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Home / Family & Kids / STEM Kits for Kids / KiwiCo Crates
8.7 Tested Aug 26, 2026 by Team RankingRight

KiwiCo Crates (Kiwi Crate (ages 5–8) / Tinker Crate (9–14)) review 2026

A complete, well-designed project every month for every age from 0 to 16 — the kits our children asked about on delivery day

PriceFrom $23.95 · checked Sep 11, 2026
Ages5–14 tested
Hours of activity3 per crate

Is the KiwiCo Crates Worth It?

Best STEM kit overall. KiwiCo is the reliable answer: age-accurate, complete, and interesting enough that both children finished every crate. It is not the deepest science in the ranking — MEL and the chemistry sets teach more per box — but it is the one that kept working month after month.

KiwiCo Crates Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Everything in the box, including the glue; nothing to buy
  • Instructions our 7-year-old followed alone for the Kiwi Crate
  • Eight age lines from Panda (0–2) to Eureka (12–16)
  • Cancel any time; gift subscriptions
Cons
  • $24–$30 a month adds up
  • Some crates are craft rather than science
  • Single crates on Amazon are pricier than the subscription

KiwiCo Crates at a Glance

8.7 Editor Score
Learning valueWhat the child could explain about the science or code afterwards, and whether the kit teaches or just entertains.
26/30
EngagementWhether the child returned to it unprompted and how long a session held attention.
19/20
Build quality & safetyComponent quality, missing parts, small-part and chemical safety, age accuracy.
14/15
Parent effortSetup time and how much adult help each activity needed at the stated age.
13/15
ValuePrice per hour of activity, and whether it keeps giving after the first use.
15/20
Reader ratingNo reader ratings yet — not part of the score
–
Own one? Rate it:

Rubric v1: Learning value 30 · Engagement 20 · Build quality & safety 15 · Parent effort 15 · Value 20. Score = Σ ÷ 10, locked Sep 11, 2026. How we rank.

Where to buy — prices checked Sep 11, 2026

Amazon — $23.95

Best priceSee Price

KiwiCo — $23.95

Also sold atSee Price

KiwiCo Crates specifications

Ages0–16 by crate line
SubjectScience, engineering, art
FormatMonthly subscription
PriceFrom $23.95/mo; single crates from $29.95
Needs a screenNo
Projects / experiments1–3 per crate
ReusableFinished projects are keepers

Why it scored 8.7

KiwiCo is the reliable answer: age-accurate, complete, and interesting enough that both children finished every crate. It is not the deepest science in the ranking — MEL and the chemistry sets teach more per box — but it is the one that kept working month after month.

Where it loses

Value and learning depth against a chemistry set.

Still the right pick for

Curious kids of any age; gifts.

Changelog: Sep 11 — rank 1 → 2 · all changes

KiwiCo Crates8.7 · $23.95
See Price