As a mom of a 14 year old, I know that teens are hard to buy gifts for, and even harder to surprise!
What if you could find a great gift for teens that also wowed them every time they opened it?
Sure, your teens might think all they want is a gift of cash or an iTunes card, but after opening this unique subscription box for teens, your kids will forget all about their iPhone (ha ha ha, dare to dream).
Not only that, you can feel super smug that you have gotten your teen a gift they not only love, but will make them smarter.
What more could you ask for?
Subscription boxes are a hot commodity right now, but one company has been around much longer than most of the trendy boxes you've seen come on to the scene recently.
Our family adores the Kiwi Co. family of science, learning, and design boxes for kids so much that I subscribed to two different boxes for several years. You can read all about my total love for Kiwi Crate and Tinker Crate and how they are great for bonding with your kids here, but today I'm sharing my newest love: Eureka Crate.
(Note: KiwiCo. sent us a Eureka Crate to try out; this post contains affiliate links but no other compensation. Obviously, all opinions are my own.)
Eureka Crate is a science and design based subscription box developed especially for teen boys and teen girls ages 14 and up. It just so happens that I have a 14 year old kid! We tried out the mechanical soap dispenser kit and learned all about the science of peristalsis. (Yeah, I bet you didn't know what that is either!)
Why Eureka Crate?
I'm going to start with a quick note about why I love project based subscription boxes for teens.
Putting together these projects is one of my favorite ways to connect with my kids in a one-on-one situation. While they do most of the creative building, they like to have my help reading instructions and doing a little bit of the extra tricky fine motor work.
It's not always easy for a mom like me to find quiet ways to chat with her pre-teen and teenage sons with a project that interests them so subscription boxes have been a lifesaver. I know they will be for you, too!
What's in the best Subscription box for teens?
The Eureka Crate comes every month right to your doorstep and includes everything you need to make a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Design, Math) project. I mean everything. No running out to the store to pick up tools or so-called "common household items."
Aside from the parts and tools, the box also contains a booklet with instructions, information about the science behind the design, a bit of history about the monthly theme and extension activities for extra-curious kids.
Are the Instructions Good?
As once-long time subscribers of other Kiwi Co. products , we have always found their instructions easy to follow. Each step features large, colored illustrations with clear text and tips to avoid mistakes.
Another stellar feature of the instructions is that at various points, they call upon the builder to stop and check their work, encouraging teens to practice patience and good methodology.
We all know there is nothing more frustrating than finishing a project and then finding out you have the wires mixed up and have to disassemble and start over. Eureka Crate instructions are excellent in helping your teens avoid this annoyance!
Who doesn't love making something that uses battery power?
What Makes this Subscription Box So Special?
So what's so great about the Eureka Crate and why will your teens love it? On a basic level, who doesn't love getting something in the mail every month?
But aside from that, the science and design based projects aren't just frivolous. Each project is functional and has value after it is finished. Past projects include the battery powered soap dispenser we made, an articulating desk lamp, a ukulele, even an electromechanical pencil sharpener!
In addition, the quality of the extra content and ideas for further exploration are well researched and presented in an engaging format.
Where Can You Get Eureka Crate?
Eureka Crate, for ages 14 and up, part of the Kiwi Co. family of subscription boxes for kids, is available exclusively online. Subscription plans are available month to month, 3-month, 6 month and year-long.What if you child isn't a teen, you ask? Kiwi Co. has a crate for every age and I highly recommend them all. As I said above, we were long time subscribers to both Kiwi and Tinker Crates for years. But now, it looks like Eureka Crate is the way to go for my teen. I'm really excited to see what the next project is!
Head on over there immediately and check these out!
- Panda Crate, ages 0-36 months
- Koala Crate, ages 3-4
- Kiwi Crate, ages 5-8
- Atlas Crate, ages 6-11
- Doodle Crate, ages 9-16+
- Tinker Crate, ages 9-16+
- Eureka Crate, ages 14-104
Sharlene Habermeyer says
Like you, Erica--I LOVE Kiwi Co! However, I've not seen this soap dispenser--but what a fabulous project for teens! As I was reading your post and looking at all the steps--it's obvious that this project teaches kids many things on many levels (that's what's great about Kiwi Co!). Visual/Spatial reasoning, sequencing, processes--pretty amazing. Thank you for sharing this--it's also a great gift idea for the holidays!