Tinker Crate from Kiwi Crate: Engineering Fun in a Box

I have to admit that even though I write here at Kids Activities Blog, I am often limited on time to create activities that are fun and educational for my own kids!

It is one of the reasons why I am giddy over a new Kids Activities Blog partner, Kiwi Crate (affiliate link).

Oh!  And Kids Activities Blog readers have an exclusive coupon code for 30% off the first month of any Kiwi Crate product and free shipping with the code (new customers only, please):  KAB30

Kiwi Crate – Tinker Crate

Kiwi Crate sends monthly boxes that includes all the materials and inspiration needed to complete hands-on projects.  Their latest version called Tinker Crate is specifically geared towards Science, Technology, Math and Engineering projects.

We were excited to be among the first to experience Tinker Crate.  The box we received included everything needed to make a trebuchet.

But not just any trebuchet…

This was a serious, sturdy kit that will be added to our  invasion tool box in case  we need to breach castle walls in the future.

Tinker Crate Instructions

The trebuchet instruction set was easy to understand and each step had a picture.  My 8 year old quickly completed each stage by himself {with a little help from the dog} until we got to the rubber band placement which required a little help from me.  He was able to show me exactly where to put them.

When we had the trebuchet finished, we started catapulting projectiles across our front porch.  Rhett immediately decided to start adding counter-weights to the trebuchet basket to see if he could affect distance of flying objects.

I love that he thought about this before I even had a chance to read deeper into the Tinker Crate directions which suggested that as a modification.  There were also some other suggestions to test which might increase the trebuchet’s distance and accuracy.

Tinker Crate Tinker Zine

Also included in our Kiwi Crate box was a Tinker Zine.  It is a 16 page, high quality extension of fun.  There were several additional activity instructions with charts and graphs to record results.  I really liked the way that complex scientific information was broken down into silly, digestible pieces which were easily understood by kids {and me}.

The issue we received was all about polymers.  The concept was explained through a cartoon, polymer identification, 2 simple polymer recipes {some of our favorites!}, a laugh-outloud lesson with illustrations, a polymer scavenger hunt and a polymer experiment.

What We Liked About Tinker Crate

I am a science girl, so this was an easy love.  My boys also really like building projects and anything that flings projectiles through the air is going to be a hit at my house.

What surprised me the most was the quality of the included materials.  Our trebuchet is well-built and can withstand the stress of living in a house with three boys.  It has already migrated to our playroom to sit next to the castle inhabited by dragons and knights.  I didn’t expect to end up with a usable toy from a subscription box!

For us, this activity was great for older kids.  My youngest is 8, but by the end of the project both my 11 year old and 13 year old were in the middle of it.  It held their attention for quite some time while different modifications and objects were tested, fetched {literally} and tried again.

Tinker Crate Coupon Code

You can get more information about Tinker Crate and all the fun that can arrive each month in your mailbox.  Psst…we have a super secret discount code for Tinker Crate that is  30% off your first month’s Tinker Crate (or any Kiwi Crate) purchase plus free shipping!  This offer is for new Kiwi Crate customers.

Tinker Crate Coupon Code:  KAB30

We hope you enjoy your Tinker Crate as much as we did!

Subscription Boxes for Kids

If you are looking for more information about subscription boxes for kids, please stop by my exhaustive (literally!) list of all the craft and activity subscription boxes for kids that we could find.  You will find all the Kiwi Crate products on that list with details and photos compared to other boxes.

Thanks so much to Kiwi Crate for supporting Kids Activities Blog by sponsoring this post when it was first published in October 2014.  Since that time, Kids Activities Blog has continued to enjoy the Kiwi Crate products and an affiliate relationship.  A big hug to Kiwi Crate for extending a special discount for our readers!