A Long Island teacher launched a kids' subscription box. Here are 17 boxes to try.
Jameson, Michele and Madison DiLevo get creative with the Tiny Scholars Box at their home in Bohemia. Credit: Sarah Prohens
Levittown teacher Michele DiLevo couldn't find a subscription box on the market that would satisfy her four children and her budget, so she created her own.
It launched in February, giving Long Island families the convenience of activities delivered straight to their door. Her box, called Tiny Scholars, packs in crafting activities with monthly topics for preschoolers and kindergarteners, ranging from colors and counting to emotions.
Madison and her brother, Jameson, explore what's inside the monthly subscription box. Credit: Sarah Prohens
"I wanted something that people would keep coming back to, not something they would buy once and let go," says DiLevo, whose children range from 2 to 6 years old.
That’s the charm of subscription boxes — a gift that keeps on giving, from sharpening kids’ mealtime manners to giving parents a way to advance their children, enthusiasts say. A box arrives on a regular basis, often monthly, for as long as desired. What’s inside can be a surprise — a big part of the pleasure of subscribing — although many companies will post an online peek.
The DiLevos enjoy exploring the boxes together. Credit: Sarah Prohens
DiLevo enters a national market with Tiny Scholars, one that's full of meal prep services, clothing and makeup deliveries and more geared toward making life easier for adults. The subscription box game appeals to parents of young children too, with food services like Little Spoon, age-appropriate toy kits, and boxes focused on science, books and crafts.
Opening the box
Beyond tasty new snacks and paint projects, box gifting enthusiasts say babies are strengthening their muscles, toddlers are learning to follow directions and youngsters are polishing life skills.
Jameson DiLevo checks out the Tiny Scholars box. Credit: Sarah Prohens
Krista Marziliano, of Bohemia, felt lost trying to figure out how to best nurture her child at home, then found DiLevo’s $45 monthly Tiny Scholars box, which had all the items needed to turn a cardboard roll into a reindeer. Marziliano credits the craft work with teaching her daughter Gianna, 4, patience. "It keeps them occupied, but it’s not screen time." And it's an activity to do together.
Grace Tymecki, 12, tries some of the makeup she received through her monthly Ipsy subscription box. Credit: Linda Rosier
The whole family gets involved when subscription boxes come to the Tymecki family's Wantagh home. Ninth grader Katie and sixth grader Grace delve into beauty boxes from Ipsy ($14 and up), laughing as they try out red lipsticks during a holiday season delivery. "It was very cool to experiment," Katie says. Her brother, Jack, eats sweets and munchies from a different country from SnackCrate. Mom Jessica Tymecki, 45, is immediately handed anti-wrinkle creams from her girls and didn’t get to try the products her girls liked. "We make a great team," she says.
Grace and Jack Tymecki, 12, and their mother, Jessica, explore the boxes together at home in Wantagh. Credit: Linda Rosier
Sold on box subscriptions, the children now search online for other choices.
"They love to see packages addressed to them and have goodies inside," Jessica Tymecki says.
Subscriptions can be under $20 a month or approach $100. It’s a multibillion-dollar industry nationwide, one projected to increase dramatically in the next decade or so due to consumers’ demand for personalized, convenient services, market researchers report. The pandemic further boosted the popularity of children’s box purchases, and nowadays, many busy parents are ready to pay for convenience.
"People needed activities delivered right to their door," says Grace Rooney, a manager of growth and business integration at The Curated Hive, based in Toronto. "People like crafted, curated activities that are both educational and fun for kids."
Some of the candy from Japan that Jack Tymecki received through a monthly subscription box. Credit: Linda Rosier
Many parents have been seeking an educational aspect to the subscriptions they pick, especially key for younger children, merchants say.
"They need to have some really good ability to provide skills for them, critical thinking skills, hand-eye coordination skills," says Joni Jones, co-owner of the Little Dreamers Club, another craft box option. "But they need to be fun."
Finding the right box
Many subscription businesses tailor activities to skills for different age groups. Subscriptions can be expensive, but businesses offer longer-term subscription discounts, some for sign-ups as long as two years. Most allow customers to end subscriptions at any time.
Kinderartz
Etsy, the global online market, has plenty of box gifts for youngsters, including Kinderartz. It touts eco-friendly arts materials for ages 5-8. Children experiment with a wide array of arts, including papier-mâché Easter eggs, clay and paper marbling, which makes unique designs by dipping paper into water containing swirls of paint. Each box lets guardians know the skills being nurtured, from observation to creativity.
Cost From $38
More info etsy.com/shop/KinderArtz
Little Spoon
Healthy, organic meals and snacks are freshly prepared for babies and toddlers, with testing for contaminants inspired by European Union standards, considered by many to be stricter than U.S. requirements. The food can be filtered for no meat, no soy and no wheat.
Cost From $3.32 per meal
More info littlespoon.com
CrunchLab
Build Box, for ages 8-13, demonstrates science concepts, like a trip wire that sets off a lever that kicks out balls, showing the transfer of energy. The Hack Pack, for ages 14 and up, focuses on robotics and coding, including a "Robo-Turret" that shoots projectiles.
Cost From $27.45
More info crunchlabs.com
Stitch Fix for Kids
Getting clothes delivered starts with a style quiz on your child’s preferences, from colors to patterns. Ten pieces of clothing arrive each month, based on designated budget and quiz answers. Subscriptions can be weekly. Keep the ones you like and return the rest. There’s a $20 styling fee per order.
Cost From $10
More info stitchfix.com/kids
SnackCrate
Munch around the world with chips, candy, Coke and other treats from a different country each month. SnackCrate says it imports "authentic" and "rare" goodies.
Cost $90 for three months
More info snackcrate.com
Brick Loot
The company designs and manufactures Lego-compatible building bricks and other elements. Each monthly mystery box with a retail value of at least $55 might also contain sets created by famous designers.
Cost $42.99
More info brickloot.com
Hey Doll!
Positive messages in curated boxes are aimed at girls ages 10-16, starting with handwritten notes and lifestyle items — candles, jewelry, perfume, books and more.
Cost From $44
More info heydoll.net
Comic Mystery Box
Among the categories are Marvel Comics, "X-Men," "Star Wars" and first issues. Five or more comics, wrapped and protected, arrive each month.
Cost From $15.99
More info thecomicmysterybox.com
KiwiCo
Brain-building play and a good bit of bonding can start from birth with colorful and touch-friendly objects that stimulate vision, hearing and movement.
Cost From $50
More info kiwico.com
Bitsbox
Bitsbox teaches kids coding through game apps. Kids pick a game to build, log onto the website, tailor commands, then play on their newly created game with friends and even share their apps on cellphones.
Cost From $16.95
More info bitsbox.com
Raddish Kids
Designed for ages 4 and up, Raddish Kids whips up kitchen skills. Pick from cooking, baking or global eats boxes. Each contains laminated cards with recipes, ingredients for a shopping list and a culinary skill lesson.
Cost From $27.95
More info raddishkids.com
Little Passports
Distinct adventures await each age group. Kids ages 4-6 can trek through a pop-up of the Amazon rainforest. Two years later, they can go to space and learn about astronomy in ancient times. Kids 7 and older end up in the kitchen, learning, for example, to make pasta and explore Rome.
Cost From $25
More info littlepassports.com
Literati
Five books, based on the reader’s preferences and age, arrive each month. Babies and toddlers up to age four get books that also contain "sensory excitement" with interactive elements and vibrant colors. Keep the ones the children love and return the others.
Cost From $34.99
More info literati.com
Curiosity Box Kids
Up to eight hours of activities can be found in each box. Parents pick from four age categories, filled with art projects, puzzles, story books, pocket-sized toys and STEM inspired activities.
Cost From $29.96
More info curatedbox.com
Little Dreamers Club
Six Texan women, tired of running out constantly to buy crafts items for their children and grandkids, created a crafts box with everything needed, from glue to scissors. Their club harnesses imagination, with pirates, bugs, aliens and more. Create a spyglass, glow-in-the-dark bug clothespin and other contraptions to inspire outdoor and family adventures.
Cost $32.99
More info littledreamersclub.com
Tiny Scholars
Craft activities for preschoolers and kindergartners help give them a head start on learning, from modes of transportation to water. There’s a new theme each month.
Cost $45
More info mytinyscholar.myshopify.com
Ipsy
Lip gloss, moisturizer, anti-wrinkle cream — you don’t know what you’ll get but they’ll come in a keepsake makeup bag. First, take a quiz about your appearance and makeup habits so the company can tailor what goes in your bag.
Cost $14 and up
More info ipsy.com
