9 Best Subscription Boxes for Kids

KiwiCo has a wide variety of activity crates that covers ages 0-104. For Christmas last year, I asked the grandparents to give my girls the Atlas Crate subscription, and it has proved to be the gift that keeps on giving. Each month, we all sit down with our latest box and learn about a different country. In addition to discovering important landmarks and celebrations, the kit includes two crafts or games for us to create and play, as well as a recipe to introduce us to the tastes of a new country. Our latest adventure was to Canada, where we built a hockey rink, a snow globe, learned about polar bears and totem poles and made maple butter tarts.

HGTV Digital Content Development Coordinator Melissa Woodward also had the chance to try out the youngest crate with her littles and says, "We weren’t sure what to expect with our Panda Crate and were pleasantly surprised with the number of activities that came in it. I will admit, my one year old initially enjoyed the physical cardboard box more than any of the activities, but once he saw his older brother pulling out the different shapes and activity cards, his attention was torn away from the box. It had enough activities inside for them to come back to throughout the day for short bursts of time, which was a nice change from having them fight over the same, single new toy."

Designed for babies and toddlers, these play and block kits are crafted for each learning stage from newborn to four years old. HGTV Managing Editor Kayla Kitts tried out a Lovevery kit and says, "Figuring out the developmental toys my eight-month-old needs to help with his cognitive, physical, social and emotional growth is daunting. I tried out The Inspector Play Kit, specifically designed for babies seven to eight months of age, and he loved it. The box came with nine age-appropriate toys, like a ball drop box, nesting stacking cups, textured 'flash' cards and colorful felt balls. His favorite toy by far is the nesting cup set. He doesn’t quite get the nesting or tower-building concept yet, but they’re always the first thing he reaches for. Plus, each cup has random holes for super-fun water play."

Bring your child's love of STEM and play together with this fun subscription box. Each Bitsbox introduces a new computer science concept. Kids ages six to 12 build apps on the Bitsbox website, and then they can use the apps they built on any mobile device. Designed for complete beginners, kids use simple commands and learn how to program by copying apps and making them their own.

Curated by a pediatric occupational therapist, Sensory TheraPlay boxes are designed for children with autism or sensory needs, while also being apt for kids of all abilities. Around five to seven toys and items, such as aromatherapy dough, putty and hand fidgets, are shipped to your kids each month to engage them in fun play that stimulates the senses in a calm and therapeutic way.

Make your child's books come alive with this creative subscription box. In addition to receiving a book each month, kids can let their imaginations run wild with the included costume and accessories inspired by one of the characters, an arts-and-craft pack and a game.

Spark their curiosity with these science-made-simple kits for kids ages five to 10. Along with an educational comic that engages your kid through storytelling, kids will have a blast with hands-on experiments, building models and solving brain teasers.

For the kids who are always asking if they can help with dinner or love flipping through your cookbooks, Raddish is like having a cooking class delivered to your home once a month. Designed for kids four to 14, the kit helps them learn culinary skills and create recipes, as well as add a new kitchen tool to their collection. Each month also has a theme, such as Ticket to Tokyo, where they learn to make sushi rolls, stir-fry a Japanese noodle dish and assemble teriyaki chicken skewers.

My girls love this kit that comes with two crafts each month. We've made confetti-filled picture frames, BFF necklaces and sand art. Designed for kids ages seven to 12, my kids still need a little hands-on help from me to complete each project, but they can do most of them on their own. Annie's also has other monthly kits for crocheting, cardmaking, woodworking and beaded jewelry.

Bring excitement to bathtime with a monthly subscription box full of toys, bath bombs and bubbles. For $39/month, you'll get a curated selection of safe, natural, premium items that will make time in the tub feel fresh and exciting.

Assistant editor, Molly Miller, has two boys aged two-years-old and nine months. She says, "My sons love the squishy boats and animals from our box, and I love that the toys either don't have holes or come apart so that mildew doesn't grow."