In our continued mission to find the best subscription boxes for kids, we’ve given KiwiCo’s Tinker Crate a go, and the first box was fantastic. Subscription boxes have developed a lot over the years, I’m not sure exactly when they first became a thing – but I think most of us remember the magazine subscriptions that offered one book of a set of twenty, or a single dinosaur bone per issue. Somewhere along the line, somebody started a cool, activity subscription box, and the whole thing has blown up since.
We’ve dabbled with a lot of these subscription boxes over the last year, giving the kids some fun new ways to learn while homeschooling or in lockdown. We’ve shifted them too, trying to make sure that we don’t get too comfortable with any one in particular. KiwiCo’s Tinker Crate was the next one up for us, and – as it turns out – they’re really onto something.
A lot of other subscription boxes normally run with a theme, in the nature-centric ones they are, of course, seasonal, while other science kits tend to be thematic. Tinker Crate gives you one, in-depth experiment. It includes a magazine which has a few extra that you can do using things around the home, but the core of the crate is the one, central experiment and the blueprint that comes with it.
For the first of the crates we received the equipment and materials to make a Spin Art Machine; a converted box, complete with motor, which uses momentum to create patterns with paint. The fold-out instructions were incredibly easy to use, with each foam sticker and component clearly labelled and separated. It was designed in a way where it was almost impossible to confuse any two component types within the box. Something that has happened with other kits, especially building kits like AirFix, Meccano or K’nex. There were also guides in there, including several pieces of card which had the sole purpose of being fitted to indicate where future parts would be placed. We found this to be incredibly well thought out, and the quality and intent clearly reflected in the end design.
Once fully assembled the KiwiCo Tinker Crate box has a simple battery, switch and motor circuit. The motor spins a carboard disk, fitted with foam, that you mount squares of paper onto. As it spins you drop paint droplets onto it, and the spinning causes the paint to spread out and move around the spinning paper. Kai found this entire thing fascinating, and the box – and other pieces of equipment – were high priorities to survive the house move we have been through since the box arrived. He’s played with it since, and looked through the rest of the booklet that came with it, and seems really impressed with the kit as a whole. There’s something captivating about creating machines and automation, even if it is used for art, design or other creative things.
We’re excitedly awaiting the next KiwiCo Tinker Crate. If you’re interested in trying it, you can find out more on the Tinker Crate page of their website. It is worth noting these kits are shipped from the United States, so they do take some time to get through customs and may come with additional custom charges.
This reminds me of my favorite childhood memory! I would love to have my kids do this too.
It’s a really fun kit!
These subscription boxes for kids sound like a lot of fun! I remember doing spin art as a kid!
I also did Spin Art as a kid and it’s so fun!
Oh! I’ve never heard of this. It looks like so much fun, my 4-year-old would certainly love it, she enjoys painting and crafts so very much. I will look for them. Thanks for sharing.
They also have different boxes for different age groups.
it looks like a really fun kit for kids. my son might enjoy this one
It’s a neat one!
The spin art sounds like a really fun idea. Mine looooove that sort of thing. I think my son would love to do loads of different coloured pictures.
We did so many different colors.
Now this looks fun and interesting! What a great way to introduce art to the little ones in an interactive way.
It is! And it’s so fun to build the box.
I used to have something like this when I was a kid and it was so much fun to use x
They are so lovely!
We love subscription boxes and this particular one from KiwiCo’s Tinker Crate looks like something my son would love to receive
It’s so creative and fun!
This sounds like such a fun make. I’ve seen spin art before and it can look so cool as well when done.
It is so cool!
I had a spin art like this when I was a kid and loved it so much. I also brought one for my kids when they were younger.
It’s such a fun project!
This is so awesome and hands down Spin Art was one of my absolute favorite toys growing up! I loved making those beautiful works fo art and it was so fun to see the paint spinning and splatting when using it. Looks like they had a blast and will have to check out the Kiwi Crate!
It’s so fun to make the spin art machine too!
Oh, this is so cute. I love arts and crafts… I loved it when I was young, and I still enjoy it now.
They are very fun!