as they age, it is harder and harder to find subscription boxes that suit their interests. Because they are now honing in on specific interests, one of them being construction, Tinker Crate has been hard to beat. Hank has been hooked since his first box and was extremely excited to check out this month's theme. Read below to see exactly what we discovered.
What's Inside This Box
1 of 6
Similar to the layout of the Koala Crate box we are most familiar with, this particular Flywheel Flip Car box also comes with a magazine. Featuring trivia, stories, experiments, and more learning opportunities, this booklet is packed full of useful info that coordinates perfectly with the theme. If your kids are like mine and love the bottle flipping movement, there is even an article explaining how to make a few adjustments to get it to land upward almost every time. Cool!
Filled with useful information and stories pertaining to the monthly theme, Hank loved reading about angular momentum through machines, cats, and bottle flipping.
Instructions
1 of 3
Also included was a large poster including the blueprints of this month's project, paired with the instructions themselves.
Very detailed in illustrations, these are pretty easy to follow, and Hank had no trouble creating this project himself.
Flywheel Flip Car
1 of 7
When Hank opened up this month's box, he was thrilled to see the supplies included, especially because they were super high quality, brightly colored, and really fun. This subscription includes all of the necessary materials besides a pair of scissors, which is fair. Honestly, this subscription is at the top of the list when it comes to quality projects, as you will see in a few moments. After Hank went through the instructions he was gathered the supplies and got straight to work.
1 of 5
Broken down into manageable steps, Hank started building the flywheel flip car. First he placed the stickers on the flywheel and started setting up the side panels using the spacers and screws. Next, he added the flywheel through the center hole and started adding the blue and orange gears. It was this step that you needed to pay particular attention to, as the gears need to be placed in a particular order. It took Hank a couple of tries, but eventually he had it all lined up. The illustrations and written directions are very, very helpful and well done!
1 of 5
Once the gears were in place, Hank moved onto part B which was where the car body was assembled. Using the other side panel, Hank aligned all of the gears and fastened it together with the included bolts. After that step was another "Stop & Check" to have you make sure things were aligned properly. Everything at this point was aligned and he added the outer wrap and tightened the bolts.
1 of 5
After the bolts were tightened, it was time for part C, which was where the wheels were added. Hank was super excited to assemble these as they looked a bit like tracks, and the components were built a little like K'nex. Using the rods, he poked the tires through the side panels and added the other tires. To complete, he cut 1.25" out of four balloons to attach to the tires. While a little confusing at first, with the help of the instructions, he figured it out and added the rubber bands to the wheels. All that was left was to try it out! Zipping this car around my classroom, it ran into the wall and flipped! Hank also created a ramp and tried it out on my rug, but didn't have as much fun as he did ramming it into the walls and doors. What a fun project!
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $23.95
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 50% off your 1st month! No coupon needed - just use this link.
Hank loves this subscription line because of the well thought out projects and the quality of said projects. While he has enjoyed the other projects in the past, he declared this particular box to be his ultimate favorite. Like I said above, Tinker Crate box is probably Hank's favorite subscription of all time, and the fact that he was able to create a car using gears, a fly wheel, bolts, tires, and spacers on his own really shows something. The designs of the projects and the magazine are so well put together that we are always left impressed. Because I work in education, I try to expose my kids to as many STEM related activities as possible, and this subscription is a fantastic way to do that. We already can't wait to see what's in store for next month!
Key Takeaways
This kit was well-organized and really fun. Hank had a wonderful time learning about physics while creating a flywheel flip car and is hooked on this subscription box.
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
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.
What do you think of Tinker Crate? Click below to write a review!
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.