Best Subscription Boxes For Kids 2023

Subscription boxes for kids offer play centered on dozens of topics like art, STEM, math and cooking, all in one neat kit or package. There are even toy-filled kits for babies. And while you may be worried about filling your house with more toys (we hear you), the best subscription boxes for kids won’t go to waste, because they cater to your individual child’s favorite playthings. Moreover, they offer convenience for caregivers and the benefit of novelty to kids by arriving in the mail each month, ready for little ones to tear into and explore new subjects.

The best subscription boxes for kids offer the opportunity for hands-on learning and the convenience ... [+] of monthly delivery. Dinosaur Fossil Kit

Best Subscription Boxes For Kids 2023 - Forbes Vetted

And play matters for children. According to early childhood therapist Jodi Huffman, play helps children develop cognitive skills, language, social emotional intelligence, and fine and gross motor skills. “From a very young age, play stimulates brain development by helping children make sense of the world around them,” she says.

Huffman suggests that parents “look for play kits that promote open-ended play,” and to “choose toys that can be used in a variety of ways.”

Here are our favorite subscription boxes for kids of varying ages and interests. (The prices reflect the lowest possible monthly subscription rate.) After reading this story, you may want to take a look at our favorite board games for kids or the best outdoor toys.

Theme: STEM, maker, crafts, cooking, baby | Ages: 0 and up | Subscription period: Monthly, 3-month, 6-month, 12-month

KiwiCo makes some of the most popular activity subscription boxes for kids, offering toy kits for babies and tots to maker crates for teens—and every kid in between. We’re linking to the KiwiCo Kiwi Crate here as it sits squarely in the middle of the brand’s offering: a monthly STEAM subscription for kids ages 5 to 8. Each kit is bursting with fun things to do, games and toys to make or experiments to execute or just attempt. You’ll also find subscriptions here for doodlers, for kids who prefer to cook and those who really want to just build stuff. In short, there’s something for every kid at KiwiCo. The monthly box price gets to as low as $18.50 per month for a yearlong subscription to most of its subscription lines.

Theme: Animal and nature-based exploration | Age: 3 and up | Subscription period: Monthly, 6-month, 12-month

Little Passports also offers several types of subscription boxes for kids, grouped by age and interest. There are science kits, cultural travel explorations and plenty of games and crafts. Select the right one based on your child’s age and interests. “These activities encourage my son’s natural curiosity and excitement about the world around him,” one reviewer wrote. At roughly $25 to $30 per month, depending on the subscription that you choose, it’s not the cheapest box on this list, but it’s fairly budget-friendly. And while it might not have many options for kids under 3, the range of topic options can keep any preschooler happy.

Theme: Cooking | Ages: 4-14 | Subscription period: Monthly, 6-month, 12-month

Raddish Kids offers three options for its cooking subscription boxes for kids: a cooking club, a baking club and a global eats club. This programming exposes kids to different types of foods they might not otherwise see until later in life (if at all), as well as gets them more accustomed to kitchen tools and tricks. One user raved: “My eight-year-old daughter is so excited to get her new box each month and she is able to cook most of the recipes herself with just some supervision!” Think of this as HelloFresh for kids.

Theme: Cooking | Ages: 6-14 | Subscription period: Monthly, 3-month, 6-month, 12-month

KiwiCo’s cooking box makes a point of including a magazine along with food recipes that talks about the science and history of the food being cooked. Each box also includes hands-on projects with a STEM focus, all while teaching kids delicious, family-friendly recipes. Although this box has a slightly more restricted age grouping than Raddish Kids, the boxes are less than $20 a month if you opt for the yearlong subscription.

Theme: Montessori-style learning for babies and toddlers | Ages: 0-4 | Subscription period: Every 2 months for babies under 1, every 3 months for toddlers 1 to 4

For parents who subscribe to the Montessori approach of early education, this box is a definite go-to. Many new moms at Forbes have raved about it as easy way to diversify baby’s playthings, too. One reviewer noted that “the quality is great and many toys remain interesting well after the box has been opened.” Each box also comes with a 30-day warranty from the company, with a commitment to replace any toys lost in the first 30 days of play. This quality approach comes with a higher quality price tag, though; your total cost in a year is double that of some of the others on this list.

Theme: STEM | Ages: 10 and up | Subscription period: Monthly, 3-month

A subscription box geared toward older kids (ages 10 and up), the Creation Crate focuses on more technical STEM topics like electrical and chemical engineering with an emphasis on being challenging while remaining doable for kids of this age. Each subscription includes online content for additional educational opportunities. One user wrote that they opted into the Creation Crate as a chance for some quality time with their child: “We are both learning and having fun with this! I highly recommend this to parents and kids who are interested in electronics.” Adult supervision is suggested for these.

Theme: STEM | Ages: 5-12 | Subscription period: Monthly, 3-month, 6-month, 12-month

Kids as young as 5 can learn STEM with this kit, which includes between five and eight experiments or challenges each month, on varying themes and topics. Every box can almost guarantee a month’s-worth of engaging entertainment, with one parent noting: “I have to hide it sometimes because he will open his box before homework is taken out of his backpack! I love that he’s learning about science by doing it!” You can also buy the kits separately without a Spangler Science Club membership or a monthly committment.

Theme: Crafts | Ages: 3-9 | Subscription period: Monthly, 3-month, 6-month, 12-month

For the kid who loves to build and create, each month’s box has a theme, a story and all the materials required (with photo instructions) for two or three different craft projects. The We Craft Box gives parents something to pull out on “a rainy day or when I need to get her off the television or computer screen,” and several parent reviewers noted that the leftover materials can be used on other, unrelated projects. Most of these projects don’t require any parental help and include engaging directions plus fun seasonal stories “that are great for mini story time prior to craft time.”

Theme: Art/design | Ages: 14 and up | Subscription period: Monthly, 3-month, 6-month, 12-month

With one big hands-on project per month (all the needed materials and video instructions included), this KiwiCo subscription box is oriented to an older crowd of kids, all at a reasonable $27 per month if you choose the yearlong subscription. The more advanced projects “not only do give something creative to do” but teach things “about problem solving, engineering, and perseverance,” according to reviewers. It’s part design, part art project box—with plenty of creative exploration involved.

Theme: Beauty | Ages: 13 and up | Subscription period: Monthly, 3-month

Choose from a long list of travel-sized beauty products for skin, hair care and makeup with your Glam Bag subscription. The box gives you a choice of one product for your bag per month, with the rest being a surprise. Ipsy uses a “beauty quiz” and an algorithm to fine-tune what you get in each box. This keeps things exciting and new without chancing duplicate items. If you have a beauty lover in your life, or a teen starting to explore their look, this fun monthly delivery might help inspire creativity.

Forbes Vetted has deep experience covering, reviewing and testing baby and kids gear, as well toys and gifts for kids. We aim to provide our honest assessment on the best products for everyone.

I’ve used a few of these kits myself as has my editor, Rose Gordon Sala (a mom to three), and I also polled parents in my community to learn about their favorites. For this piece, I interviewed Huffman, an early childhood therapist. She helped me learn about the benefits of play, as well as how to choose a good subscription box for kids.

I’m a journalist with a decade of experience reviewing kids products, outdoor gear and apparel. You can find my bylines in the New York Times, Forbes, Slate and beyond. I also have two kids, ages 1 and 3.5, and have spent most of my career writing about the psychological benefits of movement and activity for both children and adults.

This story is frequently reviewed and updated for accuracy. It was most recently updated in August 2023.

First, I spent several hours reading dozens of guides to subscription kits. I looked at over 40 options and finally narrowed down the list to the 10 listed here based on customer reviews, expert advice, availability, variety and price.

While the best subscription kit differs based on your child, I prioritized kits that allow for open play, as Huffman recommended. Any kit that allows your child to operate independently, build new skills and express their creativity, is a win.

Yes, we think so. Subscription boxes are convenient, provide novelty and give you direction for developmentally appropriate activities and toys for the children in your life.

“A lot of play kits are created based on the age of the child which can be an awesome way to get developmentally appropriate toys,” Huffman says. “I think quality over quantity is also important. Having too many toys can be really overwhelming for young children so less is more in terms of amount of items in play kits.”

In terms of price, most boxes are cheaper than outright buying those individual items.

Choose a kit for your child based on how old they are, what they’re interested in and their temperament. Check the age ranges on the subscription boxes in this list and consider what might be most fun and educational for your kid or if there’s one that might work well for siblings to share, too.

It’s easy to lean toward a STEM-focused box for the boys and a craft box for the girls. But this type of thinking is overly gendered. The best subscription box for any child depends on what that child likes, and how old they are. Ask your child what they’d like to do, and they’ll probably give you the answer you’re looking for.

I'm a reporter covering the intersection of sports, business and technology. My byline has appeared at CNBC.com, The Hockey News and Narratively. I started this journey covering a handful of New Jersey Devils stranded in Albany during the 2012 NHL Lockout, with stops on the beats of the Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. I graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism where I specialized in Sports Media.

I am an accomplished author, journalist, and photographer who specializes in consumer technologies. Please visit my website at www.JasonRich.com and check out my eBook, \"iPhone 14 Pro Max Digital Photography\" (www.iPhoneBookShop.com). I am also the author of The Remote Worker's Handbook (Entrepreneur Books) that'll be published in March 2023.