Last updated May 2025
From rainy days and long weekends to breaks from school, having creative, interesting activities ready helps get kids away from screens. Many companies offer age-appropriate kits, from games to crafts to science labs. Most present learning activities, and some require limited adult involvement—perfect for when you need to tackle a project or catch up on Netflix.
Some of our favorites are below. Many offer special pricing for new customers. And attention, aunties and uncles, grandparents, and friends: These kits make great gifts.
Bitsbox
Got a coder on your hands? Bitsbox, geared toward kids ages six to 12, covers everything from the basics of programming logic to creating an app. Each box, delivered monthly, introduces a new computer science concept. Don’t worry, Luddite parents: The site says, “Attention grownups! You don’t need to know anything about code to help your kid learn with Bitsbox.” The $24.95 monthly basic subscription includes a dozen app projects and storage binder. A $54.95-a-month premium version includes bonus activities and goodies for your little techie. Shipping is $6 a box.
Brick Loot
Creating with LEGOs is a forever favorite pastime. Brick Loot keeps things fresh by sending boxes for budding builders. Shipments provide LEGO-compatible sets, usually tied to a theme (i.e. “Yeti Cave Snowcones” or “Wizard Cart”). “Our subscription boxes are curated to inspire creativity and offer exciting building challenges,” the company says. Subscriptions are $42.99 a month.
CrunchLabs Build Box
Designed by a team of “fun-loving engineers, designers, and makers,” these busy boxes for kids eight to 13 include everything needed to build an interactive, functional engineering toy (a coin spinner, a disk launcher, a boomerang car). Each kit comes with easy-to-follow instructions, plus related games and challenges. Subscriptions are $32.95 a month, with discounts for quarterly or annual plans. Older kids at home? The Hack Pack subscription ($66.95 a box when you buy a year) is for ages 14 and up and includes a new programmable robot every other month.
Girls Can! Crate
These “toolkit[s] for future world changers” are designed for girls six to 10. They provide art, science, and engineering activities focusing on female role models. A recent box had a “spy science with the fierce protector” theme (“engineer a spy viewer, send secret messages, and experiment with disappearing paper while learning about Irena Sendler,” who served in the Polish underground resistance during World War II). Crates cost $29.95 a month, with a $9/month option to double the materials for a second child (perfect for siblings or for sharing the cost—and the enjoyment—with another family).
KiwiCo
Crafts, building, exploring, inventing, designing, drawing and more … KiwiCo, one of the best-known players in the kit game, offers a variety of options for different ages and interests. The core choices include Panda Crate (newborn to age three; helps build the foundation for learning); KiwiCo Sprout (ages three to five; science and learning through play are the focus); and KiwiCo World (ages six to 12+; spotlights geography, countries, and cultures). Kits come with activities and online components. There are advanced options for older kids (up to 18+) focusing on art and design, engineering, and inventing. Subscriptions start at $24 a month.
Little Passports
These kits provide activities centered around “global adventures and new ideas” for children ages three to eight. The emphasis is on learning about different countries and cultures in amusing, hands-on ways. The first kit (Brazil) comes with extras, including a cute blue suitcase-shaped container for storing materials, a world map, and a faux passport. Each month, a new country (there are 12 in the program) gets the spotlight. Wildlife, language, food, history, and more are on the itinerary. For example, the Brazil kit lets kids craft macaws (native to the Amazon rainforest). An online component allows you to print additional info and activities. Subscriptions start at $29 a month or $22 a month for a full year. The company recently expanded its lineup to cover a wide variety of ages and interests (kitchen adventures, crafts, science, and more). It’s worth checking its website to see if any of the new options would be a good fit for your kids.
We Craft Box
All you need is scissors to do crafts with your kids “without the stress or prep-work”; geared to kids ages three to nine. The company says the brand was created by a working mom who wanted to enjoy art with her kids, but didn’t have the time or energy to plan or shop for supplies. One bug box is “Bug-tastic fun!” — “Get ready for a buzz-worthy adventure…packed with colorful crafts and hands-on fun…for little explorers who love all things buggy.” A cool plus? Two kiddos can share each box. Many of the supplies can be used long after the project has ended (i.e. markers and colored pencils). Boxes cost $39.99 a month; longer subscriptions cost less per month.
Young Woodworkers
This kit, from Annie’s Kit Clubs, sends budding artisans ages eight and up ready-to-make kits. They’re packed with precut and predrilled wood pieces, nails, screws, and tools. Simple instructions walk builders-in-training through each step as they “master real-world skills and build projects they can display with pride!” The only supplies needed are household staples such as scissors and glue. Projects include a wooden candy dispenser and a helicopter. Cost: $19.99 a kit, plus shipping. Next stop: IKEA assembly! Check out its other craft kits, too; crocheting caught our eye (at the time of this writing, it was listed under a separate crochet club heading).
