Today was a big day for my son. It was bigger than all other days because it was time for his first KiwiCo crate. We received it 2 days ago and it was sitting untouched until today, when I finally had some time to participate in the opening ceremony and take pictures. To say that he was excited would be an understatement – he was ecstatic!

Part of the reason for this crazy excitement is, of course, coronavirus. It is making our life very different this summer – no trip to Europe to see grandparents, no summer camps, limited play dates, and plenty of boredom. I have been buying books and LEGOS, but it’s only so much you can do before going bankrupt. In short, kids have been bored out of their minds!

When I heard about KiwiCo from my sister, who orders it for her young son, I thought it might be a life saver. After trying it I am happy to report that a small investment of about $15 bought us good two days of constant activity and many more days of going back to it.

See KiwiCo Coupons:

• 50% off First Month Subscription with code FRESH
• 20% Off Sitewide when use discount code CRISSYMARIE

My son is 7, but a great tinker and builder for his age, so I picked Tinker crate from KiwiCo, even if it says for kids ages 9-16+. I was not wrong – he did not need my help at all. I was just there to admire his work and to take pictures.

What I love the most about KiwiCo is that kids get to do learning without even knowing it. While my son was building his project and having all kinds of fun, he followed directions, read, worked with engineering and electricity, and finally got to do lots of art.

There is absolutely no way I could come up with an idea like this, create a project, and get supplies for it. So I am very happy to delegate this task to a team behind KiwiCo, who create and test all activities, and then deliver all the needed supplies in a good looking box every month. The only thing we had to produce was scissors.

All the materials are high quality, sturdy, and easy to work with. The directions are clear enough for a 7 year old to follow and understand. Finally, the finished project is not something useless – it’s a spin art machine, which is going to be used for a long time. Martin ran out of the paper squares and ink that was provided, so I had to order more on Amazon because he liked it so much. I already envision a wall with a string and clothes pins holding his art in the corridor that leads to his room. I am pretty sure it’s coming.

This month’s project is spinning machine and science behind it. The project was complicated enough for him and I expected that my help will be needed. I was wrong – give this boy something with wires and batteries and he will figure out anything!

The spin art box base was the crate box itself. Martin worked for about an hour to understand the directions about installing of spin platform and attaching the battery powered mechanism.

It looks pretty simple when it’s done, but it took some concentration to accomplish. I was very proud of my little boy doing it all on his own!

Once the project was over, it was time for a fun part – making the art.

Unfortunately, the pre-cut paper pieces and colorful splash ink lasted just one day for us, but I ordered much more for just $15.

Those supplies should be enough for 2 months of constant art.

I am not sure how long he will continue to make this spin art, but because nothing happens to the box, he can come back to it all the time. And I guess I spoke about no nagging too early, because he started nagging me about the next KiwiCo box today. He wants to know when it’s coming and what’s in it. I can already see that our 3-month subscription will have to be extended.

I am so grateful for this meaningful activity, for my child’s joy, and for lasting entertainment that kept him out of his iPad for hours. And I haven’t heard any whining about not having what to do all day for 2 days!