KiwiCo Review October 2017

KiwiCo builds children’s creative confidence and problem-solving skills with award-winning STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects and activities. Every month, each of their lines (Cricket Crate (ages 0-2), Koala Crate (ages 3-4), Kiwi Crate (ages 5-8), Doodle Crate (ages 9-16+), and Tinker Crate (ages 9-16+) delivers developmentally appropriate projects, inspiration, and activities created by in-house experts, and tested by kids. They kindly sent us this box for review. 

Subscription Details

When you sign up for a KiwiCo subscription you have a few options to choose from.

• Choose Your Line: Cricket (Cricket Crate (ages 0-2), Koala Crate (ages 3-4), Kiwi Crate (ages 5-8), Doodle Crate (ages 9-16+) or Tinker Crate (ages 9-16+)
• Choose Subscription Length: monthly, 3-month, 6-month or 12-month
• Customize: let them know your child’s name, and upgrade to Deluxe by adding a specially curated book to complement the crate theme

Box Details

This month we received the Ultraviolet Light project. In this crate we will learn about materials that glow under ultraviolet light, build with gears and learn the value of sun protection by conducting experiments with UV-detecting beads.

Let’s have a closer look…..

Glow Viewer

Build a viewer that uses UV light to make glowing scenes.

PART A – use the highlighters, UV light and glowing scenes. Decorate the glowing scenes with the highlighters, shine the UV light on your drawings.

PART B – use the decorated glowing scenes, axle, axle glue, rubber rings, small white brads and highlighters. Wrap a scene into a tube, slide a small white brad through one of the holes, hold the tube together, use clear stickers to tape the tube together, lay the axle on the axle guide, use the green and orange highlighters to mark the green and orange lines onto your axle, slide a rubber ring onto the axle, push down to the orange line, fold the tabs on the scene so the holes overlap, slide the axle through the hole in the tabs, adjust the tabs so they sit on the green lines of the axle.

PART C – use the box sides, foam base, paper cover, glowing scene and axle, washer, large brad, large gear, small gear, UV light, foam light holder, fit the paper cover on the foam base, build the box sides around fitting into the slots, slide the axle into the large hole of the box, slide the small gear onto the axle and use rubber ring to hold in place, slide washer into the circle hole and place the large gear on the washer, push large grey brad through hole in large gear, fold the paper cover up over the box, turn on UV light and slide it into the foam light holder, attach to light box, use the large gear to spin your scene, peek through the window to watch it glow.

UV Bracelet

Use color-changing beads to make a UV-detecting bracelet.

Use the UV detection beads, bracelet cord, UV light, UV experiments sheets. Add beads to the cord by pinching the loop at the end. Push the ball end of the cord through the first loop to finish. Shine the UV light on your beads and watch them change color.

UV Experiment

Grab your beads and a few items from home to experiment with UV. Follow instructions in the back of the book.

Explore Magazine

Check out your magazine to explore more.

KiwiCo Review October 2017 – Final Thoughts

I have reviewed KiwiCo in the past but the previous boxes have always been some sort of holiday craft. This time around I got to experience a totally different box. Yes, this one was still a craft in a sense, but it was also a learning experience. I love that this particular box teaches children about UV light and gets them involved by having them build their own light project. And how fun are the gears!! When I was young I loved to make things that moved. There’s just something so exciting about it. This month’s project provided a little bit go everything – colouring, reading, learning, building……etc. Any child would love to receive a box like this in the mail. I’m a huge fan!

XOXO