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November 11, 2014November 11, 2014

Sneak Peek: Introducing November’s Theme!

Kiwi Crate Discovering Dinosaurs Crate

November is the last month in our Time Traveler series! The theme is Discovering Dinosaurs and we hope you’ll join us for our trip waaaay back in time. Explore the world of dinosaurs and learn how paleontologists discover dinosaur bones. Try measuring different sizes of dinosaurs and learn how to make dinosaur fossils you can dig up yourself!

Kiwi Crate Discovering Dinosaurs Crate

My Dinosaur Fossils
Arrange dinosaur bones into different dinosaur skeletons. Then use clay to make your own dinosaur fossils.

Kiwi Crate Discovering Dinosaurs Crate

My Dinosaur Dress-Up
Use colorful felt to make your own dinosaur visor and feet. Practice stomping around like a dinosaur or play a game of dinosaur tag.

explore! magazine
In this month’s explore! magazine, you’ll meet Meg the Mole and help Steve the Kiwi dig for dinosaur fossils. Learn about the different types of dinosaurs create your very own dino fossils. You’ll even find a recipe for baking fossil cookies, now that’s a colossal treat!

Kiwi Crate Discovering Dinosaurs Crate

Kiwi Crate Library
Here’s a few of our favorite dinosaur books for you to read with your little ones!

Kiwi Crate Discovering Dinosaurs Crate

Dinos To Go
by Sandra Boynton
Ages 2+
Rhyming verse and playful cartoons tell the story of many kinds of silly dinosaurs, complete with tabs for easy navigating.

Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones
by Byron Barton
Ages 4+
A simple story that explores the process of paleontologists searching for, excavating, and preparing dinosaur fossils for a museum.

Flip-O-Saurus
by Britta Drehsen and Sara Ball
Ages 4+
With over 1,000 different combinations, this book provides an opportunity for kids to learn about and assemble different dinosaurs.

October 30, 2014July 14, 2015

The Reviews Are In!

As you have probably heard, we recently expanded our Kiwi Crate family with the launch of Koala Crate, Doodle Crate and Tinker Crate. We wanted to get real opinions from real people about what they thought of our latest offerings, so we reached out to a few of our favorite bloggers to get their opinions on our new crates.

“What surprised me the most was the quality of the included materials. Our trebuchet is well-built and can withstand the stress of living in a house with three boys. It has already migrated to our playroom to sit next to the castle inhabited by dragons and knights.”

– Holly from Kids Activities Blog

Kids Activities Blog, written by Holly Homer and Rachel Miller, is all about great things to do with kids that are easy, fun, have learning elements and can be done with stuff you already have at home. Their first book, 101 Kids Activities that are the Bestest, Funnest Ever!, is now in bookstores.

Click here to read the full post!

“This month was the biggest hit, filled to the brim with materials for a color scavenger hunt (the BEST), a watercolor banner craft and a color sheet experiment for mixing colors and learning hues. With an insert for parents that includes questions to discuss with your child, time investments and messiness factors, it’s a foolproof way to connect with your kids in an educational (crazy fun) way.”

– Erin from Design for Mankind

Design for Mankind Koala Crate

Design for Mankind is authored by the amazing Erin Loechner. A former art director/stylist in Los Angeles, Erin has been blogging and speaking for more than a decade and has garnered a loyal, design-loving following with over one million fans worldwide.

Click here to read the full post!

“Most of all I loved seeing their creativity. It was fun to just let them go at it and not have to hover and make sure things turn out perfectly….This totally took the stress factor away for me and made me just want to sit down and craft more!”

– Trina from La La Lovely

La La Lovely is a lifestyle blog with an eye for design in all areas of life, regularly featuring décor, design, style, travel, family, children, food + all things lovely. Trina McNeilly’s DIY crafts and projects are always styled to perfection.

Click here to read the entire post!

October 27, 2014

Halloween’s Here!

Kiwi-Crate-Most-Popular-Halloween-Crafts

Everyone’s favorite night for spookiness is right around the corner! Have you gotten in the spirit yet? What are your favorite Halloween activities besides trick-or-treating? We’ve gathered a few of our favorite Halloween-themed crafts that both you and your little one will enjoy!

Paper Plate Halloween Crafts
Want some super simple, last minute Halloween craft ideas for the kids? Create this trio of Halloween characters using dessert plates from the dollar store and a short list of supplies.

Creepy-Crawly Pipe Cleaner Spiders
Add some creepy crawlers to your Halloween decor this year with a simple and fun spider craft made from pipe cleaners and beads.

Bendable Wire Mummy
Did you know that flexible outdoor wire and scrap fabric is all it takes to make this fun, bendable mummy? A simple project with such a fun result!

Egg Carton Spiders
A simple spider craft that’s great for Halloween, made with egg cartons, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and paint!

Caramel Apple Monsters
Take your after-school snacks to the next level and make these Monster Caramel Apples. The kids will love making them as much as they’ll enjoy gobbling them down!

Stone Spiders
With a short list of supplies and a simple set of instructions, these fun little spiders are sure to be a Halloween crafting hit with the kiddos!

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Nothing welcomes the fall season like toasted pumpkin seeds. Here’s a classic recipe that your kids will enjoy helping with.

Witch’s Broomstick Bag
Make an witch’s broomstick with a twist! This fun Halloween favor bag is perfect for a classroom or October birthday party! All you need to make one broomstick are two lunch-sized paper bags, string, and a stick or tree branch.

Spider Web Snacks
A fun tasty-treat that’s simple to make and so fun for little ghost, goblins and maybe even Spiderman to nibble on during Halloween-time!

Shrunken Heads
These creepy little shrunken heads are almost too authentic. Your little ones will have fun creating different faces and expressions and seeing how they turn out!

Q-Tip Skeletons
One of our all-time favorite Halloween crafts. Hardly any prep involved – yet such a great looking project! And your little ones will have fun exploring how the bones in the body connect and work together.

Paper Spiders
A classic Halloween craft using just paper to create these spooky spiders pals that your children will enjoy creating.

October 22, 2014

10 Easy Pumpkin DIYs

10 Easy and Fun DIY crafts involving Pumpkins from Kiwi Crate

October is all about pumpkins! We’ve compiled 10 fun and easy DIYs you can do at home involving everyone’s favorite Halloween icon, the pumpkin!

Rip and Glue Paper Pumpkins
Ripping paper and gluing are both great for the development of fine motor skills.

Pumpkin Waffles
This recipe is a great make-ahead meal that you can store in the refrigerator or freezer and simply pop into the toaster oven for a quick breakfast treat.

Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds
Not your average roasted pumpkin seed, these caramelized seeds make a tasty treat!

Pumpkin Seed Mosaic
A great way to use every part of the pumpkin – especially if you and your family have already overdosed on roasted pumpkin seeds!

Polka-Dotted Pumpkin
Carving pumpkins can be pretty tricky and a little nerve-wrecking when you have toddlers and preschoolers around. Use an apple corer instead for a safe and fun way for kids to carve pumpkins–with just a little adult help.

Pumpkin Bread
The delicious aroma of cinnamon and spices wafting in the air is a perfect way to create memories of autumn, cool weather, and getting cozy at home with some fun books and tasty snacks! This is an easy recipe that you and your child can do together.

Paper Pumpkin Decorating
A great pumpkin shape craft that is fun for all ages. Work on shapes and sorting while having fun and get creative making jack-o-lantern faces with different shapes.

Whipped Pumpkin Dip
Pumpkins are packed with nutrients (just don’t tell the kids that). Here’s a favorite dip recipe that you can make each fall that the whole family will enjoy!

5 Little Pumpkins
Create your own version of the 5 Little Pumpkins. Inspired this very popular Halloween children’s book by Dan Yaccarino.

Pumpkin Smoothie
Most kids love smoothies and they’re the perfect way to add some extra nutrition into your little one’s diet. This pumpkin smoothie will be a new family favorite!

October 15, 2014

Wild West Adventures

October’s Wild West Kiwi Crates are shipping out this week. We hope you are all excited as we are! We wanted to share with you a collection of our favorite projects all centered around cowboys, Native Americans and the Wild West frontier. We hope you and your kids will enjoy some of these crafts and activities along with your Wild West crate!

Miniature Teepee
Make an easy teepee out of sticks and paper for hours of pretend play. Learn about early Native American life and all about the construction of teepees.

Hand Print Campfires
This fun campfire art project always turns out great and it’s so easy to do with just paint and paper. You and your child could also talk about and explore different flame colors and what causes them.

Corn Husk Doll
Corn husk dolls have been around a long, long time. Your child will enjoy making this old-fashioned toy out of something so unexpected!

Free WANTED Poster Printable
This free printable is a great way to get your child’s imagination flowing. Together you can come up with a whole slew of fun characters to add to these posters.

Fingerprint Corn
This is a craft that even the youngest of you Kiwi Craters out there can enjoy! Create your own unique ears of corn.

Paper Bag Cowboy and Sheriff Vests
This great DIY costume is made from paper bags and envelopes! Native American Headband
Dress up is always a kid favorite! This DIY will be fun for your child to create and role-play with afterwards! Owl Burlap Fall Flag
Make these adorable owls using an apple as the stamp. This is the perfect fall craft and you can display it year after year. Sheriff Badge
When there’s a cowboy, there’s always a sheriff! This great sheriff badge is simple to make with card stock. Then adorn it with stickers or whatever your child would like to add to make it there very own. World’s Best Popcorn Ball Recipe
Popcorn has a long history in our country. Cowboys might not have had these amazing popcorn balls, but they probably would have loved them just as much as we do!

October 8, 2014October 8, 2014

Sneak Peek: Introducting October’s Theme!

We’re now fully in the midst of Fall and we’re excited to bring you this fun cowboy-themed crate: Wild West! We hope the projects for this month will help inspire your child’s love of learning the history of cowboys and the world they lived in.

My Hobby Horse
You can create your own trusty steed to aid you on your cowboy adventures. A cowboy is only as good as his horse after all!

My Cattle Roundup
Then you can make and decorate your own cattle bean bags. Help Steve wrangle them with a fun bean bag toss game.

explore! magazine
In this month’s explore! magazine, you’ll head West with Steve the Kiwi. You’ll meet Adrian the armadillo and track down Steve’s missing friend, Betsy the cow. Learn what a day in the life of a old-time cowboy was like and explore other typical jobs for during the same time period. You’ll also get to make your very own covered wagon!

Kiwi Crate Library
Want even more cowboy-related fun? Try a couple of these cowboy-themed books on for size:

Kiwi Crate Wild West Books

Westward Ho!
by Laurie Carlson
Ages 5+
An activity guide that explores the history and character of the wild west through lots of project ideas and activities.

Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella
by Susan Lowell
Ages 4+
An adorable take on a classic fairy tale, Cindy Ellen is full of visual imagery and slang from the wild west.

The Toughest Cowboy
by John Frank
Ages 6+
An incredibly funny tall tale about a gruff cowboy and a fluffy poodle. Perfect for young cowpokes who like puns and witty humor.

September 24, 2014September 23, 2014

Castles, Dragons and Knights Galore

You should be receiving your Castle + Catapult crates this week or next and we wanted to share even more medieval DIYs, projects and crafts. These are some of favorites that will really emerge your children in time period! There’s something for everyone from knights, jousting, lacy crown and castle/fort building.

DIY Shield and Coat of Arms
Did you know that during Medieval times, knights used special designs and pictures on their shields — called a coat of arms — to identify themselves? This fun & easy DIY project will allow your kids to come up with a design for their own shield.

Knight’s Helmet
Make your very own knights helmet using silver cardstock! Have fun with your kids looking up different famous historical knights and their helmets and try to replicate them! Will your kids be Sir Lancelot or King Arthur?

Felt Play Mat
What better way to let the kids get creative than to let them design their own towns? The sky is the limit to what they can create for this fun play mat that is easily folded up and stored anywhere. Both of my kids were in heaven designing their dream towns–no shortage of water and sea creatures for them!

Painted Castle Made from Cardboard
Try this quick and fun project to keep your kids occupied and their create juices flowing. What kind of castle will they create? Are they more of the fairytale princess castle type would they prefer a gothic-style castle?

DIY Pool Noodle Jousting Lance
These jousting lances are the perfect way to enjoy some medieval play! They’re made from pool noodles so your little knights won’t come to any harm. A great way to enjoy some outdoor time and get their cooped up energy out!

DIY Paper Jester’s Hat
Let your children learn more about the “sillier” side of the Middle Ages. Create this court jester cap out of paper and it will be none stop entertainment. Your kids will love getting their sillies out and goofing around in the jester role!

Q-Tip Bow and Arrows
Your children will be fascinated with mini set of bows and arrows. Assembly is quick and very soon you’ll have little knights on the loose. Time for target practice!

DIY Medieval Paper Torches
This is a super easy project using only paper, staples and glue. Before you know it, your kids can have fun pretending with these fiery torches to light the way!

DIY Crown Made of Lace
This delicate crown makes a perfect accessory for a romantic princess or prince, king or queen. Using only a few items, you can make this unique head piece that will make dress-up much more special!

DIY Paper Roll and Foil Swords
What’s a knight without their sword? This is the perfect craft for a play date! Your mini-knights will enjoy making their very own sword. Make these great play swords from an empty paper roll, some cardboard for a handle and foil for the blade!

Medieval Paper Crown
These crowns are such famous symbols of the medieval era. This project is a little more in-depth, but the results are spectacular. Your child will have fun creating their own crown to suit their personality.

Paper Cup Fire Breathing Dragons
Would your child rather be a fire breathing dragon than a knight or princess? They’ll love this interactive craft. They can make their very own dragon out of paper cups and then when they blow through the cup, the crepe paper will mimic fire!

September 17, 2014September 17, 2014

Making Lunchtime More Interactive

We’ve collected a few great lunchtime recipes and activities for your kids to enjoy this Fall. There are tasty recipes where they can jump in and help out if not make entirely on their own as well as some great ideas for their school lunches. What do your kids love to find in their lunchbox?

Crescent Roll Pizzas
If your kids are pizza lovers, then they will love this quick and easy pizza roll, for a snack or lunch, and they can make it themselves which always helps when it comes to getting them to eat it!

Crispy Kale Chips
Getting kids to eat healthy starts with getting their hands to help in the kitchen. Kale chips are such a great healthy alternative to potato chips and are so delicious!

Jammin’ Pinwheel Sandwiches
This jammin’ pinwheel sandwich is a hit at any table and such a simple snack for your child to make with minimal assistance. This healthy snack allows your child to work on their fine motor skills while they slice, spread, and roll!

Fall-Themed Bento Box Lunch
Fall is filled with not only wonderful seasonal changes to leaves on trees, but with the advent of Fall we see wonderful Fall fruits and veggies. This themed lunch features both fall shapes and favorite fall fruits!

An Updated Take on Ants on a Log
Here’s a fun new take of a snack classic: ants on a log. This is a great treat for your kids to make on their own and you can enjoy together!

Salad in a Jar
Teach your children to make healthy food choices every day by offering them fun yet healthy lunchtime options. Kids will love creating this portable meal in a jar by adding all of their favorite veggies and fruits.

Tie-Dye Napkins
Create these colorful tie-dyed napkins with your kids and then use them in their lunch box. Reusable napkins are the green way to go and your child will be less likely to throw it away if it was their own hard work that created it!

Whole Wheat Goldfish Crackers
Make this popular snack at home using healthier ingredients and use different cookie cutter shapes to customize it to your child’s liking! That’s way more fun than squares! And you won’t believe how simple and easy it is.

Under the Sea Lunch
Every once in a while, it’s fun to go that extra-mile when packing your child’s lunch. We’ve included a fun and free printable to help you with that!

Date and Walnut Balls
Here’s another easy recipe for your kids to do on their own, plus, no cooking is required! And there’s no added sugar. This is definitely a treat that you can feel good about feeding to your kids!

September 15, 2014October 28, 2019

Introducing Three New Members of the Kiwi Crate Family

We are so excited to announce the launch of three new additions to the Kiwi Crate family! These lines are all concepts we’ve been thinking about for a long time and extend our vision of supporting kids’ creativity, innovation and self-expression. The new brands will nearly triple the age of young makers whom we serve from 4-8 years to 3-16+.

Tinker Crate (www.tinkercrate.com) – For kids 9-14+. Tinker Crate is designed to help kids explore a new STEM (science, technology, engineering, math)-based topic each month. In addition to all the materials needed to construct & experiment with a project, kids will also receive a Tinker ‘Zine, chock-full of at-home experiments and amazing science stories to extend the learning opportunities.
Doodle Crate (www.doodlecrate.com) For girls 9-16+. Each monthly Doodle Crate brings fun materials and interesting techniques to young makers. Our detailed instructions- including video! – will help Doodle Crate girls learn a new crafting technique each month, and the ample materials and inspiration included will allow them to explore their self-expression however they choose.
Koala Crate (www.koalacrate.com) – For kids ages 3-4. Created in partnership with Highlights for Children, Koala Crate delivers all the materials and inspiration for 2-3 enriching projects to explore with your preschooler. Each month’s crate also includes a 16-page Imagine! magazine for kids, plus a parent guide full of ideas for extending the play and learning with other at-home activities.

And of course, we are still delivering a fresh new crate every month to our Kiwi Crate subscribers! As you may already know, Kiwi Crate delivers award-winning hands-on projects and activities designed to spark your child’s curiosity and creativity, for kids ages 4-8.

With the launch of these brands, we now have a solution for every child in your life – from preschool to elementary to grade school, and beyond. We’re looking forward to continuing to create with you!

Kiwi Crate is a commerce and content platform centered on creativity. We deliver fresh hands-on projects and quality content to young makers. Check out all of our brands here.

September 11, 2014September 11, 2014

Ten Popular Apple Activities for Fall

Ten Favorite Fall Theme Apple Activities for the Whole Family

We love Fall because it’s the perfect time to take advantage of delicious, organic apples. Here are some of our favorite apple-themed recipes, activities, games and crafts for you and your family to enjoy this Fall season!

Easy Crock-Pot Applesauce
Children will have so much fun seeing exactly what steps go into making one of their favorite snacks!

Healthy Apple Treats
Apple slices are much more exciting when they’re shaped into fun shapes. Kids love this tasty yogurt dip too!

Apple Sandwiches
Boring sandwiches be gone! Try this yummy and toddler approved twist on the regular sandwich. Image c/o Whole Foods.

Paper Plate Apples
Try making different apple shapes from paper plates, You can make red apples, green apples, apple cores…the possibilities are endless.

Apple-Themed Sensory Bin
This is one of the most detailed and fun sensory bins we’ve seen. It’s a toddler favorite!

Apple Pillows
Make these apple pillows out of paper grocery bags for a fruity fall decoration or even use in an apple toss game.

Apple Toss Board
Make an easy corn hole board from a presentation board from any office supply store.

Apple Seed Stars
Use paper apples and real apple seeds to replicate the star pattern found inside of apples. Create fall decor or even practice your child’s counting skills.

Baked Apple Chips
The perfect Fall treat! No added sugar, great apple flavor and fun ring shapes, what more could you ask for?

Spiral Apple Bread with Carmel Apple Glaze
On the opposite side of the spectrum, this decadent treat makes a great Fall dessert that the whole family will enjoy.