Before I became a mom, I had grandiose ideas of all the ways I would rock out motherhood. Those big dreams included, lots of Pinterest-worthy craft time where my kids would surround me with adoring looks, listening ears, hands that waited patiently for instruction and lots of peace and order.
The first time I busted out the glue sticks with my two-year old I got a reality check.
For as much as I love my own crafting endeavors and would gladly waste away a day in front of my sewing machine, working on a furniture refinishing project, or hot-gluing like a mad woman, crafting with my kids is something that generally eludes my patience and know-how. It just seems like I never have all the necessary supplies on hand or our chosen crafts end up being much more complicated and hard than is fitting for the ages of my children. Unfortunately, we usually end up with a giant mess and frustration for all. And that honestly makes me sad! Spending that quality time together with my kids while working on a fun, and maybe even educational, project truly is something I want to do, but rarely seem to make happen. We often end up winging it with some paper plates and stickers. ( Did I really just admit that?)
Enter Green Kid Crafts. I’ve been following them on Instagram for quite awhile and kept thinking what a great concept they have- a box of creative and educational crafts delivered right to your doorstep. No searching for construction paper and glue. No running to the craft or dollar store hunting for supplies. It’s all right there in the box- instructions, supplies, and a teaching opportunity. LOVE IT!!
The first box we tried was the Green Energy discovery box, featuring four crafts designed to help kids learn about different types of energy. ( My kids have the “bouncing off the 
wall” type down pat, by the way.) We made a self-propelled paddle boat and talked about the 3 kinds of energy that the rubber band motor gave our boat. Then we built wind rockets with paper and giant straws and hypothesized about force of air distance. After that, we put together a hydro-powered water wheel and discovered how the power of water can be used to move things (like a heavy bag of stones!). Even the box itself was used for the final craft which was a solar oven that we made s’mores in! The step-by-step instructions made all of the projects very doable and kept us on task, while the fun facts card and opportunities to investigate more kept my kids engaged and interested.
Two things that I like about Green Kid Crafts (besides the convenience factor), are that the boxes are designed to support the development of a wide age range (3-10 years old) -allowing families to work together on the projects. And secondly, all of the crafts incorporate STEAM activities so my kids are learning about science, technology, engineering, art, and math alongside the fun of crafting! It supports what the older ones are learning in school and gives my youngest a little boost too 😉
The discovery boxes can be purchased individually or Green Kid Crafts offers monthly subscriptions and smaller kits as well. Lots of choices and themes ranging from detectives and outer-space to dinosaurs and kitchen science. Right now, you can get $10 off any new subscription starting with this months’ August Water Science box using coupon code WATER50!!
My kids thought the Green Energy discovery box was really cool, and I felt like a pulled together super-mom because I had everything we needed to learn and craft together in this fun box. We will definitely be ordering more!
Be sure to find and follow Green Kid Crafts on Facebook and Instagram for shop information and specials as well!
Tell me I’m not alone! Do you struggle with craft time for your kids? Maybe you and your kids would enjoy having Green Kid Crafts show up in your mailbox each month!
