My Absolute Favorite Monthly Activity Boxes for Kids
This post is sponsored by Ivy Kids. All opinions are 100% mine.
Although I stay home with my kids full time and should, in theory, have plenty of time to plan meaningful literature-based activities myself, I have been on a bit of an activity hiatus for the last month or so. I typically get like this when I become increasingly concerned about issues going on around the world (terrorist attacks, elections, etc)…or also when I am potty training a puppy and a toddler at the same time. :) Nevertheless, it is times like these when I am so very thankful for Ivy Kids, my absolute favorite monthly activity boxes for kids!
Ivy Kids is perfect for busy parents, especially because it has everything you need packed right inside the box. You won’t have to do any prep work or hunt down any extra materials, it is literally ready from the moment you open the box!
Ivy Kids is different than its competition because it includes a high-quality children’s book in every box! The targeted age range for Ivy Kids is between 3 years old and 8 years old. Little Sister is 2 but is able to do a lot of the activities in the box as well.
Here are a few more notable points about Ivy Kids Kits:
- There are on average 12 activities in each box! Each activity comes with a thoughtful instruction guide with ideas on differentiating for children who are older or those who are younger. The activities are well-rounded and include a variety of concepts and learning styles.
- EVERYTHING is included. Crayons, glue, paint, paintbrushes…it’s all included! One of the activities shared in one of the boxes we reviewed included ice and the box even came with an ice cube tray and kid-sized plastic gloves!
- The subscription aspect is optional. If you would rather not get a kit every month and just want to choose a specific book and corresponding kit, you can order past kits as well! However, the kits will obviously be less expensive when you subscribe…and once you try them, I am certain you and your kids will be hooked!
- Sibling sets are only $5 extra! Get enough materials for all the children in your home with this awesome option!
Taseea, the founder of Ivy Kids, is a certified early childhood educator turned stay-at-home mother of three. She began Ivy Kids a few years ago for the same reason I began my blog: to encourage parents to spend meaningful time engaged with their children! She makes this goal nearly effortless for parents!
We had the opportunity to review two kits this time around and both were based on books that I had never read. As I always say with each new kit we receive, Ivy Kids just keeps getting better and better with every box!
Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon was a huge hit with my younger two. They especially loved being able to retell the story using the penguin, tree, and pinecone props included in the Ivy Kids box!
Some of our favorite activities in this box were:
- Painting Pine Cones
- Penguin Walk to identify letters and/or blends and digraphs
- Penguin Bingo
- Penguin’s Journey Board Game
- Plant a Pine Tree
In our second kit featuring the book Pezzettino by Leo Lionni, these were some of our favorite activities:
- Mosaic Square Frame
- Can You Build This? with Interlocking Blocks
- Making creatures with Stikits
- Colored Ice Cube Exploration and Art
- Opposite Island Board Game
My boys went crazy with these Stikits…they are like packing peanuts that you water down and stick together. I think it was their favorite activity in the entire box!
Once again, every material you see in the photos was all provided in the box (minus our plate). :)
I especially loved the Pezzettino box because it was more abstract and open-ended, which was perfect for my 6 and 8-year old.
Overall, Ivy Kids is my absolute favorite company for subscription activity boxes for kids! They are perfect for children of all ages and abilities, especially as they can be differentiated so easily using the suggestions on the activity guides!
Check out other Ivy Kids Kits we have reviewed in the past:
Want to give Ivy Kids a try?
Use the code “IVY20” to get 20% off your first order!
You can also get a discount on two spring-themed kits: Make Way for Ducklings and The Tiny Seed!
When I went on the website, I noticed that this automatically renews your subscription. Have you done this for more than a year? Are they the same books or new books from year to year? I know there is a savings, but is it worth the price for a full year or would I just be better off to get the books I think my three boys would be interested in? I really love this idea! Just like you, I taught first grade for 6 years before staying at home with my kiddos. I really thought that I would have more time to do the things with my kids that I was doing with other people’s children, but that is just not the case. I still do fun things with my boys, but there’s still so much more I wanted to do with them. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. I’m afraid that even if I purchase this, it’s just going to go into a drawer of other things we haven’t gotten to (i.e. the mounds of activity books, coloring books, paint books…).
Hi Mindy! If you are unsure whether you will use it, I would recommend going to the shop and picking out one of the books that you are interested in. Just order that kit and see how you like it. If you order individual kits, it won’t automatically charge your card…that is only if you get a subscription. I can almost assure you that you will be so impressed you will want to subscribe. :)
From my experience with Ivy Kids, the books are new each month. They do not repeat (to my knowledge).