The Perfect Gift for Your Little Picassos - My Kids Art Box

 I've been so anxious to write this post, it's been keeping me awake at night.  I feel like a kid on Christmas morning thanks to My Kids Art Box.

A couple months ago an ad came through my Instagram feed featuring craft boxes for kids.  I saw the ad a few times more over the next week and was increasingly more intrigued.  I'm a longtime crafter and my granddaughters love crafting so after exploring further,  I decided to give My Kids Art Box a try.

I ordered 3 boxes to start, two previous releases and one current: Sea Creatures, Camping, and Space.  Each month's themed box comes with a variety of projects, a science project, and a recipe that relates to the theme of the month.  The first box we opened was the Sea Creatures box.  I was immediately so impressed with our Kids Art Box that I signed up for a subscription for 3 more boxes (one per month).

Inside the box is a set of instruction cards, one for each project.  The front of the card talks about how to use the project idea, ways to enhance the activity, the supplies provided with the kit and supplies you  needed to provide (all things most folks have already).  Each card has a colored dot in the upper right-hand corner.  That colored dot corresponds with a paper bag of that color, inside which are the craft supplies needed for that particular project.  Each recipe comes with an ingredient card and an illustrated recipe card.    We couldn't wait to dive right in (pun intended) and get crafting.  The first project was to make sea creatures.  This craft was a huge hit and both girls did a video presentation about each of their creatures.

Next project up was the Bubble Sea Horse....

The tiny sea shells included in the kit were almost as big a hit as the entire box of supplies.  You can understand how a little girl who wears her jewelry to craft would go wild over these brightly colored shells.

The next project looked so fun, Grandma here was inspired to make her own.  I added some of my own supplies (glass mosaic and pebbles) and here's my result....

Disclaimer....I didn't use the acrylic paint provide, I opted for watercolor, but I think I did ok.  We still have one Bubble Sea Horse to make, and a really cool project explaining the different levels of the ocean and the creatures that live in each one.  I think my grandson will love this one. 

Next we opened the Camping Box.  

So far we've done two of the projects and both were really cool.  The first project from Camping box was the Constellation Jar.  Again...everything was provided!  First up....sponge paint the outside of the jar and sprinkle the wet paint with shiny stars. Next, cut the provided foil to fit inside the jar, poke holes to make constellations in the foil and put the foil inside the jar. Finally, pull the battery tabs out of the mini ball lights, put them inside the jar and go outside or into a dark room! TaDa!  When you're done, put the tabs back in the batteries to save the battery life for next time!

The second project the girls did was a mixed media campfire.  The base required putting drops of paint onto the canvas which you then cover with plastic wrap.  After some 'mushing' to ensure the paint is spread and mixed, you lift the plastic wrap and let the canvas dry.  

Once dry, sticks provided (and some we gathered) are glued onto the canvas to make the base of the fire.  Tissue paper is then cut and crumpled and glued to make the 'fire'.  

All we needed was some stars and to make it personal....some tiny creatures from their mini collection.  We saved the recipe - Smore cookies - for mom to make!

Next up was the Space Box. 

I purchased the Space Box because my 4 yr. old grandson is obsessed with space and the planets. He chose to make the Solar System Mobile. The finished product went home with him, so you'll have to use your imagination.

The girls decided to make the Marbled Planet Prints.  I have to say, this project resulted in days of fun.  This project required artists to add paint to shaving cream (yes, it was provided) and swirl the paint before setting your 'planet' on the cream.  When our planets were dipped, they needed to dry before proceeding.  Didn't matter....they played with paint and shaving cream for days, experimenting with different color designs, dipping paper, painting with shaving cream.  Good thing I had a can for the continued fun.  Once our planets were dry, they were glued to the 'sky' and embellishments were added.  

We still have rockets to build and the recipe for this theme is Star-Shaped Cookies.

Last week we received our 'subscription' box for August.  The theme is Me and My World.  

The projects include a family tree, a family and friends puppet theater, a Me on the Map geography project and Abstract Self Portraits and a recipe for Pizza People.  The girls couldn't wait to dive into this box,  First they made the puppets and theater.  

Today they couldn't wait to do the self portraits.

This was another cool experiment in painting.....with a balloon.  I love how these projects really open up a child's mind to new ways to achieve a variety of artistic results. 

Are you excited yet?  Since receiving our first box, the grandkids and I have spent hours crafting! How much better is that than staring at a screen?!?!   I can't say enough about the quality, creativity and thought that has gone into these craft boxes.  I couldn't be more impressed.  Besides being full of ways to spend quality time with little ones, these kits provide hours of self expression, quiet, and out of the box thinking.  Each box provides enough supplies for one and often two kids.  In addition to the previous month's boxes I purchased, I subscribed to a 3-month plan, which I already know I'll be renewing.  Mommy & Me boxes (for ages 3-6) are what I've purchased.  I will say they are better suited for the higher end of that range and still fun for my soon-to-be 11 year old granddaughter.  I'm sure the younger kids could enjoy the projects but perhaps with less sophisticated results.  There's also a Daddy & Me option for 4-7 year olds, as well as My Artist Box for 6-12 year olds.  You can purchase the current month's box for $45 or a monthly subscription (cancel at anytime) is $35.  A three-month subscription is $99.  Considering all the supplies included every month, this is an amazing deal.  If you have kids or grandkids, nieces or nephews, this is a great gift idea! Whether you and your littles love crafts or are just needing a little inspiration to be crafty, My Kids Art Boxes are a great resource for fun and creativity. For more information or to order some creativity for your own family, check out this great company at https://www.kidsartbox.com/  Follow them on Instagram  @mykidsartbox and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyKidsArtBox  If you use this link, new customers will receive a $10 discount on your purchase:

  https://www.kidsartbox.com/?ref=0051fafa

Don't wait - the holidays are just around the corner!  Finally a gift that doesn't get stuffed in the closet and forgotten!  Happy crafting!