The best subscription boxes for children | The Little Sensory Box
The best subscription boxes for children
Unsurprisingly, considering I’m the owner of a business that offers a sensory-play subscription box, I’m a self-confessed subscription-box addict!
I absolutely love the element of surprise that comes with signing up for regular happy post – especially when it’s something that gives me more than just products, but knowledge, expertise and inspiration too.
And I’m not alone. In a recent report by Royal Mail, it was revealed that there’s a huge boom going on in the UK with subscription boxes. A whopping 30% of UK shoppers are signed up to a subscription box, and an even more staggering 74% of subscription-box shoppers are signed up to more than one!
Of course, the Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on this, as businesses had to find ways of selling their products remotely, and customers found themselves in need of all kinds of things delivered to their door. But while the lockdowns have been lifted, the popularity of subscription boxes is showing no sign of slowing down.
So I wanted to share some of my favourites with you. Most of these are subscription boxes for children, but I’ve included a couple that I love for myself as well. Because us parents deserve happy post too!
This monthly subscription box is designed to ignite a love of books in babies and toddlers from birth to 24 months. What I love about it is that it’s so much more than simply receiving books by post. Every month, you receive two beautiful, developmentally appropriate books that are specially selected to stimulate your little one’s imagination, lay the foundations for language development and listening skills, and nurture your bond. There are also tips to help us parents get the most out of sharing the stories with our children, and a themed toy that complements the books and extends the opportunity for interaction and story-inspired play.
My little boy isn’t quite old enough for this box yet, but it’s right at the top of my list for his fourth birthday! Kind Kids Book Club offers both monthly subscriptions and one-off packs of books for children aged four to seven, but what makes it so special is that every book selected has a focus on empathy, kindness, inclusivity and making a positive impact on the world. And I think these are exactly the kinds of messages we should be surrounding our little people with.
Do you know a little one who loves to get crafty? My Mini Maker is the stuff of dreams for kids who love cutting, painting, gluing, sticking and generally letting their imaginations loose! Each monthly box includes four different activities suitable for children aged three and up. I love the fact that the packs include everything you need to get going – there’s no preparation, faffing around or turning the house upside looking for pipe cleaners. You can literally open up the pack and start crafting (and hopefully squeeze in a sneaky cuppa while your little one is engrossed in their creation!).
This one was a total game-changer for me when we hit a wall with Alfie’s willingness to brush his teeth. A friend who had been through the same thing (I mean, haven’t we all?) recommended HaBox, and I’m so glad she did. This is not just toothpaste in a box, it’s a dental subscription that actually makes kids want to brush their teeth – yes, really!
HaBox was created by two dental professionals who are seriously passionate about doing something to halt the epidemic of tooth decay in children. The boxes harness habit psychology to motivate children with practical tools and engaging rewards that transform the process of teeth-brushing from a bathroom battle to an automatic habit. It gets a massive thumbs up from me (and a big shiny toothy grin from Alfie!).
If STEAM (science, technology, engineering and maths) is up your little one’s street, they’ll love Little Crafters Boxes. Designed for kids aged four and up, each box gives you between three and seven projects that combine hands-on learning with fun for the whole family. Past boxes have included everything you need to build bird feeders, hot air balloons, binoculars and star constellation boxes. It’s super cool!
This one is a brand-new concept, due to launch this month, and I cannot wait to give it a try! Alfie can be hit-and-miss with bathtime; some days he loves it, other times it feels like a real chore. The Bathtime Adventures team are out to change that with a monthly box that promises to fill every bath with magic, smiles and imagination.
Each box contains a selection of goodies to make bathtime fun – think bath bombs, bubbles, soaps and toys – along with an original story about a daring brother-and-sister duo and the adventures they have in their magic bathtub. I absolutely love the idea of having some special stories to read to Alfie while he’s in the bath, and I’m sure these tales will inspire him to come up with his own bathtime adventures.
If you love baking with your little one, Nutritional Ninjas could be the subscription box for you. Each box contains everything you need to cook up a yummy treat, and the instructions are super simple – you might even find older children can follow them completely solo (another opportunity for you to have a hot cuppa!). For me, the very best thing about this box is that all the dry ingredients are included and pre-weighed, and you don’t need any extras other than your basic store-cupboard ingredients and utensils. I’ve tried other baking boxes, but the simplicity of this one gets my vote.
Do you have a vegetable dodger in the family? Vegucation Box is a really clever concept that encourages children to get a wider variety of veggies into their diet through sensory exploration and showing them how much fun it can be to prepare and cook healthy meals. There’s also a food-inspired nature activity to try each month, as well as crafts, quizzes and games that educate kids about nutrition and seasonal eating in fun and accessible ways.
And now for my favourite subscription boxes for grown-ups…
No time to browse the shelves of your local book shop? No inclination to join a book club? Me neither! But I love reading, so I was thrilled to discover The Real Mee Project, which is a monthly book and wellness subscription box for women.
For me, the best thing about this box is that it includes a carefully chosen fiction book by a female author, and they’re usually titles from small publishing houses that I may never discover otherwise. The second-best thing is that alongside the book is an array of goodies that feel super indulgent. In previous months I’ve received gorgeous scented candles, lovely notebooks and delicious things to nibble on while I read. Having this box of treats arrive each month has definitely made me more determined to carve out a little bit of me-time.
Anyone who follows me on Instagram (I’m @thelittlesensorybox, come and say hello!) knows that I’m powered by good coffee. And what’s the perfect accompaniment to good coffee? Great chocolate, of course! So when I discovered Coffee & Kin I was over the moon. I mean, speciality coffee and a selection of artisan chocolate sent straight to my door every month? They had me at hello!
Why not gift a subscription?
Subscription boxes make brilliant presents for Christmas and birthdays, and most of the brands I mention here offer gifting options – either as a regular subscription or a one-off box. What better way to show someone you care than to send them a parcel of joy through their letterbox?
If you like the idea of gifting a subscription box but none of my favourites fit the bill, have a quick Google and I’m sure you’ll find one that does. There’s a subscription box for pretty much everything out there!
Have fun!
