Atlas Crate is a monthly subscription from KiwiCo that specializes in geography and culture for children between ages 6 to 11 years old. This box is designed to spark kids’ sense of adventure and curiosity, inspiring them to see themselves as citizens of the world. Kids can see and connect with the rest of the world, helping them grow beyond their own experience as they explore the globe.
KiwiCo also offers Kiwi Crate, Koala Crate, Doodle Crate, Tinker Crate, Tadpole Crate, and Eureka Crate. Atlas Crate is a great addition to the KiwiCo family as geography and exploration is always a favorite activity!
DEAL: Save 30% on your first month with this link on any KiwiCo line, no coupon code required!
This month’s box is all about GUATEMALA!
The items are neatly stacked inside!
Upon opening, we are welcomed by the cards and pamphlets that are essential to the activities. This subscription emphasizes learning through creative play as they provide in this box everything the kids might need. It builds a sense of adventure, an appreciation of other cultures, builds a sense of global citizenship and opportunity for parents and grandparents to bond with children.
Everything in the crate!
First, we got this letter that teaches us how to say “Hi!” in Spanish. It’s from Milo and Anya.
The letter opens up to show us an introduction to Guatemala. We are also given a beautiful surprise of trivia cards filled with fascinating facts and photos.
They also listed out the things we can do in this crate. I am so excited to make the handmade tortillas!
One of the flaps has Atlas Quest, which you’ll need to fill out after exploring the country!
Atlas Crate Adventure Book
Missed our first review? You’ll get the rings in your first box, which will always start with the WORLD crate. Check out that review here!
Each month, we get a sticker that represents the featured country. This month’s sticker features a volcano. Guatemala has 37 volcanoes in total!
We placed the sticker on the Adventure Book, along with the other countries that we have already explored!
There you go! We’ve explored so many places already!
The table of contents is on the edge of the page for easy reading, just like how a travel book works.
This booklet also comes with a cute illustration of the country’s map with some fun facts and drawings of Guatemala’s notable events, sports, places, or products from that particular location.
Atlas Crate Activities
These pages feature the beginning of the adventures of Anya and Milo in Guatemala.
Guatemala is relatively small, just a bit smaller than Pennsylvania, and it is known for having 37 volcanoes in its territory!
Only 3 of Guatemala’s volcanoes are active and they are Pacaya, Santiaguito, and Fuego.
There is also a turtle guide where you can learn facts about different species of turtles found in the country, as well as an insight into one of the country’s most awaited festivals, the Barriletes Gigantes!
Atlas Crate Recipe
They also included instructions on making a mini Barrilete Gigante. For this, you’ll need colored tissue paper, 12 feet of yarn, paper plate, scissors, white glue, and a hole punch.
Now, we’re on to the most exciting part… making tortillas! There are detailed instructions at the back, as well as a list of the ingredients needed: 1 cup of masa harina or instant corn masa flour, 3/4 cup of water, and a pinch of salt.
The first step is to combine the masa harina and salt and then add water. I can’t believe how 3 simple ingredients can turn into something amazing!
Then, mix the ingredients using your hands until it starts to feel like play dough!
When the dough is smooth enough, it’s time to form it into a ball. The next step is to divide the ball into eight equal chunks, form them into smaller individual balls, and then flatten them using wet hands.
We sandwiched the dough between two layers of plastic. You can also use a flat surface like a cutting board to flatten the dough.
When the dough is flat enough, carefully remove the plastic and cook on a griddle or a skillet. Make sure it’s not greased! You have to flip the dough 3 times, with a minute between each flip.
What better way to enjoy our tortillas than by adding cheese, meat, and avocado slices!
It looks and tastes delicious! The kids enjoyed this activity a lot, we’re definitely doing this again!
Atlas Crate Projects
For this month’s Atlas Crate projects, we’re making a Spinning Top and Muñecas Quitapenas.
Activity #1: Spinning Top. The crate provides all the materials for the projects. For this first one, we used top weight, sticky foam doughnut, top spindle, launcher panel, wood side pieces, wood middle piece, brown sticky foam, and clear rings.
There are fun facts about the spinning top and other Guatemalan games!
Guatemala is famous for its colorful handmade crafts. In the Totonicapan region, nicknamed “Toto,” woodcarvers make masks, statues, and toys from local timber. One classic wooden toy is the spinning top.
The project is in two parts: building the top and building the launcher. It was easy for my son to put the top together because he just needed to stick the white foam donut on the hole on the flat side of the top weight and then stick the top spindle on the hole.
The launcher was also easy to build, you just have to connect the corresponding wooden pieces together and make sure that they’re secured.
My son built the launcher in no time. He sure is happy he got to build this by himself!
He tried first if the top would work and it did! The top spins perfectly!
It’s time to test the launcher! First, he tied one end of the string to the handle and then poked the top’s spindle through the holes in the launcher panel.
The next step is to thread the loose end of the string through the hole in the spindle. When you’re done, just twist the end of the spindle to wind the string.
Make sure to set the base on a wide, flat surface! To properly launch the top, press the bottom tabs of the launcher into the holes in the base.
Here’s what the finished product looks like!
The string is twisted on the top and by pulling it, you set it spinning and unloading from the dock!
Playtime will never be boring with this!
I love how this was easy to build and fun to play! My kids really loved it!
Activity #2: Muñecas Quitapenas. For the second project, they provided us with wooden bodies, yarn, pipe cleaners, clothes pieces, hat pieces, markers, and white bands.
There are more facts about muñecas quitapenas can be found at the back of the card.
In Spanish, these little handmade dolls are called muñecas quitapenas (say “moon-YAY-kaas key-taa-PEN-as”). In English, they’re called “worry dolls” or “trouble dolls.”
The tradition of the muñecas quitapenas:
If something’s bothering you, tell your troubles to one of these dolls and then tuck it under your pillow at bedtime. Transferring your worries to the doll will help you sleep. The next morning your troubles won’t seem nearly so bad!
Just like the first activity, this came with an instruction sheet. It’s divided into two parts Wrap a Muñeca and Dress Your Muñeca!
First, we wrapped the wooden bodies with yarn. My daughter chose the green yarn for the top and blue yarn for the bottom.
Then, she proceeded with designing the clothes using a marker!
She also made a cute skirt! The markers were all well-pigmented and using them on the clothing pieces were a breeze.
Here are the finished products! They are so adorable!
They even have handmade tiny hats on! The experience in making these were truly memorable, not just for me, but for the kids too!
Now I wonder which part of the world we’ll explore next!
We’re really happy with this box! I feel like each activity is well thought out. This is such a great gift idea as well. Our favorite part was making our own handmade tortilla! Making the dolls and the spinning top with the launcher was also fun! The activities were a great bonding time for the whole family and I’m all for it. It even teaches kids how to follow instructions and also enhances their problem-solving skills, all while learning about another culture! We can’t wait for the next box already!
What do you think of KiwiCo’s Atlas Crate?
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