I am a believer in KiwiCo and their innovative STEM box for kids products and subscription crates.
They makes science kits and toys that are fun and educational. Recently, they expanded their monthly box project offering to include a new area to explore – COOKING!
This subscription box is focused on cooking and food. I know all of my children went through phases where they couldn’t get enough of helping out in the kitchen. Sometimes it was productive, while other times it was hard to find something for them to “help” with that wouldn’t destroy the meal.
Is the Yummy Crate by KiwiCo a solution to this problem? How does cooking relate to science? Let’s find out!
Yummy Crate Review
Every month, you will get a KiwiCo subscription box shipped to your home. Inside, you will find:
Hands-on recipes that teach kitchen skills
All the Yummy crate monthly crates come with at least three recipe cards. These colorful recipe cards are specifically written to match the kitchen skills for school aged children – those kids ages 6 to 14. These recipes are designed to help build confidence in the kitchen for your child, while being challenging enough to remain fun. Your son or daughter will enjoy learning about the science of cooking by exploring hands on experimentation. They might not know it, but every recipe in a Yummy Crate is really a cooking STEAM activities experiment!
They’ve also been kid tested to be tasty. We call that kid tasted! While the delicious recipes are aimed more at a kid’s palate, you’ll find the meals are yummy enough to eat as well. There’s no point in ordering cooking subscription boxes that leave with you a finished meal no one wants to eat.
STEAM Projects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and related activities
You’ll also get some STEAM activities to help tie the cooking process to the science of cooking. Yummy Crates are great in helping get kids excited not only about cooking but in learning what the true science is when putting your kitchen skills to use. There are also opportunities for artistic expression – like making creations with pancake art. These are fun projects that allow room for your child’s natural creativity to shine.
Specialty Cooking Tool Included
Besides the recipes, you will also get a “specialty cooking tool” in your Yummy Crate to help the cooking process go smoothly from ingredients to finished product. For example, if the recipes for this month’s project are about the Maillard reaction (and making browned burgers), you will likely find a burger press tool to help cut the perfect sized hamburgers.
Shopping List and Yummy Zine Magazine
To ensure that families can easily adjust meal plans for whatever dietary needs they may have, Kiwi Co doesn’t include ingredients in the Yummy Crate . You’ll receive an easy-to-read shopping list before every box arrives at your door. This is great because you can save time before the actual delivery date comes. It also contains recommended substitutions for those following alternative diets when they’re available.
Don’t worry – these aren’t exotic recipes. Think chicken tenders and potatoes, not star fruit. You’ll likely have most of the ingredients already in your home. If not, you should be able to find the remainder at your local grocery store.
You get the Yummy Zine every month. It’s an entertaining magazine for kids. Inside they will find fun food facts, kid-friendly science information, comics and more.
Who Is The Yummy Crate Aimed At?
The Yummy Crate is created to allow kids ages 6 to 14 to spend some quality time with adults in the kitchen. The age ranges are recommendations by KiwiCo – a highly-motivated five-year old “future chef” could certainly handle these hands-on projects with some help from parents. It depends on the motor skills and maturity a child possesses.
Are Yummy Crates Worth It?
You might be saying – “The Yummy Crate sounds great but are the monthly subscriptions worth it? I can come up with 3 delicious family-friendly recipes on my own and save the money.”
If you were just looking to teach your child how to cook a tasty treat or to teach kitchen skills – you’d probably be right.
But the Yummy Crate really is more than that. It provides a framework for not only teaching kitchen mechanics but gets at the how of cooking. It develops that all-important critical thinking that is an extremely important skill for kids. It brings big scientific ideas into their lives.
Inquisitive kids like to find out answers to the whys and hows – and this is where the Yummy Crate shines. For a child that asks questions like “why does meat brown?” or “what makes fluffy pancakes so fluffy?”, these monthly subscription boxes will provide them with the tools to come up with their own answers.
And don’t forget – these crates save you the time of putting all the recipes together and coming up with the answers to the questions. Instead, you can concentrate on the fun activity at hand – and watch your child grow as you cook together. It’s more time for more creative fun.
Considering the KiwiCo Yummy Crate starts at $17.50 a month – the price depends on the length of your Kiwi Co subscription – it’s a bargain in my book. I value an hour of my time at more than $20 – and it would take more than that to prepare everything that’s provided in one of these cooking subscription boxes.
Answers To Common Questions
Are There Recipe Options For Different Dietary Restrictions Vegetarian Vegan DairyFree GlutenFree NutFree?
Yes. Our review of KiwiCo Yummy Crates found that they offer alternatives for most recipes and activities so that people who have dietary needs, preferences, and restrictions can enjoy them too! This goes for some recipes and nuts as well.
Do I Need Additional Kitchen Equipment or Tools?
If you have a “normal” functioning kitchen, you’ll likely have everything you need. For instance, most recipes require a stove or a microwave. There will likely be some mixing of ingredients for children to tackle.
If there is a “specialty” tool necessary, you’ll find it in that month’s subscription crate.
What Is The KiwiCo Shipping Policy?
Kiwi Co ships their crates quickly within the US, but international customers must pay for any additional charges including a slight delivery charge, customs fees, VAT, or duties. KiwiCo is required to collect a 5% fee on orders from Australia and New Zealand. Tracking information is issued via email after shipment.
Shipping rates can change quickly depending on energy prices and other factors. International shipping is usually $4-$7 – review the order page to confirm the current prices.
How Much Is A Yummy Crate Subscription per Month?
KiwiCo Crates are offered with flexible subscription options. Pricing for a KiwiCo subscription starts as low as $18.50 per month for a yearly subscription. You’ll find a wide range of plans – 1/3/6/12 month options are available. The monthly subscription for the Yummy Crate is $23.95 as of August 2022.
Looking for KiwiCo lines for other ages and interests?
We at Fractus Learning have done a variety of hand-on reviews of most of the KiwiCo products. A summary of our KiwiCo reviews is available, along with individual reviews of: