This month our Tinkerers explored Magnet Power! Tinker Crate is a subscription box that inspires kids to learn about science, engineering, and technology, all while having lots of fun. Each month, the box explores a field of study within a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) discipline. Kids practice their problem solving skills and learn how to engage in both structured and open-ended exploration and investigation. Most of the recent boxes have walked the tinkerers through construction of fairly complex mechanical devices.
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Everything that arrives together in a single Tinker Crate – the supplies, a fold-out instruction sheet, and the Tinker Zine. In addition to the cool stuff found in the Tinker Zine, most crates have a secondary project that builds on the primary project, extending the exploration and focusing in on the science principles demonstrated by the main project.
The kit includes all the materials needed to construct the main project, the floating pencil holder. Sometimes you need to provide some simple items from home for the second project or the additional explorations suggested in the Tinker Zine.
The instructions and other project info are printed on a faux blueprint fold-out sheet. Along with materials and instructions, you get some handy pointers and a troubleshooting guide. The sheet tells you everything that came in the box, some tips, and help if you can’t get it to work. This is a well-designed and tested box — we’ve never had a project with a fatal design flaw or any frustrating, unresolved engineering issues. Plus, there is help available if needed!
The instructions are clear and easy to follow and include both visuals and text, with lots of tips and checkpoints to make sure you’ve done everything correctly as you go. You aren’t expected to be an expert or know all the principles behind the project coming into it — the instructions are well thought out and anticipate areas where a novice might go astray. We can tell from the exquisite detail and thoughtfulness of the instructions that the projects are designed and tested, with lessons from testing and re-testing make their way into the instructions.
The main project is always a great hands-on activity and a great demonstration of the scientific principles featured in the box, but the Tinker Zine is where the lessons really take shape!
The Tinker Zine explains the principles behind the project. The Zine does a great job of illustrated just how cool science can be when applied.
The Zine always has some very in depth exploration of the principles behind the project, as well as examples of real world applications. This issue showed some really cool uses of magnets as critical parts in roller coasters, trains, and even rocket sleds!
Our daughter sometimes holds our projects up a bit because she insists on reading every bit of the Zine before we can start!
The Crate included instructions for a secondary project which allows you to create a “jumping frog.” It used some common materials from home, but the Crate came with enough magnets to do the extra projects without disassembling the main one for parts.
The text is perfectly suited for the target age. The discussion of scientific principles and concepts is accurate and uses correct terminology, but the style is light and exciting. We can’t stress enough how great a job Tinker Crate does with explaining the principles demonstrated by the project.
Learning can be a group activity!
Tinker Crate always has lots of troubleshooting guidance available, just in case something isn’t quite right.
The assembly on this project was simple enough that everyone got in on the action.
Color coded foam stickers made it easier to determine the polarity of the magnets so they could be positioned correctly.
Our amazing levitating pencil holder!
Only the very tip of the pencil holder makes contact with the “headboard” of the “cradle” — the entire barrel of the pencil is floating in mid-air!
An additional secondary project was making a wacky crane. We tried this with the taped-down magnet facing up and then facing down. The result in each case was wild, with the suspended magnet doing some quirky acrobatics to either leap toward or away from the fixed magnet.
We really love Tinker Crate, because the projects are extremely well designed, with a comprehensive and engaging STEM-grounded lesson built around the project in each box. It is a great box for tweens, but the projects are interesting enough that mom or dad will have fun helping younger kids tackle the projects, too!
Have you tried Tinker Crate yet with your kids? Use code MS30 to save 30% on your first box! (or Kiwi Crate and the KiwiCo family subscriptions Koala Crate and Doodle Crate).
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The Description: Tinker Crate help kids gain crucial STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills through hands-on activities that are also seriously fun. Every crate includes all the materials and inspiration for a super-cool project. Ages 9 to 14+
The Price: $19.95 per month
The Categories:Kids Craft & Activities Subscription Boxes, Kids Educational & Learning Subscription Boxes,Subscription Boxes for Kids,Subscription Boxes for Teens & Tweens. KiwiCo Family, STEM Subscription Boxes, Subscription Boxes for Dads, Subscription Boxes for Teen Girls, Subscription Boxes for Teenage Boys.
The Reviews: See all our Tinker Crate Reviews.
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