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. Our readers voted it as one of the best subscription boxes for kids in 2021!
KiwiCo also offers Kiwi Crate, Koala Crate, Doodle Crate, Tinker Crate, Panda Crate, Maker 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 NEPAL!
Everything in the crate!
The characters on the envelope say “Namaste!” which means hello in Nepal.
The letter opens up to show us an introduction to the featured country! Every flap of the envelope has information about the box.
You can explore more online after you get your box with additional activities and book suggestions! Atlas Crate recommends How Buffalo Lost Her Coat: A Children’s Tale From Nepal by Belinda DuPont and Tiger of the Snows: Tenzing Norgay: The Boy Whose Dream Was Everest.
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 box includes a sticker that represents the featured country. This month’s sticker features a yak!
My kids placed the newest sticker on the Adventure Book, along with the other countries that they have already explored!
My kids have 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. There’s also a country map with fast facts like the continent it belongs to, population, currency used, official language, and more!
Atlas Crate Activities
These pages feature the beginning of the adventures of Anya and Milo in Nepal.
Another feature is about the Newar people.
Over 300 years ago, Kathmandu Valley was made up of three kingdoms – all ruled by Newar people! This community was made up of Hindus and Buddhists from multiple tribes who came to share many traditions. Today, the million Newar people still living in Nepal are known for their joyous jatras (festivals) and artful architecture.
Next, they included information about Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world!
Lastly, there’s the Wind-Horse Flags, a unique Nepali symbol. They are banners that contain prayers, wishes, and illustrations of the mythical wind horse.
Atlas Crate Recipe
Here’s a recipe for Sikarni. It’s a popular dessert in Nepal, which combines cardamom with yogurt, nuts, and milk.
A list of ingredients and easy-to-follow steps accompanied by illustrations are also provided. My kids are really excited to try it!
Atlas Crate Projects
This month’s KiwiCo Atlas Crate projects include making a Fluffy Yak and Yak Zipline. Kids will also learn how to play Bagh Chal.
Activity #1: Bagh Chal. The first activity is learning how to play Bagh Chal, a board game that originated in Nepal.
All the materials and pieces needed is included in the kit.
Bagh Chal is a strategy game where two players are needed. One player controls 4 tigers while the other controls up to 20 goats.
The mini activity brochure also included fun facts about the game!
The instructions on how to play and win are illustrated in the activity sheet.
It’s time to setup the game! The game starts by placing the four tigers on the four corners of the grid. The player controlling the goat gets to move first, adding a goat on a free intersection on the board. The player controlling the tiger can then move it along the line from one intersection to the other and then the player controlling the goat can add another one. They take turns until all the goats are in the board and in this time, the goats move the same way as the tiger.
The objective is for the tiger to capture 5 goats by jumping over them (like in the game Checkers) in which case the player controlling the tiger wins or if the goat blocks the tigers so it can no longer make a move, the player controlling the goat wins!
This is a fun and exciting game! My kids took time studying the game play but once they got it, everything went smoothly. My kids really enjoyed this and it can now be a new challenge for board game nights!
Activity #2: Fluffy Yak. The next activity is about making a fluffy yak! The yak is a long-haired cattle from the Himalayan region.
The guide also has fun facts related to yaks.
The materials for the activity are included in the kit. All the kids need from home is a pair of scissors. My son was amazed with the yak because it’s an animal that we don’t usually see. He had fun reading information about them!
The instructions were clear and they made sure each step has an illustration so it’s easier to follow.
He started with setting up the foam base.
Here, he’s adding the fur to the body and making sure they’re extra fluffy so the yak will turn out cute!
It’s time to assemble everything! Using the rectangular holes, lay the body into the base fur side up. Once that’s done, it’s time to get started with the head. My son just followed the step-by-step guide and it’s pretty easy that he didn’t even need much assistance.
Once the head is done, just stick it on the body as well and trim the excess fur on the hind legs of the yak.
This looks so adorable!
Now, it’s time to add the blanket!
Here’s my son checking on his masterpiece and making sure that everything is properly attached!
This is the finished product. The little yak is so adorable!
It turned out really fluffy as well!
Activity #3: Yak Zipline. Now that the Fluffy Yak is done, the kids need to make a zipline for it!
Like the other activities, it also included a mini booklet that contains the step-by-step instructions.
Each step also has an illustration so it’s easier to follow.
They even included some climbing tips at the back!
My son started by making the pulley. He peeled off a large foam strip and wrapped it all the way around the end of a stick. Then, he took the wheel with two small holes and and poked the short card up through the holes, tying a double knot to secure the card to the wheel.
Next, he flipped the wheel over and peeled the backing from the foam donut to stick it around the center hole, making sure to stretch the rubber band around the donut.
When that’s done, he poked the open end of the stick through the wheel and peeled the other backing off of the donut before sliding the other wheel into the stick and pressing it to stick to the donut. The next step is to press the foam strip onto the stick. Make sure to leave a little space between the wheel and the strip and then wrap the strip all the way around the stick.
Making the zipline is also quite easy. The steps are in the guide and all the materials needed are included in the kit.
Here’s what the finished item looks like!
My kids placed the “mountain” on a higher level so the yak can climb it using the pulley that they built.
Here’s my daughter making sure that everything is nice and ready!
Like in the tips, my kids made sure that the cord is taut and straight so the Yak can climb easily!
This was a fun activity!
This activity also helped develop the kids’ problem solving skills and resourcefulness!
Here’s a final look at all the items and activities from this month’s box!
Atlas Crate introduces kids to a new country in every box! It’s filled with fun facts about the featured country, as well as fun activities related to the local culture. This month, my kids learned all about Nepal. They were really happy because they discovered a new board game in the box. They also enjoyed making the fluffy yak and playing with it using the zipline. What’s great is that everything can be done at home. The materials are complete and the instructions are included for each activity as well. If you’re looking for a geography-themed activity subscription for kids, this box is just perfect. It can be shared by siblings and it’s also a great way for families to bond!
What do you think of KiwiCo’s Atlas Crate?
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