Minnesota from Scratch

Thanks for stopping by! I'm Stephanie Thurow / MinnesotafromScratch and this is my website. I'm a food preservation instructor and the bestselling author of Can It & Ferment It, WECK Small-Batch Preserving, WECK Home Preserving and co-author of Small-Scale Homesteading.

Kiwi Crate Review: Summer Discovery Series – Nature Explorer Theme

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http://www.kiwicrate.com/m/summer-discovery-pack

My daughter and I enjoy crafting year round. I was so glad when she finally got old enough to enjoy coloring and painting because it rekindled a creative side of myself that I had locked away over the years. Activities seem to get more and more exciting as she continues to get older and it gives me a chance to “play” again. Over the last year or so, I had seen the Kiwi Crate brand around quite a bit on the internet but I wasn’t too clear on all that they entailed.  In case you are unaware of what Kiwi Crate is as well, it is a monthly subscription for children (with focus on ages 3-7) that sends a box of craft materials needed to complete the themed project(s) of the month. All of the materials required to create the hands-on projects are included. The theme for June, July and August is “Summer Discovery”.

The Kiwi Crate we received was the June box which was the *Nature Explorer Theme*. It came with two projects: My Starlight Lantern and My Collection Box. I broke the projects up over two days to stretch out the excitement a bit and I’m glad we did it that way.

Kiwi Crate - June - MinnesotaFromScratch.wordpress.com

The June Kiwi Crate – Nature Explorer Theme with special gift of a deck of playing cards!

The first project we took on was the Lantern. I actually pulled out the Kiwi Crate mid-melt down and it worked like at charm to snap my daughter back to reality (THANK YOU KIWI CRATE!). I decided to make this exercise extra special by laying a blanket out in the yard and crafting outside. We sat in the shade and the temperature was perfect.

Each project has a booklet that includes step-by-step directions and also some interesting info to read to the kiddies.

Each project has a booklet that includes step-by-step directions and also some interesting info to read to the kiddies.

These are the supplies needed for the Starlight Lantern project

These are the supplies needed for the Starlight Lantern project

My daughter likes to do everything herself these days.

My daughter likes to do everything herself these days.

She took a lot of pride in stamping these sheets on her own.

She took a lot of pride in stamping these sheets on her own.

The project was so kid-friendly that my daughter was able to do almost everything on her own with little instruction from me.

The project was so kid-friendly that my daughter was able to do almost everything on her own with little instruction from me.

The finished product! This crate came with a little flame-less candle too so of course we headed inside to check it out in the dark afterwards. Very fun!

The finished product! This crate came with a little flame-less candle too so of course we headed inside to check it out in the dark afterwards. Very fun!

The next day, we put together the second part of this crate: My Collection Box

The Collection Box

The Collection Box

Look at the jumbo crayons they sent! So great for little hands. My daughter colored stickers and was able to decorate her collection box.

Look at the jumbo crayons they sent! So great for little hands. My daughter colored stickers and was able to decorate her collection box.

There are 4 different scavenger hunt cards: 1. Shapes 2. Colors 3. Physical Items and 4. Create Your Own

There are 4 different scavenger hunt cards: 1. Shapes 2. Colors 3. Physical Items and 4. Create Your Own

We decided to seek out the physical items which required us to find: Clovers, leaves, rocks, sticks, flowers, rocks and grass

We decided to seek out the physical items which required us to find: Clovers, leaves, rocks, sticks, flowers, and grass.

We were able to find several of each just in our own yard!

We were able to find several of each just in our own yard!

Once the collection box was full, we categorized our findings by color.

Once the collection box was full, we categorized our findings by color.

We had such a good time searching around the yard. After colors, we moved on to shapes and finding a natural square object in nature proved to be difficult for us. We are still on the look out!

I thought this Kiwi Crate was awesome! Although we do craft a lot, I loved that all of the materials we needed were right one hand because normally I have to run to 1-2 places to pick up what we need. Plus, what we created offered us some hands-on learning and playtime afterwards. We will be able to use several of the items again for other projects in the future, such as the crayons, star punch and scissors.

Kiwi Crate has worked up a special offer for Minnesota From Scratch readers! Enter Minnesota25 when signing up for a new subscription and save 25% off the first month. This offer is valid until August 15th. Additionally, they are currently running a $10 off sale on their Summer Discovery Pack (value: $60) and free shipping (expires August 30th).

Take care, Stephanie

What were some of your favorite crafts when you were a kid?

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Comments

  2. Beth says

    Thanks for the great review! This would be fantastic for home school families, too, as a science project or just a way to try something new. Definitely gonna check this out.

    Reply

  11. alisonlumbatis says

    This is SO cute, what an awesome idea! I’d never heard of it but my girls would go crazy for this. It sure would come in handy on these “boring” summer days where we’re stuck indoors because of the heat.

    Reply

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