I thought I would do a series of reviews of toddler S.T.E.A.M. subscription kits since so many parents are in a position where they have to fill in for their daycare providers — and still want to provide some enrichment, even during a pandemic.

Disclaimer: I have only reviewed kits that I was able to acquire in Canada, and solely kits for the 2-4 year old age range. so I’m sure there are more kits available.

My daughter explores the KiwiCo Koala Box:

Oceans Theme

• Quality Wood and Fabric toys Including: (April) Fishing pole + fish with fabric bag, (May) Reusable Neighbourhood “Painting” that changes with water, (June) Wooden Doctor’s Kit with Fabric Bag
• Thematic board book featuring the same characters every month – my quick review of these books: They are age-appropriate, well-drawn, and take the themes of the kit into a story that my daughter is happy to read again and again.
• Some kits came with an extra project (like the art featured above)
• Comes with an adult guide to help the parent follow along and support learning.
• For the parents: YES your child can enjoy these toys without you holding their hands for the entire time. This is an excellent way to engage your child while you get work done.

I would absolutely recommend the KiwiCo kit to other toddler parents.

KiwiCo’s boxes have high-quality materials that have been thoughtfully curated around a theme. The months that we have received so far have been: Oceans, Neighbourhood, and Doctor’s Visit

Verwandeln Sie diesen Kinderreim in eine Aktivität für Kleinkinder

This goes very well with the rhyme, Open Them Shut Them:

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap, clap, clap!
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Lay them in your lap, lap lap.
Creep them crawl them , creep them crawl them
Right up to your chin, chin chin
Open up your little mouth
But do not let them in!

It is important to remember your audience – do not put items that the children could choke on inside the containers, and remember that string and yarn can be a strangulation hazard (this is probably obvious to many of you, but just in case…)

“Driving ‘Round”

Driving round in my little red car

Driving round in my little red car

Driving round in my little red car

Zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom

(Go through red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple)

Elevator Song (https://jbrary.com/preschool-storytime-city-kids/)

Oh the city is great and the city is grand
There’s a whole lot of people
on a little piece of land
And we live way up on the 57th floor
and this is what we do when we go out the door.
We take the elevator up and the elevator down,
take the elevator up, take the elevator down
Take the elevator up and the elevator down
and we turn around.

Source: Jbrary

Five Little Houses

One little house all alone it stood
Then another was built
There grows the neighborhood.
Two little houses…
Three little houses…
Four little houses…
Five little houses
All together they stood
On a beautiful street in a happy neighborhood.
Source: Jbrary

The Key to the City

This is the key to the city.
The city is on a hill.
And on the hill is a street.
And on that street there is a house.
And in that house there is a room.
And in that room there is a bed.
And on that bed there is a basket.
And in that basket there is a blanket.
And under that blanket there is a baby.
The baby in the basket
The basket on the bed
The bed in the room
The room in the house
The house on the street
The street on the hill
The hill in the city
And this is the key to the city.

Source: Jbrary

 “London Bridge”

London Bridge is falling down

Falling down, falling down

London Bridge is falling down

My fair lady

Build it up with silver and gold

Silver and gold, silver and gold

Build it up with silver and gold

My fair lady

Put Your Shoes on Lucy

Put your shoes on Lucy
Don’t you know you’re in the city
Put your shoes on Lucy
It really is a pity
that Lucy can’t barefoot wherever she goes
Because she loves the feel the wiggle of her toes.

Source: Jbrary

Action Rhyme: “Riding”

(roll hands) Riding on my bike today

Pedal, pedal all the way

Pedal fast and pedal slow

Riding on my bike I go

(fly around room) In an airplane I fly

Up, up, up into the sky

Up, up, up so very high

In an airplane I fly

(rock side to side) Riding in a car I go

Rocking, rocking, to and fro

Side to side and to and fro

Riding in a car I go.

Source: Storytime Katie

Traffic Light
Green Says, “Go!”
Go! Go! Go!(march fast in place)
Yellow says, “Slow”
Slow… slow… slow… (march slow)
And Red says, “Stop!”
Stop Stop Stop!(freeze stop)

GO! GO! GO! (march fast)
Slow… slow… slow (march slow)
STOP!!! (stop)

Source: Sunflower Storytime (http://sunflowerstorytime.com/2014/09/29/in-the-city/)

Zoom Zoom Zoom

Zoom Zoom Zoom We’re going to the Moon (swiping hands back and forth)

Zoom Zoom Zoom We’re Going to the Moon

1, 2, 3, 4, Blast off! (crawl up arm, and then LEAP up at Blast Off)