KiwiCo Review: Our Second Koala Crate Box

The box is in!

We finally received our second box of our 3-month subscription with KiwiCo and the excitement was real. My daughter couldn’t wait to get her hands on the goodies inside since she enjoyed the first box we received.

If you haven’t had the chance to read about our first Koala Crate box, make sure you check it out here. Our previous box was related to rainbows and we had a lot of fun doing the projects provided.

KiwiCo is a subscription box company that delivers innovative boxes to all ages from 0 to 104 years old. These boxes allow you to discover and explore new things as well as learn STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education.

One thing I’m beginning to love about these boxes is that the boxes are mysterious. We don’t know what’s included in the box nor do we know what kind of projects will be provided. Therefore, it builds momentum and keeps us going. 

Even though I receive a notification prior to these boxes being shipped out, I don’t actually know what’s included until I open it.

Are you ready to learn what’s in the box? Let’s get to it!

Disclaimer: I have not received any compensation for writing this product review nor do I have any material connection to the brands, products, or services mentioned. This post is for informational and entertainment purposes only and everything presented is based on my personal experience and opinions. Some links may be affiliated links, in which I earn a commission from each purchase you make through the link but is at no additional cost to you. For details, read more here.

Our Second Koala Crate Box

The second box we received was the Bugs crate. Although I’m not a fan of bugs in general, I was thrilled to learn what kind of bugs we would learn today.

The Bugs crate included:

• A cape
• Headband
• Bug eye viewer
• Ladybug stickers
• Foam button
• Bug cards
• Felt stickers
• Pipe cleaner
• Pouch
• String
• Wiggle eyes
• Instruction book
• The Bugs Crate Imagine Magazine

Our goal was to complete the ladybug pouch, the bug dress-up, and the bug matching game. 

The Ladybug Pouch

Supplies required: pouch, ladybug stickers, string, foam button, wiggle eyes, bug eye viewer

The first project we completed was the ladybug pouch. 

We had to loop the string through the holes of the pouch and secure it with the foam button. Afterwards, we applied our ladybug stickers and wiggle eyes to turn our pouch into a cute ladybug. 

Simple right?

My daughter loved when she applied the ladybug stickers and wiggle eyes to the pouch.

She focused on making sure each dot was well-placed and was excited to see the pouch come to life.

I like that the pouch can be used to hold little items such as, the bugs eye viewer. The bugs eye viewer fit perfectly into the pouch and is a great way to store things. We could also put in cards, coins, little accessories and other items if needed.

The Bug Dress-Up

Supplies required: cape, felt stickers, headband, pipe cleaner

The next project took more time to complete but was actually more engaging. 

We grabbed our cape and decorated it with felt stickers to create a pattern – just like butterfly wings! Afterwards, we turned our headband and pipe cleaner into an antennae. 

The most engaging part about this project was when we designed the wings. 

There were several felt stickers we could use that came in two colors and shapes: blue and orange, and circles and rectangles.

The shapes were applied so that the wings mirror one another, do you know why? 

Because insect wings are symmetrical! 

After we finished the costume, my daughter became the most energetic bug as she flew as fast as she can around the room.

It worked out perfectly as our exercise of the day.

The Bug Matching Game

Supplies required: bug cards

This project was actually the most easiest one out of the three. It didn’t require any task to complete other than to test our memory by matching the bugs on the cards. 

There were ten bugs to match: an ant, firefly, ladybug, caterpillar, butterfly, grasshopper, stick insect, bee, beetle, and dragonfly.

This was my daughter’s first time playing a matching game and I love that she enjoyed matching the cards. 

To avoid overwhelming her, I first introduced her to four cards (two pairs) to match. Once she learned the rules, we slowly added more cards and eventually played the whole set.

I like that when my daughter couldn’t find the right pair, she didn’t show any signs of giving up. Instead, she continued to try again and again until she found the right matching pair. 

Once she found all pairs, she would have the biggest smile on her face!

Personal Tip! Other than finding the matching pairs with the cards, you can also watch a video to learn about each bug you match.

For example, when we matched the ants, we searched up ant videos on YouTube to see how they looked like in real life.

Can you guess what my daughter’s reaction was when she saw a colony of ants? (picture below)

The first word she said was, “ewww!”. 🤣

Thoughts and Opinions

Just like the first box, this second box turned out to be a success.

My daughter and I had an educational session throughout the entire time and we even got some exercise in (running with our wings). And yes, I wore the wings too! 

The quality of the supplies remain excellent as expected and the projects were interactive.

We had a lot of hand-work involved (great for fine motor skills) and incorporated physical movement too (great for gross motor skills). 

On a rating of 1-3, with 1 being the easiest and 3 being the hardest, I would rate the activities as follows:

• 1 – Bug matching game
• 2 – Ladybug pouch
• 3 – Bug dress-up

The bug matching game was the easiest one to complete because it didn’t require any additional hand-work or effort. All we needed to do was exercise our brain to match the bugs. 

As for the ladybug pouch, it was fairly easy for my daughter to complete because she was familiar with stickers and threading.

For the bug dress-up, it required the most time and effort but was also the most rewarding. Becoming a bug was our highlight of the day.

One key takeaway from this experience was that I learned how quick my daughter learned the rules when it came to the matching game. Even though she has never done it before, she put in the effort to learn and solve the problem by finding the correct pair of bugs. 

I love that it wasn’t only a learning experience for her but also a learning experience for me as a parent.

Have you tried KiwiCo before? If so, share with us your experience in the comments below.

Want to try a crate? Get 50% off your first month using my link here.