the science behind

family activity

The science behind

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What science says about dad jokes

In Japan, some gardens have no flowers, no water, and very few plants at all. Instead, these gardens are made of sand, stones, and gravel. Monks create "zen gardens" by raking the sand into patterns that look like ocean waves and river currents. The careful, repeated motion helps quiet the mind.In this game, you get to build your own sand garden from scratch. Drag to rake swirling patterns in the sand. Switch between three sand colors. Then place stones, moss, cherry blossoms, and bamboo anywhere you like. Move them around until everything feels right. There's no score and no timer. Just you and the sand.

Games

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In Japan, some gardens have no flowers, no water, and very few plants at all. Instead, these gardens are made of sand, stones, and gravel. Monks create "zen gardens" by raking the sand into patterns that look like ocean waves and river currents. The careful, repeated motion helps quiet the mind.

Build Your Own Sand Garden

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost here! Players from all over the world are getting ready to dribble, pass, and score. But before any of that, every soccer player learns one simple skill: keeping the ball off the ground. It sounds easy, right? Just keep kicking it up. But the ball gets faster, drifts sideways, and one missed touch sends it bouncing into the grass. The world record is 28 hours, 21 minutes, and 2 seconds — set by Swedish footballer Daniel Yaakob in 2025. How long can you last? Tap "Start Kicking" below and see if you have what it takes. Quick reflexes and sharp eyes are your best friends.

How Long Can You Keep the Ball Up? A World Cup 2026 Challenge

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outdoor game

outdoor activities

<h1>Before a single ball is kicked, someone had to solve these engineering problems.&nbsp;</h1>

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Before a single ball is kicked, someone had to solve these engineering problems.&nbsp;

How Do You Build a World Cup Stadium?

kiwico news

It’s been a long year of unexpected challenges and changes, but through it all, the pint-sized problem solvers in our KiwiCo community have inspired us with their creativity and resilience. As we hunkered down at home at the start of quarantine, we shared a series of fun challenges as a way to stay connected with one another. With each challenge came clever, colorful, and curious creations that not only made us smile but also pushed us to work harder and think bigger. Thank you for sharing these moments of delight and wonder with us! As we round out 2020, we’re celebrating the creativity of our kid community and looking forward to another 12 months of inspiration in 2021.

2020 KiwiCo Look Back: A Year of Creativity & Resilience

KiwiCo news

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It’s been a long year of unexpected challenges and changes, but through it all, the pint-sized problem solvers in our KiwiCo community have inspired us with their creativity and resilience. As we hunkered down at home at the start of quarantine, we shared a series of fun challenges as a way to stay connected with one another. With each challenge came clever, colorful, and curious creations that not only made us smile but also pushed us to work harder and think bigger. Thank you for sharing these moments of delight and wonder with us! As we round out 2020, we’re celebrating the creativity of our kid community and looking forward to another 12 months of inspiration in 2021.

outdoor project

outdoor science projects

What a Goalkeeper's Brain Can Teach You About How Kids Learn

Parent tips

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space

space crafts

astronomy

solar system

nature

nature science

physics

Everything Your Kid Wants to Know About Asteroids

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summer

summer fun

science project

The Science Behind the Longest Day of the Year

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child development

At KiwiCo, we’ve always believed that the best way to learn is by doing. Whether it’s building a hydraulic claw or exploring the physics of light, our goal has been to spark "Whoa, awesome!" moments that turn into lifelong curiosity. But we wanted to go deeper: How exactly do these hands-on experiences impact students in an educational setting?

From Playtime to the Classroom: What We Learned from a University Research Study

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At KiwiCo, we’ve always believed that the best way to learn is by doing. Whether it’s building a hydraulic claw or exploring the physics of light, our goal has been to spark "Whoa, awesome!" moments that turn into lifelong curiosity. But we wanted to go deeper: How exactly do these hands-on experiences impact students in an educational setting?

parent tips

building

learning activity

at-home learning

Why Building Things Is So Good for Kids' Brains

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flight

launcher

craft

homemade craft

recycled craft materials

useful craft project

sustainable crafts

Most kids fold the same paper airplane on repeat. Swap the wing shape, though, and everything changes. Here are three designs worth knowing. Each one behaves differently in the air, and for a specific reason.

Activities at home

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Most kids fold the same paper airplane on repeat. Swap the wing shape, though, and everything changes. Here are three designs worth knowing. Each one behaves differently in the air, and for a specific reason.

How to Fold 3 Paper Airplanes Like a Pro

activities at home

How to Support a Kid Who Learns Best With Their Hands

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Soccer Is One Big Physics Experiment (And the World Cup Proves It)

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5 DIY Soccer Projects to Build for World Cup Season

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summer crafts

outdoor experiments

The Analog Summer Playbook: 15 Projects for Kids Ages 9–14

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30 Days, 30 Projects: The Ultimate Hands-On Summer Challenge for Kids

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The Best Summer Activities for 9–12 Year Olds

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Screen-Free Summer Activities for Kids Ages 6-12

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food

food experiments

food science

camping

cooking for kids

How to Make a Solar Oven (And Actually Cook Something in It)

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egg experiment

egg projects

The Egg Drop Challenge: A Backyard Engineering Project for Kids 9 and Up

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family activities

indoor project

easy craft

quick craft

Hand your kid a cardboard tube and give them ten free minutes, and watch what happens. The tube becomes a telescope, a trumpet, a portal to somewhere else entirely. Kids come wired for this. A little something to work with and some room to run with it, and they're already gone.National Creativity Day is a good excuse to set something out on the table and step back. The eight activities from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kiwico.com/diy" target="_self">KiwiCo DIY library</a>&nbsp;span toddlers through tweens, so there's something here no matter how old your kid is. Pick one that sounds fun, gather what you've got, and see where it goes.

8 Creative Activities to Try This National Creativity Day

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Hand your kid a cardboard tube and give them ten free minutes, and watch what happens. The tube becomes a telescope, a trumpet, a portal to somewhere else entirely. Kids come wired for this. A little something to work with and some room to run with it, and they're already gone.

At KiwiCo, we believe learning should be fun, hands-on, and packed with opportunities for kids to explore, build, and discover. But how well can our crates fit into a classroom? A <a href="https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/items/8196b8fa-2c4e-411e-afe1-c1fb13840bfc">new study from the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University</a> offers some exciting insights!Educators across a large suburban school district implemented KiwiCo learning crates in their classrooms and shared their experiences. Their verdict? KiwiCo crates don’t just complement traditional curriculum—they ignite student curiosity, build confidence, and help develop essential skills for the future.

Bridging the Gap: How KiwiCo Learning Crates Integrate with School Curriculum

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At KiwiCo, we believe learning should be fun, hands-on, and packed with opportunities for kids to explore, build, and discover. But how well can our crates fit into a classroom? A new study from the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University offers some exciting insights!

Most people think of baking as chemistry. Mix the right ingredients, add heat, and you get a cake. But there's a whole layer of physics happening inside that oven. Once you see it, baking gets a lot more interesting.This World Baking Day, here's what's actually going on.

The Physics of Baking (And Why Your Oven Is Doing More Than You Think)

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Most people think of baking as chemistry. Mix the right ingredients, add heat, and you get a cake. But there's a whole layer of physics happening inside that oven. Once you see it, baking gets a lot more interesting.

There's one ingredient in your kitchen that's been around longer than the Roman Empire, longer than any recipe ever written down. Yeast has been with us for at least 5,000 years, which makes it older than most civilizations and almost certainly older than anything else on your kitchen shelf. And for most of that time, nobody knew it was alive.

Yeast is The Oldest Ingredient in Your Kitchen

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There's one ingredient in your kitchen that's been around longer than the Roman Empire, longer than any recipe ever written down. Yeast has been with us for at least 5,000 years, which makes it older than most civilizations and almost certainly older than anything else on your kitchen shelf. And for most of that time, nobody knew it was alive.

<h3 id="tutorial-video">Nom Bot is one of our more complex Tinker Crate builds — lots of moving parts, wiring, and mechanical timing all working together. If you run into any questions along the way, the tips below should help!</h3>

Tips & Tricks for the Tinker Crate Nom Bot

Engineering

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Nom Bot is one of our more complex Tinker Crate builds — lots of moving parts, wiring, and mechanical timing all working together. If you run into any questions along the way, the tips below should help!

Before joining KiwiCo's social team, Jessica spent 10 years as a science teacher in the classroom. She has a lot of love for the parents and kids she worked with, and a few things she wishes she could have shared more often. Here's what's on that list.

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Before joining KiwiCo's social team, Jessica spent 10 years as a science teacher in the classroom. She has a lot of love for the parents and kids she worked with, and a few things she wishes she could have shared more often. Here's what's on that list.

5 Things Teachers Wish Parents Knew

There's a teacher out there who changed your kid's life this year. Maybe your child came home one day talking about something they learned and couldn't stop. Maybe they started believing they were good at something they'd written off. Teachers make those moments happen, quietly, all year long.Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4–8. Here's how to say thank you in a way that actually matches what they do.

How to Thank Your Kid's Teacher in a Way They'll Remember for Years

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There's a teacher out there who changed your kid's life this year. Maybe your child came home one day talking about something they learned and couldn't stop. Maybe they started believing they were good at something they'd written off. Teachers make those moments happen, quietly, all year long.

Mother’s Day crafts

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day gifts

biology

anatomy

You probably already know your mom is amazing. Here's what the science says. Hint: the evidence goes all the way down to your cells.

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You probably already know your mom is amazing. Here's what the science says. Hint: the evidence goes all the way down to your cells.

What Science Says About Mom

animals

There's a lot that goes into being a mom. And while we're celebrating the human ones on Mother's Day, the animal kingdom happens to have some of the most remarkable examples of devotion, patience, and just plain dedication you'll ever come across.

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There's a lot that goes into being a mom. And while we're celebrating the human ones on Mother's Day, the animal kingdom happens to have some of the most remarkable examples of devotion, patience, and just plain dedication you'll ever come across.

The Wildest Moms in the Animal Kingdom

Our new friends at Toca Boca sat down with experts in the maker movement including the father of the movement, Dale Dougherty, to discover how the movement started, its roots in play and how making makes kids smarter. In this Toca Magazine article, “A Movement in the Making,” you will find tips for what parents can do, too!

5 Insights into Why the Maker Movement Matters

Child Development

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Our new friends at Toca Boca sat down with experts in the maker movement including the father of the movement, Dale Dougherty, to discover how the movement started, its roots in play and how making makes kids smarter.  In this Toca Magazine article, “A Movement in the Making,” you will find tips for what parents can do, too!

What Do Vets Actually Do? The Science Behind Animal Care

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panda crate

STEM

The Difference Between Educational and Age-Appropriate Toys

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book list

books

What Happens in Your Kid's Brain When You Read Together

Book list

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Why Books and Hands-On Learning Go Together

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What Reading Actually Does to Your Kid's Brain (It's More Than You Think)

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earth

Earth Day

What Is an Oil Spill and How Do Scientists Clean It Up?

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sensory activity

plants

garden

nature crafts

You don't need a garden bed to grow something real with your kids. You need a windowsill, maybe a spare mason jar, and a little patience. Honestly, some of the most satisfying gardens started in a kitchen. Here are a few ways to get growing this National Gardening Day, whatever your space looks like.

Your Kids' First Garden Doesn't Have to Be in a Backyard

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You don't need a garden bed to grow something real with your kids. You need a windowsill, maybe a spare mason jar, and a little patience. Honestly, some of the most satisfying gardens started in a kitchen. Here are a few ways to get growing this National Gardening Day, whatever your space looks like.

nature walk

Earth Day crafts

plant science

backyard science

Some of the best Earth Day moments for kids are quiet ones: a ziplock bag taped to a window that starts doing something unexpected, a seed that shows its root before it shows a sprout, paper made from scraps that eventually grows flowers. We pulled together some of our favorite activities from the KiwiCo DIY library. You just need stuff from around the house and a kid who likes to see what happens.

Easy Projects That Show Kids How the Earth Works

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Some of the best Earth Day moments for kids are quiet ones: a ziplock bag taped to a window that starts doing something unexpected, a seed that shows its root before it shows a sprout, paper made from scraps that eventually grows flowers. We pulled together some of our favorite activities from the KiwiCo DIY library. You just need stuff from around the house and a kid who likes to see what happens.

Exciting news for parents and gift-givers! KiwiCo’s baby crates are expanding to another <a href="#location" target="_self">173 select Target stores</a> nationwide. These new locations make it easier than ever to bring hands-on fun and discovery home.<h1>Celebrate with Us - Get $20 Off Your KiwiCo Subscription</h1>To celebrate this expansion, we’re offering&nbsp;$20 off your first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kiwico.com/monthly-fun">KiwiCo subscription</a>! It’s the perfect way to continue the hands-on learning journey beyond what you’ll find in stores. Just purchase a KiwiCo baby product from March 19th to May 1st in a <a href="#location" target="_self">participating store</a> and email us a picture of your receipt to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:customercare@kiwico.com">customercare@kiwico.com</a>. Terms apply*.

KiwiCo Baby Products Are Expanding to Even More Target Stores! 🎉

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Exciting news for parents and gift-givers! KiwiCo’s baby crates are expanding to another 173 select Target stores nationwide. These new locations make it easier than ever to bring hands-on fun and discovery home.

<h1>Get Ready for More KiwiCo at Target! 🎉</h1>We're adding more crates to Target shelves, this time for the littlest learners!&nbsp;Starting&nbsp;October 26, 2025,&nbsp;KiwiCo crates&nbsp;for ages&nbsp;0–36 months&nbsp;will be available in over&nbsp;<a href="#find-kiwico-baby">1,000 Target stores nationwide</a>&nbsp;and on&nbsp;<a href="http://target.com">Target.com</a>. KiwiCo’s STEM crates for ages 3-12+ can already be found in the toy department of all Target stores and on Target.com.KiwiCo is bringing brain-building play for young minds to your favorite store. Whether you’re shopping for your little one or the perfect holiday gift, you’ll now find KiwiCo crates for babies and toddlers on shelves during your next Target run.

Big News for Little Learners: KiwiCo Is Now at Target’s Baby Department!

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Get Ready for More KiwiCo at Target! 🎉We're adding more crates to Target shelves, this time for the littlest learners!&nbsp;Starting&nbsp;October 26, 2025,&nbsp;KiwiCo crates&nbsp;for ages&nbsp;0–36 months&nbsp;will be available in over&nbsp;1,000 Target stores nationwide&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Target.com. KiwiCo’s STEM crates for ages 3-12+ can already be found in the toy department of all Target stores and on Target.com.

Easter

Easter crafts

science experiment

Easter weekend has a way of peaking at the egg hunt and then fizzling. Kids find their candy, the sugar kicks in, and suddenly it's only noon on Sunday. The good news: there's a lot more fun to squeeze out of this holiday, and none of it requires a trip to the store. We pulled together some of our favorite Easter activities for kids; something for every age and every attention span.

Make Easter Weekend Memorable With These Easy Activities for Kids

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Easter weekend has a way of peaking at the egg hunt and then fizzling. Kids find their candy, the sugar kicks in, and suddenly it's only noon on Sunday. The good news: there's a lot more fun to squeeze out of this holiday, and none of it requires a trip to the store. We pulled together some of our favorite Easter activities for kids; something for every age and every attention span.

game

game design

learning game

engineering

Pinball is one of the most satisfying physics lessons hiding inside a really good time. But here's something most people don't know. For about 30 years, pinball was actually illegal in major American cities.

Pinball is one of the most satisfying physics lessons hiding inside a really good time. But here's something most people don't know. For about 30 years, pinball was actually illegal in major American cities.

Soccer Is One Big Physics Experiment (And the World Cup Proves It)

5 DIY Soccer Projects to Build for World Cup Season

8 Ways to Raise Confident Kids

Want To Throw the Best Birthday Party? Here’s How!

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Parent tips

8 Ways to Raise Confident Kids

Mindfulness Activities for Kids and Parents

The science behind

Basketball Science

5 Amazing Facts You Never Knew About Snow & Ice

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More from KiwiCo

Soccer Is One Big Physics Experiment (And the World Cup Proves It)

5 DIY Soccer Projects to Build for World Cup Season

8 Ways to Raise Confident Kids

Want To Throw the Best Birthday Party? Here’s How!

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Parent tips

8 Ways to Raise Confident Kids

Mindfulness Activities for Kids and Parents

The science behind

Basketball Science

5 Amazing Facts You Never Knew About Snow & Ice

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