The Spark Box Review Summer 2020
The Spark Box is a quarterly subscription and gift box service for mamas and minis. Each box is designed to mindfully address age-specific developmental milestones for babies and toddlers, and to support the overall health and wellbeing of mamas. Their goal is to spark inspiration, spark exploration, and nurture growth in the home. They source the highest-quality items from local Canadian brands, award-winning lines, as well as toys and products from leading brands in childhood development.
*They kindly sent us this box for review.
The Spark Box is a brand new Canadian subscription box and I am SO excited to have discovered it! I had a good feeling about it before I even received my first box, and now that I have said box sitting in front of me, I can say with confidence that my good feelings were justified.
Subscription Details
In each The Spark Box you’ll find:
- 4 full-sized, high-quality mama products
- 4 full-sized, high-quality infant/toddler products
- Age-specific guide to your child’s development and play
- Bonus items
Box Options
From The Spark Box website….
Expecting Mama – Pregnancy – newborn: The perfect gift for someone you love (or a treat to yourself, mamas). Packed with our favourite products to carry you through pregnancy and to welcome your little one into the world!
Look and Listen – 0-12 weeks: Introduce responsive play from birth with this collection of products and activities designed to support baby’s first motor, sensory, and emotional experiences.
Whole New World – 4-6 months: Support your baby’s eagerness to learn and play with this mindful collection geared towards the encouragement of meaningful interaction. Stimulate baby’s tactile senses and begin to practice fine motor skills.
On the Move – 7-9 months: Focusing on fine tuning your baby’s gross and fine motor skills, this collection builds on tactical senses, encourages hand-eye coordination, explores cause and effect relationships and more!
Exploration Station – 10-12 months: It’s a busy world, and baby wants to see it all. This box introduces early STEM play with a variety of tools, toys and resources that encourage focus and problem-solving.
Discovery Zone – 12-18 months: It’s all about discovery! Baby is learning so much, so fast and we are here to support that by taking play to the next level! This collection is focused on building independence through experimental play.
Little Thinkers – 16-24 months: Encourage creativity and imagination with our newest Little Thinkers box! This box is designed to prepare your little ones for Pre-K and Kindergarten by promoting critical thinking and making connections with every day life.
Here’s a closer look at the Summer The Spark Box: Whole New World
Each The Spark Box comes with a handy little guide. There’s a ton of useful information in here. I found it very helpful and I definitely think it adds value to the box.
Manhattan Toy Company Mind Cubes
Built for little hands, the Wimmer-Ferguson Mind Cubes activity set is the perfect toy (in both size and design) for your little one to discover their inherit tactile senses, and visual stimulation. Mind cubes help encourage eye-hand coordination, gross motor activity, self-awareness, sense of object permanence and experience with cause and effect.
First we are going to focus on the baby items. There are 4 in total.
Our first baby item is this colorful set of cubes. It’s a set of four cubes with ribbons, numbers, letters, shapes and patterns. Steven is all about the bright colors right now and he loves grabbing toys and picking them up. I already know he will love these.
Sassy Baby Bend and Twist Rattle
The bright, bold spectrum of colourful balls helps visual perception and encourages eye-tracking, while the gentle rattle sounds develop sound differentiation and sound location skills. The chunky twister centre bars make it easy for baby to grasp, strengthening fine motor skills.
This next toy has so many features for babe. It incorporates taste, hearing, touch and vision. I love that it bends and twists and I love that it rattles. Steven is discovering sound and the fact that he can produce it by moving certain items/toys so this is another item perfect for the stage he is at.
Baby Tees Co Ring Teether
Perfect for reaching, grasping, and of course chewing. This adorable little teether will help baby with a number of things especially now that they are exploring the world with their mouth.
Teether are a must-have right now. Steven is putting everything in his mouth. This one is made up of neutral colors, which I love, and it will be easy for him to hold.
Make Believe Ideas Ocean Fun Book
Offer a sweet (and soft) introduction to the life under the sea! Let your little one explore each fascinating page by playing and grasping each touch and feel tab. Encourage your little ones love for books and grow their vocabulary at a young age.
So far this is Steven’s favourite item in the box. He got a big smile on his face the moment I showed it to him. He also really loves the crinkle sounds that each page makes. He has another toy with the crinkle feature and he loves playing with it.
Swig Life Luxy Leopard Mug
Cold coffee be gone! Swig Life has created the perfect (and trendy) mug to ensure you’re enjoying a hot cup of coffee all day long. Thanks to their triple insulation technology, their best selling travel mug keeps drinks cold for up to 9 hours and hot up to 3. The cup holder friendly shape makes it the perfect travel companion, to and from the classroom, conference room or even just in your living room.
I just have to say…..I’ve been waiting for a subscription box to feature this amazing Swig Mug and HERE IT IS! The Spark Box gets huge bonus points for curating such a wonderful product for us Mamas. It really is the perfect new Mama gift if you think about it. Coffee is a must when babies are in the picture and being able to drink it out of such a kick-a** coffee mug will make life that much sweeter. This is definitely one of my favorite subscription box items to date!
Naked Snacks Hearty Tamari
Hearty Tamari is the perfect healthy alternative to those no-good potato chips. Instead of empty calories, this delicious snack will leave you feeling happy and satisfied. Sesame sticks and spicy pretzels mixed with almonds and cashews, all lovingly slow-roasted in delicious tamarind. This exotic taste from Japan confirms what we already knew – for good times, make them Tamari times.
I just might have to give The Spark Box bonus points for this item as well. Naked Snacks is a fave in our house, and snack food is just as much a new Mama essential as coffee is. Especially snacks that you can grab and eat on the go. I’ve had this particular mix many times before and it is one of my favorite snack flavours from Naked Snacks.
Midnight Paloma Detox Mask & Applicator Brush
Tailor this mask for your skin needs. The all natural charcoal mask is your skins best friend when it comes to keeping it detoxified. The hero ingredient charcoal absorbs impurities and acts like a magnet to draw out dirt from pores.
Trust me when I say new Mamas need to take time for themselves, and this detox mask is a great excuse to schedule a little me time once a week. I’ll let the hubby put Steven to bed and I’ll pour myself a cup of tea and do a little pampering.
Chimp Treats Lemon Ginger Sips
Enjoy the healthfulness and refreshing taste of infused water with Sip, a convenient, all-natural concentrate. This natural water boost is bursting with lemons and ginger for great-tasting nutritious water. Their lemon ginger concentrate packs a serious punch. Start with just a splash in still or sparkling water and add more to taste.
I’m very familiar with Chimp Treats (they have the most amazing plant-based ice cream) but I wasn’t aware of this product. What a nice little treat for my water. Since having Steven I make an effort to drink as much water as possible, especially when I was breast-feeding, and what a convenient size bottle to take with you on the go.
Organika Collagen Effervess
*BONUS ITEM
Take your collagen water anywhere, anytime. Effervess makes the most out of your water by boosting it with premium hydrolyzed marine collagen and vitamin C in a fun and fizzy way.
Funny enough…..I started taking collagen after Steven was born in an effort to help with the whole post-pregnancy hair loss thing. I also find that my skin has been quite dry and tired (I blame it on the lack of sleep) so this is the perfect product for a new Mama box.
There are 14 tablets and they are made with marine collagen and vitamin C. You are to take 2 tablets per day dissolved in water.
Baby Gourmet Pear Berry & Purple Carrot
*BONUS ITEM
Baby Gourmet’s new delicious puree is made with 100% organic ingredients including pear, blueberry, cherry, purple carrot and is an excellent source of vitamin C and A.
Steven just started eating solids and I am extremely picky when it comes to the food I give him. In fact, I was tempted to only feed him things I made myself but after reading the ingredients in this Baby Gourmet berry mixture I am re-thinking my strategy. I would feel totally comfortable feeding this to Steven and might even purchase a few more to keep in the pantry.
LYNQ Beauté Mango Peach Powder
*BONUS ITEM
LYNQ is Juicing on the Go! Fruit and Vegetable-based powders that are functional, affordable, easy to make, and packed with all the nutrients the body needs.
- Mango-Peach Flavoured Daily Nutritional Shake
- For healthy hair, nails and skin
- Made with 8 fruits and vegetables
- No sugar added
- High in vitamins A ,B, C, D, E, K
- 250% of your daily recommended value of Biotin
- Add water, food or use in baking
- RETAINS ITS NUTRITIONAL VALUE AT ANY TEMPERATURE
- KID APPROVED!
Directions: Add 1 tablespoon to water or to any recipe (oatmeal, muffins).
This item wasn’t in the product booklet so I’m calling it a double bonus product:)
I am so intrigued by this and so excited that The Spark Box has introduced me to something new. Similar to collagen it is good for hair, nails and skin – exactly what this new Mama needs. You can mix it with water or you can use it in baking, which is kind of fun.
The Spark Box Review Summer 2020 – Final Thoughts
Wow, wow, wow. I am absolutely in love with The Spark Box. As I mentioned above, I had a good feeling about this subscription the moment I discovered it. I can tell that a lot of time, energy and passion goes in to this box. From the gorgeous packaging, to the Guide Book, and of course the beautiful items…..still lusting over the Swig Mug…..every detail has been thought of.
It’s the perfect mix of items with 4 of them being for babe and 4 of them being for Mom. They also include bonus items, and they aren’t your typical sample-size bonus items…… two of them were full-size and just as wonderful as the regular items, in my personal opinion:)
If you are a new Mama, or looking for a new Mama gift, you MUST check out The Spark Box!
-AYOB Sarah