October Tinker Crate couldn’t come in a better time for my son - he celebrates his birthday on October 13^th and this was an early gift for him. He is always looking forward to those boxes and gets very happy when it’s time build something that is usually moving and includes batteries.

I started KiwiCo as a three month subscription and immediately had to extend it to 6 as my kids got addicted on those monthly boxes right away. And in all honesty, I don’t mind this addiction one bit, because all the crates are STEAM related and seamlessly teach kids various interesting things while they are busy having fun.

Each box costs $19.99 and that’s a small price to pay for great ideas, projects, information, and supplies. Each Tinker crate is not only well thought through by professionals behind it, but also tested extensively to make sure each child gets the same high quality building project that works. If I had to come up with a craft or tinker projects like the ones we are getting from KiwiCo myself, it would be a lost cause. I don’t have such creativity in me and then I am never too excited about driving all over the place looking for supplies. With KiwiCo I don’t have to think about anything, just pay them $20 and enjoy watching my kids’ eye light up and minds get occupied for a few hours.

My son is 8 years old and Tinker crate is perfect for him. Every project he works on captures his attention and keeps his imagination engaged. He figures everything out pretty fast and is usually done in less than an hour. That would be a little discouraging, but then he likes to read the Tinker Zine and try more ideas from there, not to mention learn various physics and engineering concepts.

This month Tinker Crate was about automatons. And anything automated is heaven for my little boy. He had to build a little wooden track that is hand cranked and includes many wooden gears that are turning and moving three wooden balls in a race. Little wooden wheels on an axis that is rotating are lifting wooden blocks on top of which the balls are being propelled in a race one circle after another. This is a simple automaton, but it was joy to make and to play with.

Another project from the Tinker Zine was building another automaton, kind of like a movie, according to my son. He used his Tinker crate box itself, supplies that came with it, and drew a butterfly by himself. The butterfly is sitting on top of the box and is moving its wing with the help of turning axis that is installed by my son inside the crate. It seems simple and all, but not something a child would come up with himself.

The fact that children can play with their projects long after building them is another reason why I love KiwiCo. So often we buy toys that are interesting for an hour and then get forgotten. KiwiCo toys are a lot more meaningful because kids build them themselves and that offers a different kind of attachment. My son proudly displays all his projects to date on a shelf in his room and is very proud of all of them.

In my humble opinion, KiwiCo is the best gift that any child can get. It keeps on giving every month and brings some unforgettable busy hours for kids and for adults if they work together. My kids make a perfect brother and sister team and I serve as a photographer and an occasional helper – perfect time for all involved!