T is for Tot Subscription Review: “Geology”

T is for Tot is a monthly children's subscription box for ages 3-6. Each themed kit contains supplies and activities for play-based learning both project-based and open-ended. The box is curated by a mom and kindergarten teacher to prepare your little one for K with arts and crafts projects, simple STEM experiments, laminated learning materials, a quality children's book, and more.

The Cost: $38.95 per month + free US shipping with annual subscription; $42.95 per month + free US shipping monthly.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Opening The Box

T is for Tot arrives in a white box with a sticker indicating the month's theme on the flap. The box is stuffed with possibilities on the month's theme, and on top is a trifold information card with descriptions and ideas for play.

Here's What's In the Greenhouse Kit

Info Card

As always, the T is for Tot info booklet gives a description of various activities in the box, but it's just as suited to open-ended, child-led play. There are tons of options for what families can do with the materials. On the back of the card here is a sticker badge that coordinates with the theme of the box—this time it's Junior Geologist—and a QR code you can scan to buy a mystery kit before your next box arrives.

Little Geologist Book

Each box also comes with some sort of interactive/educational booklet that includes activities like checklists, hunts, writing components, documentation/logging, and other activities. This is a colorful one, with lots of visuals of the components that make up our Earth.

Earth's Layers Felt Mat

My Kindergartner has had some introductory geology education and impressed me with how much she already knew about the layers of the Earth and rock formation as we explored this box together. But, this layered felt set was a great way for my preschooler to engage with this information for the first time. If you have a felt board (or just a large piece of felt to lay on the floor), these will adhere to it using just static. They'd be a nice addition to an existing felt set, or a great start to one for families who don't have one yet.

Volcano Experiment + Dig for Gems

What kid doesn't love science experiments? A baking soda volcano strikes the perfect ratio of ease and impact, and while we've done it a number of times using household items, it's way more fun to have special packets with ingredients, a readymade clay volcano (read: you don't have to wait for it to dry between making it and using it), and best of all, safety goggles to make it feel more official. You can see that this nice canvas pouch also contained tools and materials for some other activities, which I'll show you below.

The red powder coloring really added to the impact. As you can see, my kids were thrilled. There were enough ingredients in the packets that they could eyeball half of each powder, and each have a turn at exploding the volcano.

Pretend Digging Lab

After your kid has had their fill of volcanic eruptions, the clay volcano doubles as a digging lab. T is for Tot provided a small wooden hammer, chisel, paint brush, and magnifying glass for chipping and digging, cleaning, and inspecting the clay for signs of rocks.

We did not wait for our clay volcano to dry before digging into it, which I think made the process of gemstone-hunting more challenging. My kids worked diligently for a long stretch but started to doubt there was any treasure in there. I gave a few chisels to help them along, but eventually we ended up taking the whole thing outside and throwing it against the sidewalk to break it apart. Finally, we found 2 polished rocks inside!

National Geographic Rocks and Minerals by Kathleen Zoehfeld — Retail Value $1.33

As you can see by the little hands throughout my photos, this book was a hit. There are really striking photos of rock formations throughout—some familiar and some we can only hope to encounter in the wild one day!

Gem Mining + Gem Case

This set included a bag of sand with a handful of small, polished rocks hidden throughout. Using the small sifter provided in the box, the kids can sift through the sand to find the rocks, or they can dig through with their fingers or a paintbrush. Really cute, simple activity that can be done and redone.

Gem Playdough Cutter + Homemade Playdough

Every T is for Tot kit comes with homemade playdough and a 3D-printed tool to use with it. This time around it's a gem cutter—a design that works really well with the natural texture of the playdough in the context of geology. My littlest got her feet involved for peak playdough cutter impact.

Value - Was This Box Worth It?

The Cost: $38.95 per month + free US shipping with annual subscription; $42.95 per month + free US shipping monthly.

Value Breakdown: The Geology T is for Tot box contains 6 activities, but really it's so much more. The activity booklet contains many pages to engage with in different ways, the gem mining and volcano experiment can be done repeatedly, and the digging lab is a great challenge that teaches kids to persist. Plus, we always love adding a fresh book to our shelf and new tools to our collection for use with clay or yard dirt. This was a fun one, and the value is definitely there!

To Wrap Up: 

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No*, your first kit will be the Human Body box (see review here) and will ship within 1-2 business days after ordering. Expect the following kits to ship by the 10th of each month.

*If you want to buy this Geology kit as a gift or one-time purchase, it is currently available here in the T is for Tot shop for $48.

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