Outside the Box Creation is a subscription box that brings art class into your home! Each month, ignite your child's creativity with fresh art techniques to explore through a box that has been crafted by professional Art Educators and Literacy Experts. Dive into each month's curriculum delivery, complete with designed lesson plans and high quality art materials, empowering your student to craft a masterpiece. Geared towards kids ages 5-11, you can even choose the size of kit that will fit the needs of your family!
The Cost: Subscriptions start at $36.95 each month + shipping. Save on longer subscriptions!
This is a review of the art box designed for up to two kiddos.
(Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
I have worked in the public education system for 5 years now, and have two little boys that attend said school. While I do feel they are getting adequately educated, as a lover or learning, I am always on the hunt for ways to incorporate just a little more at home. This is our second go around with the Outside the Box Creation, and I found the curriculum in this box and projects to be very thoughtfully laid out, and the supplies high quality. Read below to see how this month's projects turned out.
This boy melts my heart!
Straight out of the gate, I am loving the size of this box! At almost fourteen inches long, and 9 inches wide, this is one of the larger subscription boxes I receive, so I couldn't wait to see what goodies were packed inside! Containing everything we needed for this month's projects, Charlie was really excited to dig in.
Artist Guide
Because this subscription is meant to be utilized as art curriculum, we have been provided with an Artist Guide. This fourteen page book features learning objectives, tips for grown ups, content lists, digital pairings, lessons, examples, and even games! Put together in a user friendly way, this guide does a fabulous job of teaching us techniques, all while adding history, facts, and fun to art!
Art Supplies
Oil Pastel Fantastic Color Set of 24 Colors - Retail Value $4.00
I'll be honest, when Charlie opened up this kit, he was excited to see this 24 piece oil pastel set, but a little confused because we received this same type of medium in May. Though we received more colors this time, it didn't come in a hard carrying case, though the pigments were just as bright. What kind of techniques would Charlie learn with this set for July? Read below to find out!
Rarlan No. 2 Pencils - Retail Value $0.16
The next item we received was a set of two Rarlan pencils. Pretty standard in the pencil world, these came pre-sharpened, have great working erasers, and the hexagon shape helps them to be easy to hold. Perfect for sketching, this was a standard inclusion for this month's box.
Blending Sponges
Useful when blending, we also received this set of two sponges. Stuck together as one, we were able to gently tear them apart to create two wedges. Standard in quality, these worked as expected.
Framing Materials
Also included were the materials for framing. Here we have mats, plastic sheeting, and a sheet of glue dots. Included for finishing purposes, these are a great addition to our crafting box, and worked great to mount our art for a professional look.
Who Was Pablo Picasso? - Retail Value $5.99
One of the last "physical" supplies we received was this book. My kids love reading, and while we have read dozens of the "Who Was" series, we had not read this one yet. Designed for kids 8-12 years old, these nonfiction books are the best at teaching kids (and their parents) about famous people and events. Charlie learned Pablo was a fantastic artist even as a child, and that he sold his drawings starting at age 9. The book is nine chapters long, so he hasn't completely finished reading it, but we are well on our way, turning this box into a literary and artist's dream! While this box includes the book, the artist guide also includes a reflection portion for the book, which takes it another step further!
Paper Supplies
Also included in this month's kit were two color study sheets, four blank pieces of paper, and two large sheets of brown paper to keep surfaces clean.
Lesson #1
For our very first lesson, we learned all about Cubist art. Before starting, we were exposed to Cubism vocabulary, and learned the important ideas and techniques of Cubism. After a brief art history lesson, we started our own art by breaking down objects into simpler parts. Dissecting three objects, we then used the second activity sheet to scale up the thumbnails, creating a large non-objective piece. This was harder to do than we anticipated, but we had fun trying!
Lesson #2
Lesson number two taught us how to arrange shapes and lines to make art look more interesting and engaging, along with helping us recognize and use basic shapes commonly seen in Cubist artwork. Charlie and I read the instructions, but he veered off in a more abstract kind of way. Using the pencil, he sketched out his design, overlapping shapes, and then colored it in. Using a dark color to outline the larger shapes, we both had a great time trying this out, though it was uncomfortable for Charlie at first! I think they turned out great! Pablo would be impressed 😆
Lesson #3
Lesson three was where we learned about adding texture and depth, along with blending techniques. Charlie was a little more on board with this than the last lesson, and did a great job with his sketch, along with his coloring and blending. I think his turned out way better than mine!!
Lesson #4
The last lesson taught us how to create a Cubist portrait. We learned how to use different perspectives and views in portrait art, and applied the knowledge learned from the previous lessons. Charlie had a great time creating a self portrait, and he did a fabulous job. While he thought it looked silly at first, after going through some of Pablo Picasso's work, he felt like he a pro. How fun!
Here you can see all of this month's lessons complete, with plenty of pastel and lead left for countless other activities! Fun!
Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $36.95 + Shipping
This was my second go around with the Outside Creation Box and I was pleased. While we did receive the same medium we received in May (the last time I was shipped this box), it was an entirely new lesson and book, which taught us many new techniques. Education is extremely important to me, and not only did this box teach us about art, but it also about history, literacy, and language arts, all while being fun. A little on the spendy side, I feel this subscription is worth it for the amount of knowledge you get out of it. The physical items weren't as high of a value as last times, but the Artist Guide is definitely key to making this box work. My son was extremely engaged throughout these lessons, and we really bonded through this experience, all without any prep on my part. Overall, I am really impressed and can't wait to see what we discover next month!
More You Should Know
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Possibly. Each month the boxes ship out on or around the 7th. If they still have boxes in stock, you will receive that box.
What do you think about Outside Creation Box?
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