KiwiCo Atlas Crate Review – Holding the World In His Hands

KiwiCo Atlas Crate Review – Holding the World In His Hands

Disclosure: I received this product for free in return for providing my honest and unbiased review.  I received no other compensation. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

I was really excited about this opportunity.  Maybe more excited than my son, Isaiah.

First a Little Background on KiwiCo

KiwiCo provides age-appropriate subscription crates (boxes) for children with projects and other educational items.

All the boxes are STEAM oriented.

STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.

Each month your child receives a project and related learning material to help them better understand a topic.

The crates are all age-appropriate.  You tell KiwiCo what age group your child falls into.  Depending on the age group you can also choose to focus on certain topics.

Here’s a list of the different crate types:

• Cricket 0-36 months – Explore and Discover
• Koala 3-4 Years – Play and Learn
• Kiwi 5-8 Years – Science, Art & More
• Atlas 6-11 Years – Geography & Culture
• Doodle 6-16+ — Art & Design
• Tinker 9-16+ — Science & Engineering

Isaiah received an Atlas box on Wednesday but because of his schedule, we didn’t get to it until Friday night.

That’s right, our Friday nights involve learning and quality family time.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The box included pieces to put a globe together, pieces to a related book (I will get to that shortly), a world map and an Atlas pin.

The Globe:

It was in two halves, conveniently divided along the equator.  It came with felt stickers that represented each of the continents, a stand, and instructions.  The equator has to line up with 0 degrees on the stand at the end of the instructions.

Isaiah was able to follow along with the instructions and put it together in about 45 minutes.  He needed minimal help from me.  He mostly needed help with some of the steps that required a little more finesse.

The great thing about this part of the crate was he learned about the different continents and where they are in the world in relation to where we live.

There was a tiny felt heart that Isaiah was instructed to place where we live on the globe.  He needed a little guidance with this.  Most 8-year-olds would.

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The Book:

The book came with a few pages and rings that act as a binder.  This also had to be put together.

Isaiah loves to read and already finished reading the few pages that were included in the crate.

He was amazed at some of the facts that were included in the book.

• The smallest country in Europe (The Vatican) is .2 square miles.
• The longest staircase in Europe is 2 miles long (somewhere in Spain).
• There is a bird in South America that can mimic 20 other birds and a chainsaw.

He really loves stuff like that.  He is already talking about telling his friends at school.  Sure, send them to this page!

The Map:

For a while now, we have been talking about getting Isaiah a map of the world to put in his room.  Well, thanks to KiwiCo now he has one.

Now I must get some red pins, so he can mark the places he has been in the world.  That’s only Haiti, Jamaica and the East Coast of the US at this point but there will be more.

He has been fascinated with New Zealand for some time now.  While most kids want to go to Disney or someplace like that Isaiah wants to go to New Zealand. He finally understands where it is in relation to where we live.

It’s not close at all.  It really can’t be much further away in case you’re wondering.

The map is now hanging up in his room along with his favorite Yankee players and a few other baseball related posters.  Did I mention he loves to watch and play baseball?

The Results:

It’s not a state secret that kids learn from doing and interacting.  It’s also not a secret that kids develop confidence in the topic when they learn this way.

Isaiah is a very smart young man.  I know you’re probably thinking that every dad says that about their children, but I am not just saying that.

He’s in 3^rd grade and reading 6-8th-grade books.  He is very inquisitive, and most school subjects come very easy to him.  Even this crazy new way of making math more complicated than it is.

I could tell immediately that Isaiah received a confidence boost from completing this project on his own.  He took pride in his accomplishment.

Isaiah truly enjoyed the project.  I enjoyed watching him completing this project.

The globe now sits on his dresser next to all his game balls, trophies, favorite books, travel souvenirs, and baseball memorabilia.  These are all the items he takes great pride in.  The things he does not want anyone else to touch (except me).

That’s how I know the KiwiCo Atlas Crate is a winner in Isaiah’s eyes.  That’s good enough for me.

My children don’t believe in sleeping in.  The next morning sometime before 7 am Isaiah was in my bed reading me facts from the book and trying to identify places on the globe.  An 8-year-old reading interesting facts to his dad, while he tries to get 5 more minutes of sleep is what raising children, is all about.

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