KiwiCo Panda Crate Review + Discount Code | Play With Me
We used to gift a KiwiCo subscription box to family members a few years ago and loved watching the kids’ eyes light up with every box they received. So when they came out with Panda Crate, I knew I would want to sign Evelyn up! Well, life got away from us and I never did get to sign up. We’ve been staying home a lot more this year, for obvious reasons, and I figured it was finally time to sign up. Evelyn was playing with the same toys every day, but I didn’t want her to get bored and I wanted to be able to do some Montessori shelf rotation. As predicted, the box was a hit! Evelyn continues to play with the toys and find new uses for each item. So, today I would like to share with you what we received in our Play with Me Panda Crate, what I have learned about KiwiCo, and how it all ties into healthy and successful child development.
Why KiwiCo?
While getting my education to become a teacher, I discovered the importance of learner-centered instruction. That is where I was introduced to the Montessori Method which is child-centered education. Both forms of education prioritize the learner, their interests, and their capabilities to support learning in a welcoming environment. This form of learning environment attempts to develop a wide range of skills for the learner, more than just their academic ability. So, with this teaching philosophy in mind, I knew I wanted something that supported Evelyn’s natural creativity and curiosity.
KiwiCo was created to do just that, all while helping parents learn how to provide their own enriching experiences. These crates are designed to be fun, easy, and a delightful way for families to spend quality time exploring and creating together. KiwiCo crates come in 8 age ranges, from 0 all the way up to 104 (fun for the whole family, I promise!). Depending on the age range, there may be multiple options for the main theme to be STEM, art, etc. Depending on the age range chosen, the crate could ship every month or every other month.
We ordered the Panda Crate (0-24 months) which ships ever other month and is broken down even further into developmentally appropriate themes based on age. Evelyn’s age (13 months at the time) put her into the “Play With Me” crate category.
About the Crate
The Play With Me crate was designed to help babies and toddlers learn independent exploration and play skills. So, all of the toys, books, and items in the crate are specifically designed with that concept in mind. Independent play time is so, so crucial for a baby and toddler development because they are learning creativity, self-reliance, independence, imagination, and to learn from their own mistakes. Evelyn has always been a champ at independent play time and exploring on her own. The crate also explores fine motor skills and social-emotional development.
In the crate:
When you open the crate, the first thing you see are the educational resources for parents. There are activity cards for playing both with and without the toys. The cards with the toys explain each item, how to use it, and how it aids in development. The extra instructional cards help parents learn what their child is capable of, and what items around the house they can use to help develop those skills. These skills are so great for parents who might want additional resources on how to further connect and nurture their kids during play time!
Evelyn’s favorite item from the box: a board book. This was just a simple book, not a busy book by any means, but Evelyn loves to sit and read. We sit down with her to read a book (or two) during calm down time. But I’ve seen her ‘reading’ aloud to herself during play time, or on our laps if she’s awake during our work time.
The KiwiCo crate also comes with online resources. The Play With Me crate has a fun sing-along to listen to, along with a few more suggested books:
I am a little too excited that this peg board was included! Peg work was on my list of things to lookout for at the resale shops once our area started to open up again. The peg board has beautiful pastel-colored pegs with corresponding wood rings. It also came with a cloth bag for storage, which Evelyn loves to dump and fill back up. Peg work helps toddlers learn basic math skills, such as matching and sorting by making patterns and placing pegs in a sequence, through counting. All of these skills are crucial towards building a foundation for future math skills.
In addition to the rings, the crate also included wood bars. These were to add an element of challenge and creativity. The bars could be stacked, assorted by color, through multiple holes, or arranged with a peg through a singular hole. Through providing challenges, and different levels of difficulty in learning, the learner is able to develop on self-esteem through accomplishing a difficult task, apply a growth mindset, and boost curiosity.
The crate also included a ball drop, which I thought was super neat! But Evelyn is a little more obsessed with throwing balls than placing them in objects. This ball drop is designed to alternate the direction in which the ball rolls after being dropped through the hole, however. To continue with the theme of independent play, it is the perfect toy to allow a child to learn how to insert an item, retrieve it, and repeat. There are so many aspects of development this toy hits on and I do hope she will enjoy it eventually!
This cute little Ribbon Pull toy brings different textures, coordination, and continuing to develop those pincer grasps (but trust me, she knows how to pinch!). I use this toy as an opportunity to learn about colors, directions, left and right hands, and so many other things! I really love how each of these toys can be used to develop multiple skills and in so many different ways. She also doesn’t play with this as much yet, but she is really into exploring and constantly being on the go currently. I think during her slower times would be the perfect time to get her more interested in the ball drop and the ribbon pull.
That being said, Evelyn is also starting to be attracted to pretend play. She loves helping us with chores around the house, pretending her toys are babies and doing her daily routines with them (she will even bring me a pillow, blanket, her favorite Elmo, and a book and pretend to put me to bed), or even pretending to help daddy with work on his keyboard (he’s a programmer). So, I would love to see some incorporation of role-playing in a future box.
I hope you enjoyed our review and maybe learned a little about child development along the way! KiwiCo also has a generous rewards program where you can earn points towards free products by following simple tasks. So if you have children, know anyone stuck at home with children, or know anyone expecting, I highly recommend KiwiCo as a gift! (Even though I said ‘children’, KiwiCo really does have fun for all ages)
If you decide to sign up or gift it, I can’t wait to see what you get! Leave me a comment or tag me on Instagram to tell me how you enjoyed it!
