When I was pregnant with LJ, I decided that it was high time to start going on little mini dates with Will. He was old enough to understand that it was special alone time with Mommy and that we would be doing fun things and having special treats (the kid thinks a Gatorade is special so he isn’t hard to please!). Being such a daddy’s boy naturally, it honestly was one of the best things I could have done for our ‘bond’ and I think I look forward to it just as much as he does.
This month, when the Kiwi Crate delivery came, I knew that it would be a perfect way to make our monthly date just that much more special.
For those of you that don’t know what Kiwi Crate is, it is a monthly subscription service for kids. Each month a box gets delivered to our house with all the materials to create 2-3 hands-on projects based on art or science, etc. Each month has a different theme (think gardening, dinosaurs, space!) and we really love that this is just another alternative to passing over the iPhone or same old coloring book. I love telling you about it and how we use it because I love promoting educational and FUN ways to spend time with your kids or grandkids. They are our future people!
This month, I took a peek inside and saw that it was cooking themed and I knew that Will was gonna LOVE it. For those of you that don’t know, my kid is obsessed with cooking. He told me that he might be a chef one day and that I could come over and eat the food he makes. I may have scared him a little when I screamed “DEAL!”. So I decided that the best way to do our date was to take him to a local cafe for an early breakfast and let him get cooking on his Kiwi Crate while we waited on our meal.
I have been taking the ‘dates’ as an opportunity to teach Will some of the basics too…like opening doors for people and how not to interrupt conversations and getting brave enough to order his own meals. My boys are definitely a work-in-progress but on these dates, Will does his very best and I can tell he is trying so hard to be a ‘big boy’. #proudmama
My friend Alexis owns the cafe so I knew she would be cool with us camping out for a little before the morning rush. If you are ever in Monroe, GA….antique shopping perhaps?…you definitely need to stop in and get something to eat. The baked goodies are amazing!
After we ordered our food, Will broke into the box and was really excited to find icing. I think he was only mildly disappointed when I told him that he couldn’t eat it 🙂
In this box, we had two options….make a cake or decorate aprons & a hat….he chose the icing first….of course….
First, we built the cake (sponges) on our paper ‘plate’…
And then Will got to the icing part (it was really clay that dried hard but squeezed out of the tubes just like real icing).
After a little bit of time, he asked me to join in and we had a polka dot competition….
Right after we got done with the icing part, our breakfast was ready so we dove into that to fuel up for part two of cake decorating. Who knew we would require bacon to keep going?! (btw my hand is up).
We scarfed down the food extra quick because Will couldn’t wait to keep decorating.
Just check out that face! If the dimple comes out to play, it means that we have a winner!
Ready to go on part TWO!
Next came the coloring activity! I seriously thought that this would be a total dud after such a fun hands-on adventure but I was so wrong. Will loved the fact that there were stickers to color over and make the fun shapes.
The hat was a little too small for his noggin (big head like Mommy) and so we clipped it a little in the back with the enclosed scissors and then it could fit his giant cranium. As a parent, I do love the fact that everything is enclosed in the box (like crayons that will actually work on the fabric and scissors and popsicle sticks)…it makes the crate travel well 🙂
He did an awesome job with both activities and was so excited to save the cake to show his daddy and ‘brudders’.
Overall….perfect breakfast date with my biggest boy. He is literally growing up WAY too fast and having these little moments are priceless. He still is in that stage where he wants to ‘marry mommy’ and I know that someday, he will not say those things or want to wear a chefs hat in public or think decorating sponges is cool….so I better slurp up every ounce of sweetness I can now! He is literally flying into big boy status! Oh I need a minute to pull myself together now…someone get the tissues before my face melts off!
So that is just one little idea for using your Kiwi Crate…go on a little date with your love! The best part is that they make them now for lots of ages – they have the Koala Crate (age 3-4), Kiwi Crate (age 4-8), Thinker Crate (age 9-14), and Doodle Crate (age 9-16). Here is some more info on the crates themselves:
- “Kid tested, expert approved”
- A test crew of kids make sure the projects are engaging, fun, and universally appealing.
- Plans start at just $16.95/month
- Sibling add-on: transform your subscription to a “no fight” crate by adding materials for just $9.95/month
- Free shipping on ALL subscriptions!
- Here are the most popular past crates – LINK HERE.
And this month, Kiwi Crate is offering Bower Power readers a discount….here are the details: Save 30% on your first month subscription with code BP30 (applies to any type of crate) – 30% off your first month’s subscription! Excludes sibling add-ons. CLICK HERE TO ORDER.
So have you tried this service yet? Anybody doing the same ‘dates’ with your little one? What has been your favorite activity? I am always on the lookout for great date ideas!
So cute! Love that you’re teaching manners – so many parents forget these days that ‘manners matter.’
By the way….you need to find out where your friend Alexis got the fabric that is on those chairs!!
if i were a parent, there is no way i would NOT buy this. totally fantastic idea.
+1 for Kiwi Crate My 5yo loves Kiwi Crate and looks forward to “doing projects”. I think one could do similar projects cheaper, especially for multiple kids, but I love that it’s all put together and requires no prep/shopping time from me. And the pamphlets included have lots of educational bits to them that I’m sure I would not incorporate on my own.
And as an added bonus, the “crate” box is very sturdy and great for repurposing after we’ve completed the activities!
No coupon code?? I’d love to try this but its kind of pricey. Looks cute though!
We love our kiwi crates!! We get one kiwi and one koala each month and my 6 and 3 year old love them.
We also go on dates each month. My husband and I switch kids and take one on a date each month. They are so much fun. The kids get to open an envelope on the first day of the month to see what their monthly date is. We give them all the envelopes on January 1. We also include gift cards in some which is so awesome when we open the date and don’t even have to spend money!! This month I took my daughter to Build a Bear and it was free because we’d already bought the gift card. Whoop!
I bought the KiwiCrate for my little neighbor boy. He is 2 and LOVED it. And then when a box a month showed up for the next two months…..he was over the moon.
Now I up for the Best Neighbor of the Year Award all thanks to KiwiCrate. 🙂
I have loved your blog for years and am finally posting for the first time! I just ordered 3 kits for each of my kiddos! Thanks for the recommendation!
I have a little boy about to be 11 months old and this is SO inspiring to me. On a personal level teaching my little guy how to teach the ladies by going on Mama dates is such an amazing idea.
So the Kiwi Crates how young can you start them? Are the ages a loose suggestion or pretty legit?
GAH this brought tears to my eyes (especially as a momma of a boy!). Super, super sweet.
The code is at the bottom of the post 🙂
xo kb
It definitely depends on your kids level…I’m sure there are some little ones that love the other activities but I have found that my boys can do more of their own crates.
xo kb
Gosh darn it. I saw the post’s title pop up in my facebook newsfeed this afternoon and was looking forward to sitting down after dinner and taking a virtual shopping trip to crate and barrel 🙂 clearly, #notamom
That picture of him with the cake makes him look so old! His baby face is fading away and his boy face is shining through. Ahhh!!!
How cute is Will when he is opening the door for you! These crates look like so much fun!
We are on month five of receiving the kiwi crate for my 4.5 YO and the koala crate for my 2.5 YO and we LOVE it!! We got the sports box this month and the cake one a few months back. The quality of the materials is what I’m always so impressed with. The paper is always super thick, felt is top notch, stickers always super sticky, etc. even those scissors they send with the first box are quality. I would highly recommend this to everyone;) just my two cents!
Oooh….that sounds fun too 🙂
xo – kb
The discount code is saying invalid/expired. Is there another code I should try?
It is working now!- never mind. 🙂
You may have answered this before, but does the crate have enough supplies for both of your older boys to participate? Thinking my 4 1/2 and 3 year old would LOVE this. Looking at the website there is an option for a sibling add on, but seems kind of pricey per box. And love the idea of taking the box on your mommy – son date!!!.
I love that you are teaching him early to be respectful to women. Good job. I also wanted to say that you definitely have the pregnancy glow. You look amazing.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I am sorry for the inconvenience and I will definitely update it when I get more info!
xo kb
If he loves to cook, I have heard good things about The Young Chefs Academy! I live near Toco Hills shopping center and thought of this after reading! http://www.youngchefsacademy.com
What a fun mommy-son date! I’m sure Will loved it! I love the idea of the kiwi crates- so neat!
The box comes with 2-3 activities…so if you split it up or shared responsibilities for one activity, it does have lots of things to do with all the additional ‘paper’ activities.
xo – kb
Cool looking cafe! Super cool crate! Great kid! (and mom 🙂
Katie – thank you SO much for first posting about this in the fall. My parents got my little guys a subscription to Kiwi Crate for Christmas and it has been amazing!!! We look forward to the delivery each month and the crafts are definitely top notch. Thanks again. 🙂
Kim
This is such a sweet idea. I definitely want to do things like this once my George is older. Right now I can still relish in his squishy babyness.