WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Entertainment delivered to your doorstep…with a twist. Instead of ordering movies, why not order crafts, art projects, science experiments and more? Kiwi Crates makes that possible.
Found Sandra Oh Lin launched the company in 2011. She told Good Morning Carolina anchor Ashley Jacobs her own kids inspired her and continue to do so every day, "I’ve always loved hands-on projects but I often found that it was tough to come up with engaging activities, let alone get the materials. So when I started developing projects for my kids, I thought why not share them with others," she explained.
To see if the concept is worth the money, we went straight to a children’s activity expert: a 3-year-old girl.
Sydney loves crafts and according to her mom, Lindsey Buffamante, "Doing a craft and having everything come in one box, not having to worry about getting extra pieces and stuff is a big success for a toddler."
The Kiwi Crate arrived at their door and Sydney was all smiles from the beginning. What child doesn’t love getting a box to open…especially knowing its full of goodies.
Sydney opened the Color Inspiration theme box and got to work right away making color wheels, spinning tops and even trying on some colored glasses to explore primary colors and their capabilities when crafting.
Themed-boxes range from Fairy Fun to Wild Safari and Arctic Adventure and more. Prices range too.
Subscribers can shell out $220 to receive one crate each month for an entire year, purchase crates individually or explorer subscription services by clicking here.
Buffamante said she thought the price was fair after learning scissors and other supplies were included as well. Plus the educational benefit is great. The time she can spend with her daughter is precious too, "I feel like it encourages quality time together and making crafts is one of her favorite things to do. Plus I think you can only do so much with so many toys."
A team of education and design experts brainstorm ideas; however, Oh Lin said, "Really where the rubber meets the road is when our kid testers get involved."
And the "kid tester" we found gave it her stamp of approval, working carefully to finish her colorful top and spending time with one of her parents during it all.
Already have craft supplies at home don’t mind running to the store? Check out Ashley’s facebook page for free ideas from Kiwi Crate.