3 days ago
The 9 Best Subscription Boxes For Kids To Keep Them Engaged
Whether you're struggling to figure out what to play with your kids or simply want a wider variety of options that show up right at your doorstep, subscription boxes can be a godsend for busy parents and curious kids. Once a novelty, there are now so many choices available to families—from toy boxes, book boxes, clothing and more—there seems to be a box for every interest and age group. The best subscription boxes for kids are engaging, teach them something new and have flexible subscription models. My best overall pick, KiwiCo Crates, come in a seemingly endless range of options and themes and offers something at every age level from babies to teens.
The best subscription boxes for kids are fun and convenient for at-home play and exploration.
'Subscription boxes can be incredibly helpful, especially for busy parents who want to provide meaningful, screen-free activities without constantly planning them,' says Alanna Gallo, a former educator and founder of Play Thrive Learn. 'The right box can spark curiosity, build new skills and support independent play.'
Keep reading to learn more about our top subscription box picks for kids.
KiwiCo
Age ranges: 0 to 18+ | Subscription period options: Monthly, 3 months, 6 months, yearly | Price: Starts at $24/month
Chances are high that when you ask any other parent about which subscription box to get a child, KiwiCo will be at the top of that list. With a wide range of versatile subscription boxes for every age range and every interest, there's something for every kid.
Parents we spoke to said they had really engaging sensory toys for the baby and toddler years in the Panda and KiwiCo Koala Crates, while older kids can enjoy their STEAM-based KiwiCo Labs boxes. KiwiCo World boxes introduce them to the great world beyond with country-themed STEAM projects, and the KiwiCo Studio boxes for older kids and teens expose them to more complicated crafting projects like fiber arts and 3-D Design. Each box comes with easy-to-follow instructions and all the supplies they'll need to finish each project.
I've subscribed to these multiple times for each of my three kids, and all have enjoyed the activities that showed up at our doorstep each month. The only problem is really finding the time to sit down and finish a project from start to finish, so keep that in mind when deciding what frequency you want them to arrive at. If you're not ready to commit all the way, they also sell crates individually, so you can gift just one here and there. You can also skip months or set up a different cadence of delivery by reaching out to their customer service.
Baketivity
Age ranges: 4 to 10 | Subscription period options: 3 months, 6 months, yearly | Price: Starts at $28.95/month
Cooking with kids sounds great in theory until you consider all the ingredients, supplies and kid-friendly recipes you need to gather beforehand. Baketivity boxes solve that for you by mailing (almost) all the pre-measured ingredients your kid will need to finish a recipe from start to finish. The ones that aren't included are often things you'll likely already have in your pantry. The recipes come with full-color step-by-step pictures to make it really easy for them to follow along. If they really want to get interactive, there's a monthly live online demo they can join to follow along with a real chef.
My 6-year-old and 11-year-old love making these kid-friendly recipes with minimal parental help—which I love—and the end result has always been delicious. Each box also comes with fun activities and trivia that they also fight over. From cake pops to cinnamon rolls to pretzels, each recipe has been creative and engaging.
If you're looking for more international flavors, BakIt is another excellent option that offers a quarterly subscription or per box purchase that my kids also enjoyed.
Lovevery
Age ranges: 0 to 60 months | Subscription period options: Every two months | Price: $80/box
Beautifully curated, filled with developmentally appropriate sensory toys and activities (mostly made of real wood), the Lovevery Play Kits were a hit with every parent with which we spoke. My youngest used the baby and toddler version of their subscription boxes for the first three years of her life, and we still have some around the house, and others have been lovingly handed down several times over.
I love that all of the toys are not only curated by developmental experts, but made with materials like sustainably-sourced wood, organic cotton and water-based paints, free of any chemicals, durable and intended for open-ended play. All of the objects are designed to help them with age-appropriate developmental milestones, and I found them high-quality and aesthetically pleasing. I also appreciated the caregivers' guide that arrives with each delivery, suggesting ways to engage your baby with the items inside. The addition of a board book covering social-emotional topics in a baby-friendly way in each box was an added bonus.
Both our experts are also fans: 'For 0- to 2-year-olds, I'm a big fan of Lovevery. They provide interesting toys with a focus on exploration and sensory play, and are developed by developmental experts,' says pediatrician Dr. Whitney Casares.
Little Passports
Age ranges: 3 and up | Subscription period options: Monthly, 6 months, 12 months | Price: $22/month
Designed for kids ages 3 to 5, Little Passports Early Explorers brings them along on an around-the-world adventure each month. Preschoolers are exposed to different places, foods, customs and more all packaged in an adorable mini suitcase. A box may contain props needed for some imaginative role playing, jigsaw puzzles, maps, stockers and more. It was fun for my preschoolers to receive these and start looking at the globe in our house to try to figure out where each new themed box was 'from.'
'As a former teacher, I love that Little Passports kits have so many educational opportunities built-in. My kids have fun playing with them without realizing that they're learning about new places along the way, which is so invaluable,' says Alicia Betz, mom of three and Forbes Vetted baby and kids writer. 'They're also designed in a way that kids can come back to play with them later."
CrunchLabs
Age ranges: 8 to 14+ | Subscription period options: Monthly | Price: Starts at $27.45/box
For curious elementary-school kids and tweens, each CrunchLabs Build Box includes a new build-it-yourself toy project with clear step-by-step picture directions that they can then play various games with (also included in the box), and watch online videos hosted by engineer Mark Rober to gain more in-depth information about their project. Older kids who are ready to take it up a notch or teens might prefer the CrunchLabs Hack Pack that ships out a new programmable robot every two months.
'CrunchLabs boxes are fantastic for kids who love to build, tinker and explore real-world science concepts through engaging experiments and engineering challenges. We use them for homeschooling, and the kids have always loved them,' says Gallo.
Literati
Age ranges: 0 to 14 | Subscription period options: | Price: Starts at $34.99/box
While we may all want to foster a love of reading in our kids, sometimes it's hard to find the time to research and dig through hundreds of options to find the right book for your child, which is exactly what Literati does for you. Each box comes with five age-appropriate books, including picture and activity books and fun surprises like stickers or Literati limited-edition covers on certain novels. You then provide feedback after each delivery on what your child liked or didn't like, so they can keep curating more and more personalized books for your child based on their interests and reading level.
You keep (and pay for) only the books you want to own and send the rest back for free in the same box they came in using a prepaid label.
'I've been loving our Literati subscription boxes for our 11-month-old. Every month, the book selections feel incredibly thoughtful—age-appropriate, aligned with the themes we're focusing on (like farm animals), and full of variety,' says Alexis Caldwell, mom and Forbes Vetted's executive director of commerce, business development and partnerships. 'Some are interactive with textures and mirrors for sensory play, while others are perfect for learning time, story time or winding down before bed. I also love that the books naturally include diverse characters and perspectives.' The curation has been so spot-on that she's kept every book sent so far.
Highlights
Age ranges: 3 to 8 | Subscription period options: Monthly, quarterly | Price: Starts at $15/box
Whether they're fans of the Highlights magazines for kids or not, these educationally-themed boxes have an option for every interest: puzzle books or workbooks to supplement their school learnings or to mitigate the dreaded summer slide. The High Five Activity Box, designed for kids 3 to 6, comes every three months and includes a storybook, cognition-building activities, a craft, recipes and more.
'Highlights for Kids offers a great option for preschool and elementary-aged children whose parents want to focus on reading,' says Casares. The I Can Read! Book Club box delivers five reading level-appropriate books each month to keep kids and parents replenished with fresh reading material.
Each Learning Box is themed by grade-level and comes with workbooks they can practice their math, writing, reading and fine motor skills in. Kids who love doing the Highlights puzzles and mazes, can sign up for a Puzzle Book subscription that'll send them a new brain-bending book each month.
Tangerine
Age ranges: 5 to 9; 10+ | Subscription period options: 3 months, 6 months | Price: $65
This relatively new subscription box started by a mother-daughter team is the hipper cousin to art subscription boxes of old. Instead of lots of, let's be honest, cheesy arts and crafts projects that are likely to get tossed a month later, these Surprise Kits come with themed art supplies (that also happen to be incredibly aesthetic) that are designed for open-ended creating.
My 6-year-old has been playing with her dough set, using all of the tools, stencils and super cool mix-ins to create anything her imagination comes up with, while my 11-year-old has been drawn to the printmaking kit that lets her design her own tote bag, shirts and more. The cost per kit is definitely on the higher side, but you're really receiving quality art supplies that last well beyond the month that they can use over and over again for other projects, play dates and creations.
Stitch Fix
Age ranges: 2 to 18 | Subscription period options: Varies | Price: Starts at $12/item, plus $20 stylist fee/box
For budding fashionistas or busy parents who just don't have time to shop for hours with a picky child, kid clothing subscription boxes can be a game-changer. With the Stitch Fix Kids box, kids (or their parents) can take an online quiz just like with the adult version to determine their style preferences, sizes and budget. Each monthly box arrives with 10 pieces of clothing curated just for them. They can try everything on from the comfort of home and send back (for free) anything you don't want to keep and pay for what you do want.
Unlike other boxes, we like that this isn't a fixed subscription model where you have to receive a box every month or so. Instead, you can select automatic deliveries to come at whatever cadence you want, whether that's every three weeks or every three to six months. They carry a wide range of name brands and you can send the stylist notes after every shipment to further refine your child's style and preferences for future boxes.
The baby and kids gear team at Forbes Vetted is dedicated to helping parents find the best products for their kids that also help make their lives easier. As parents ourselves, we've spent countless hours testing and researching products, many on our own children.
To find the best subscription boxes for kids, I used my firsthand experience as a parent, talked to dozens of other parents with kids of varying ages who regularly used subscription boxes and spoke to two experts to get their insights into what parents should consider when trying to select a subscription box for their kids. I kept several factors in mind when narrowing down my list.
Age range: I tried to select a variety of subscription boxes that offered options for a wide range of ages from babies to teens (and sometimes beyond.)
Flexibility: I know as a parent, I don't like being locked into months and months of deliveries when I may already have things piling up, so I considered how flexible and easy it was to cancel, pause or change delivery cadences for each box.
Longevity: I leaned toward boxes that offered more opportunities for open-ended play or for toys or supplies that would last beyond the one project in the box, increasing the overall value.
Cost: I also considered how much each box cost. Many of the brands offer a discount if you choose to pay for a full year or six months upfront versus paying each month as you go along. I also took note of how many pieces, supplies, toys or books came in each box for the per box price that it was and whether it made sense or not.
'Look for boxes that intentionally speak to the safety and level of appropriateness for kids,' says Casares. Be sure to order a box that fits your child's age or developmental level so that they're not frustrated by finding what's inside too challenging. Additionally, for young babies, specific boxes are curated with their safety in mind, too like the toys don't have small pieces that could be choking hazards.
Depending on your family and their needs, you may not necessarily want a new box to come every month. If your kids are generally busy with afterschool activities and on-the-go a lot, a less frequent cadence may be preferable, so that unused boxes aren't just building up in a stack around your home. On the other hand, if you have young kids that are home a lot or only attending part-day preschool, for instance, you may want a monthly delivery to have an activity to do together. Some subscription box services for kids even offer summer-only plans for those weeks when kids have a lot more free time on their hands.
No parent wants to spend precious time online or on the phone trying to figure out how to pause or cancel a subscription. Make sure that wherever you're ordering from has a transparent cancellation process, that ideally, is just the click of a button (or email.)
Most subscription boxes that come with toys, activities or books serve some sort of educational purpose for your kids. Whether it's helping them develop critical fine and gross motor skills as a baby, developing concepts like cause-and-effect and basic sorting and counting for toddlers, learning to read as a preschooler, or exposing them to new skills, ideas or concepts as older kids, you'll want to make sure there's some benefit and it's not just a box full of junk arriving each month.
Which Subscription Is Best For Kids?
The best subscription box for kids is the one that'll keep them engaged and comes with things they'll actually use or a project they'll complete from start to finish. They should also teach them new things. 'Parents are busy. Curated boxes that give age-specific and developmentally appropriate toy and activity ideas can be a life saver,' says Casares. 'They can also introduce parents to brands they're not familiar with and encourage kids to develop interests they might not otherwise have consistent exposure to.'
What Is The Most Popular Subscription Box Service?
KiwiCo is the most popular subscription box service for kids—there are crates for a wide range of kids catering to various interests such as arts and crafts, STEM, reading and more. Parents also appreciate the flexible subscription model that's easy to pause or cancel at any time.
What Is The Best Cooking Subscription For Kids?
The best cooking subscription for kids is Baketivity. Nearly all of the ingredients a child may need comes pre-portioned in the box, as well as any special supplies that would be needed, making it convenient and fun for both parent and child. The directions are clear and easy to understand, even for young kids, and the option to watch a live class is an added bonus.
