Girls Can Crate is a monthly subscription for children between 5 and 10 years of age that promotes the idea that girls can do whatever they set their minds to. Each month features a different female pioneer whose story inspires girls to achieve. Each box includes a 20 page activity book that includes the heroine’s story, 2-3 STEAM activities and creative play props. Boxes cost $29.95 each month and can ship to either the United States or Canada. Although this box is intended for girls, it would certainly be fun for a boy to learn about some accomplished women, too! The themes celebrate female pioneers from diverse backgrounds, but the activities themselves are gender neutral, and the child-facing materials never make assumptions about the subscriber.
Each box arrives well packaged with attractive squiggles. Your first box comes with a special supply pack to keep and use on future boxes, including some washable Crayola markers and a pair of scissors.
DEAL: Save 25% on your first box! Use coupon code HELLO25.
Eugenie Clark is this month’s heroine. She was a very accomplished scientist who studied sharks.
This month’s pointers are all about being adventurous. I like the encouragement that the subscription gives to grown-ups.And I must agree, we should let kids spread their wings and explore the world. We can definitely let them know that we care and that we don’t want them to get hurt, but that shouldn’t stop them from going on their own adventures. Yes to adventures, no matter how big or small! The recommended TED talk is very interesting – “To Raise Brave Girls, Encourage Adventure” by Caroline Paul.
A sneak peek for the July crate! Looks exciting!
“The Adventurous Ichthyologist” is the title of this month’s activity book. It celebrates the life of Eugenie Clark.
Eugenie Clark is one brave lady and a great diver too! Did you know that four species of fishes were named after Eugenie? So cool!
The box includes a colorful woven bracelet with a real shark’s tooth!
This subscription has a great message, and they also use some proceeds to support women and girl focused non-profits.
The book has lots of great biographical information on the featured woman, so kids can really get to understand their story and accomplishments. Though biographical information sometimes notes the challenges our heroines faced because of societal conceptions of gender roles, the text focuses on the great accomplishments and dedication of the featured woman.
There is also a feature about shark expert Jillian Morris inside the magazine.
We’re learning so much about sharks and other sorts of underwater creatures!
We love that they include bits and pieces of trivia all over the magazine too.
The booklets are great at getting us to appreciate the accomplishments of the featured heroine. They do this by going beyond the biographical and including lots of subject matter relevant to her field of endeavor.
Another thing we always look forward in every Girls Can Crate is the variety of activities they include in the magazine.
From arts and crafts to problem solving – name it and they have it!
Sticking to this month’s theme, the main activities also encourage adventure and exploration!
In the “Feed The Shark” activity, kids learn about a sharks diet by catapulting food into its mouth! All the materials for building and playing the game are provided in the box.
We start by constructing a catapult out of tongue depressors and rubber bands.
Then we try to land yummy prey in the shark’s gaping maw.
Meanwhile, the next activity “Experiment With Density” is focused on learning about why and how sharks float in water.
The box includes the materials needed. You just provide warm and cool water (plus glasses if you want to use a clear vessel).
One glass gets filled with a saltwater solution.
And then it gets mixed up. The accompanying sheet guides us through the activity, having us hypothesis whether the light, metal fish will sink or float in the different vessels.
To our surprise, the fish sank in the warm salt water.
He also sank in cold tap water.
We recorded our observations on the results sheet.
Then we filled a bag with some olive oil and the fish. This fish floated somewhat in the tap water.
It was really buoyant in the saltwater! The oil helps the fish float in salt water, just like a shark’s fatty liver helps it float!
For this coloring activity, young girls get a turn being an ichthyologist by creating their own species of shark.
We measured it and decided on its key characteristics.
Definitely not your conventional shark!
Girls Can Crate is such a fun box that the whole family can share. The pointers, booklet and activities all fit the theme well. I love the way the featured heroine is used to introduce a topic, but the box goes beyond her biography and also teaches broader lessons. It’s a great combination of a biography and subject matter activity box, all with a positive and empowering message. Families can make a great bonding moment from this subscription!
Do you enjoy Girls Can Crate as much as we do? What’s your favorite thing about this subscription?
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