12 STEM Subscription Boxes for STEM at Home

As the beginning of the school year is approaching, and many of our children will be learning virtually, and hands-on learning will be at a minimum. STEM activities are a great way for kids to apply many of the concepts they will be learning from school. From problem solving, math application, and critical thinking, STEM activities are a fun way for kids to improve retention of the concepts they learn during their school day. If you don’t always have the time (or energy) to look up STEM activities and gather all the materials, a STEM subscription box might be a better option for you! Subscription boxes determine the STEM activity and provide all the material to complete it. All you have to do is subscribe! Seems pretty easy. To help you decide which STEM subscription box is best for your kids, I’ve created a list. The list includes a few we have tried, and some I plan to use this coming school year. I have also organized my recommended STEM boxes by age group, to help you decide what is most age appropriate for your kids.

Science Exploration with STEM Subscription Boxes

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I have selected subscription boxes we have both tried, and plan to try this coming year. I hope you join us, and try some of these fantastic subscriptions boxes with us!

Preschool through High School

• Green Kid Crafts Box
  Green Kid Crafts offers a STEM Subscription box for kids ages 2 thru 10, separated into two focus age groups:
  • Junior Box – Created for preschool aged kids, 2 to 4 years old. The Green Kid Crafts Junior Box includes four to six projects per box aimed at improving preschoolers fine-motor skills, and peaking young children’s interest in STEM.
  • Discovery Box – Perfect for kids of ages 5 thru 10, the Discovery box includes a magazine with puzzles, games, and other ways to explore the science concept for the month. The box also includes six hands-on activities to further understand and apply the concept kids are exploring.

• KiwiCo Subscription Box
  Our family loves KiwiCo! KiwiCo has a full line of subscription boxes for both STEM and creative loving kids! Their subscription boxes include STEM subscription boxes for every age group, including:
  • Kiwi Crate (ages 5-8)
  • Tinker Crate (ages 9-16+)
  • Eureka Crate (ages 14 – 104+)
    We have had a subscription to Tinker Crate for a couple of years. They were a little challenging for my oldest son at first, since he was only 7 years old at the time, but I enjoyed working on the STEM projects with him. Within the last two years, he has been working on the the boxes all on his own. Tinker Crate not only broadened his knowledge of various engineering disciplines, but also improved his reading, thanks to the included Tinkerzine. To see examples of the boxes worked on, check out:
    • Simple Machine Bird: Levers, Gears, and Birds! Oh My!
    • Building Electrical Circuits and Playing with Light
    • Teach Your Kid about Biomechanical Engineering

• Curiosity Box Kids USA
  Curiosity Box Kids USA is perfect for kids who love to craft! Each box includes all supplies for multiple crafts, along with educator curated books, STEAM activities, and toys. This subscription box also offers three age specific boxes:
  • The Discovery Craft & Educational Box for Ages 2 – 4
  • Creation Station Craft & Educational Box for Ages 5 – 7
  • Great Explorer Craft & Educational Box for Ages 8+

• Club Scikidz Labs
  Explore the different STEM careers out there with this science subscription box! Each box includes experiments relating to a specific STEM career, with all supplies included. A lab notebook is also included in the box to explain and explore the STEM career being explored. For an unboxing of one of the Club Scikidz Labs box, watch this video!

• Genius Box
  The Genius STEM subscription box includes a fun comic to introduce the science concept or theme being explored that month. Also included are three science experiments to explore the science concept, with all supplies included in the box to complete the experiments. To commemorate the science concept explored, a collectible pin related to the theme is also included!

• Bitsbox
  Bitsbox is a great way to teach kids to code! The box includes an activity book, and several examples of simple programs to create. For more about our experience with Bitsbox, see my post “Our First Bitsbox Experience“.

• STEM Discovery Boxes
  Winner of several parent awards for STEM subscription boxes, the STEM Discovery Boxes are perfect for kids ages 7 thru 12. Kids will enjoy exploring a variety science activities, with three STEM projects in every box! Some STEM topics include:
  • electronics
  • space
  • robotics
  • electricity
  • geology
  • crystallography
  • so much more!

• Groovy Lab in a Box
  Are you looking to teach your kids the engineering design process? Groovy Lab in a Box is a great way for kids to develop an understanding of designing. Not only does it include science experiments, but also guides kids through the engineering design process with challenges. A lab notebook to document all their discoveries is also included!

• The Spangler Science Club
  Have you seen Steve Spangler’s new show DIY Sci? All three of my boys the show. You can bring the show home with Spangler’s monthly STEM subscription box! For ages five to twelve, each box includes instructions and all the supplies needed for a science fair project at home.

• Creation Crate
  Created for kids older than 12, Creation Crate is a fantastic, hands-on introduction to real electronics. Kids will learn to wire a project in each box, then use the programming language C++ to spring their project into motion! The box includes all materials needed to complete the project, and online instructions. The Creation Crate may be a little difficult for my boys right now, but I think it would be a great crate for us to complete together! For an example of a Creation Crate, watch this video.

• Beautiful Discovery
  Discover the beauty of STEM through patterns of nature and coding! Beautiful Discovery box is a great STEM subscription box for kids who love art. While coloring pattern art, teens will also learn about patterns in nature, like in the spiral of a shell. Also included are introductory coding games shown through patterns. For an example of several of the boxes provided by Beautiful Discovery, check out this video!

• ForensiKit by Crime Scene
  Does your teen love CSI? Do they think they might be interested in a career in Forensic Science? Then they will definitely be interested in the ForensiKit. Perfect for kids 16 and older, each box includes all the materials needed to learn a skill criminal scientists use to solve cases, and activities to further develop their skills.

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