I think you will love this non-toy gift for kids!
My girls–now 2, 4 and 6–absolutely love putting crafts together! But I’m a non-crafty mommy! I just get flustered coming up with ideas and even putting the supplies and craft creations together!
This Christmas, we’re considering using some grandparent money to give our girls a non-toy gift: a subscription to Green Kid Crafts!
I was able to try out two Green Kid Crafts boxes for review posts earlier this year, and my girls absolutely LOVED them! And I loved them as well.
Here are 10 reasons–beyond just the fact that they are a non-toy gift for kids–why I love the idea of giving Green Kid Crafts this year:
1. It takes the work out of coming up with craft ideas.
I’m not a crafty mom. I’m just not. I didn’t even like to do crafts when I was a kid!
But my girls, particularly my 6 1/2-year-old, LOVE crafts.
With a craft box subscription, I don’t have to be crafty. I don’t even have to come up with craft ideas on my own.
All the work–the planning, the ideas, the instructions and even the supplies–are all in the Green Kid Crafts box for me!
2. It helps me instill a love for both art and science in my kids–even though I am skilled in neither.
Science was my least favorite subject in school. Yes, I even hated it more than math!
And this might be hard to believe, but I didn’t really like art class either! (Although, I did enjoy other types of art–like music lessons and, of course, writing!)
I don’t want my kids to grow up hating art and science just because their mother isn’t skilled in either! I love how the Green Kid Crafts boxes combine both art and science, and it’s a way my children can learn to love both.
3. It doesn’t require batteries.
This is a HUGE plus in my book!
Can I be honest and say that I don’t enjoy battery-operated toys? They can be noisy, and when the batteries run out, well, a meltdown can ensue! Plus, battery-operated toys require that you constantly must replenish the batteries, which really can add up over time.
I love that craft boxes provide hours of quiet, battery-free fun.
4. It develops fine motor skills.
Sometimes I wonder if the reason I never enjoyed crafts was because I never really developed good fine motor skills. That might sound funny–and I didn’t really make this connection until, oh, about age 33!–but I have always had poor hand writing, have never been able to cut or sew or draw a straight line and have just felt clumsy when it has come to anything that involves working with my hands (besides typing, of course!).
When my little girl showed signs of hating handwriting, her teacher recommended that I give her plenty of craft time–particularly involving crafts that involve lots of cutting.
I had no idea that cutting and glueing, etc. could strengthen the hand muscles that aid in good handwriting skills! I have seen our daughter’s handwriting improve in just a few short months, and I am convinced that is it partly due from her craft time, which is developing her fine motor skills.
5. It hones my kids’ creativity.
I am a firm believer that most–if not all–kids are born creatives.
We parents can encourage them to hone their creativity by providing opportunities for them to practice it through crafting and other imaginative play.
So even though I do not personally enjoy crafts, I appreciate services like Green Kid, who help me see that my children’s creativity does not remain stagnant.
6. It keeps them entertained for hours.
The only other thing I’ve seen entertain my girls for this length of time has been television. And which is better for them in the long-run? Crafts, hands-down!
7. It reinforces green living.
Since living in the eco-friendly Vancouver, BC, Canada when our firstborn was a baby, my husband and I have become passionate about green living.
I love that Green Kid Crafts are very intentional about their craft supplies being reusable and recyclable and their craft creations being things that reinforce eco-conscious living.
8. It makes memories.
Sure, there will be times when we laugh about a TV show or movie watched together, but there are so many more memories made in crafting together. Even the times we mess up on crafts (which are more times than not for this mama!) can be a fun, humorous memory made together.
9. It’s a gift idea that doesn’t add to a materialistic mindset.
One of the things I really hate about our North American culture is how materialistic our society has become. Toys, toys and more toys just reinforce that.
The gift of crafting together–especially when we encourage our children to give those crafts away to others as gifts–doesn’t add to that materialistic mindset like other gifts may do.
10. It doesn’t clutter up my house!
And last, but not least, I love that Green Kid Crafts does not clutter up my house! The fun of the craft boxes is in actually making the crafts. We can save and display the creations for a little while and then either recycle them or gift them to others.
We loved our trial experience with Green Kid Crafts so much that we considering pooling some grandparent money to give our girls a Green Kid Crafts subscription for Christmas this year!
Read my other reviews on Green Kid Crafts here and here.
How Does a Green Kid Crafts Subscription Work?
You can get a subscription for 1, 3, 6 and 12-month increments. The 1-month subscriptions are paid month-to-month and are good for the occasional craft box. The other subscription options are more cost effective and renew automatically, although you can cancel at any time. With those, the craft boxes will come to your home at the beginning of each month.
Green Kid Crafts has a variety of boxes to choose from:
Discovery Boxes offer a more variety of themed crafts.
Creativity Kits are for more-on-the-go crafting, perfect for holiday travel!
STEM Science Kits have a more science/math/engineering focus.
Right now, Green Kid Crafts also has special holiday and stocking stuffer boxes!
Shop here.
Have you ever tried a craft box subscription before? Do you have any ideas for a clutter-free gift for kids?
lori
I am so excited to see something like this. I have two grand sons and think they would enjoy something like this. One is 2 1/2 and his parents try to do experiments with him when they can gather supplies and he’s very creative. My other grandson is 8 and I know that he would benefit from something like this as well!
I don’t like the commercialism of our times and think that it’s time to cultivate a society of creativity with experimentation and crafting. This will also allow for parents to grow closer to their children because they’re doing something together! Doesn’t our world need more family time?
I’m going to get my grands the gift of creativity this year and start a new tradition in our family!
Erin
Oh I’m so glad you were inspired, Lori! I totally agree about the gift of creativity and experience over material things! Merry Christmas!
Grammyprepper
Erin, I know you have all girls, but having reviewed the product, what would you recommend for a three year old very intelligent boy? I am not the least bit crafty, but I am helping to raise my grandson (even considering homeschooling him) so I need all the help I can get! We play daily, we read books together, but getting crafty together would be so much fun…and since I’m craft challenged, even on a limited income, this could be something we could use!