Atlas Crate

Atlas Crate takes kids ages 6-12 on a monthly journey around the world. Each crate explores a different country through hands-on activities, cultural artifacts, recipes, and games. Kids learn geography, history, and global perspectives while creating projects inspired by each destination.

Atlas Crate is KiwiCo’s passport to the world. Each month, kids “visit” a new country through hands-on projects that bring geography and culture to life - far more engaging than reading about it in a textbook.

Pricing Plans

Plan	Price	Savings
Monthly	$23.95/month	-
3-Month	$22.95/month	Save 4%
6-Month	$21.95/month	Save 8%
12-Month	$18.50/month	Save 23%

What’s Included

• Cultural Craft Project: Create something inspired by the country’s traditions
• Recipe Card: Make an authentic dish from the region
• Activity Booklet: Games, puzzles, and facts about the country
• Collectible Souvenir: A small keepsake from each destination
• Wall Map: Track your travels around the world

Countries Explored

Past Atlas Crates have explored Japan, Brazil, Egypt, India, France, Kenya, Australia, Mexico, and many more. Each crate goes beyond stereotypes to share authentic cultural experiences.

How It Works

Atlas Crate’s monthly subscription cycle transforms geography lessons into hands-on cultural adventures:

1. Subscribe and Set Expectations: Choose your subscription plan (monthly, 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month) through KiwiCo’s website. Atlas Crate is designed for ages 6-12, though actual fit depends on individual interest and reading level. No specific country selection - KiwiCo rotates through global destinations to ensure broad coverage over time.

2. Monthly Crate Arrival: Around the same date each month, your Atlas Crate ships and typically arrives within 5-10 business days. Free shipping is included in the subscription price. Each crate is compact (approximately 12” x 8” x 3”) and arrives in KiwiCo’s recognizable colorful packaging featuring that month’s destination country.

3. Unbox and Discover the Destination: Open your crate to find all materials for that month’s country exploration:

• Activity booklet with country overview, fun facts, and cultural context
• Complete craft project materials with step-by-step instructions
• Recipe card for authentic dish from the region
• Collectible souvenir representing the country’s culture
• Wall map progress tracker (shipped with first crate)
• Parent/educator guide with extension ideas

The activity booklet sets the stage by introducing the country’s geography, language basics, cultural traditions, and interesting facts that go beyond typical textbook summaries.

4. Complete the Cultural Craft: Each crate includes a hands-on project inspired by the country’s artistic traditions or cultural practices. Examples from past crates:

• Japan: Origami paper and instructions for traditional paper folding
• Kenya: Beading materials to create Maasai-inspired jewelry
• Mexico: Papel picado (decorative paper cutting) supplies
• India: Rangoli pattern materials for floor art designs
• Brazil: Carnival mask decoration kit

Projects typically take 30-90 minutes depending on child’s age and assistance level. Instructions include photos of each step, cultural context about why this craft matters to the country, and display ideas for finished projects.

5. Cook the Featured Recipe: Recipe cards include:

• Authentic dish from the country (appetizer, snack, or simple main dish)
• Kid-friendly preparation with safety notes
• Ingredient list (you provide grocery items)
• Step-by-step cooking instructions with photos
• Cultural background about the dish’s significance

Most recipes require 30-60 minutes including prep and cooking. Some are entirely kid-led (Brazilian brigadeiros, Japanese onigiri), while others need adult supervision for stove/oven use. This component encourages family bonding while making geography deliciously tangible.

6. Explore the Activity Booklet: Beyond the main craft and recipe, booklets include:

• Geography quiz with mapwork
• Word scrambles using country-specific vocabulary
• Matching games connecting cultural symbols
• “Did You Know?” surprising facts
• Comparison activities (how is this country similar/different from yours?)

These activities reinforce learning and can extend engagement beyond the initial craft completion.

7. Add Souvenir to Collection: Each crate includes a small collectible representing the country - a miniature artifact, flag sticker, cultural symbol, or regional trinket. Over 12-24 months, kids accumulate a meaningful collection that visually represents their “travels.” Many families create display shelves for Atlas souvenirs, turning them into conversation starters.

8. Track Progress on Wall Map: The included world map (large poster size) comes with stickers or markers to track which countries you’ve explored. Kids love seeing the map fill up over months and years, visualizing the breadth of their global learning. This gamifies geography - “How many continents have we covered?” becomes a natural question.

9. Extend Learning (Optional): The parent guide suggests extension activities:

• Find library books about the featured country
• Watch age-appropriate documentaries or videos
• Locate pen pals or online cultural exchange programs
• Plan imaginary trips using real maps and travel resources
• Compare costs, climates, and distances

These extensions work well for homeschool families using Atlas as core geography curriculum or for classroom teachers supplementing social studies units.

10. Anticipate Next Month’s Destination: KiwiCo occasionally teases upcoming countries on social media, building anticipation. Kids enjoy guessing which country is next based on continental rotation (KiwiCo varies continents to prevent clustering).

Frequency: Monthly crates ship consistently on your subscription date. You can pause, skip months, or cancel anytime through your account dashboard.

Who It’s For

Best For:

• Geography Enthusiasts: Kids naturally drawn to maps, flags, and learning about different places - Atlas feeds this curiosity with hands-on engagement
• Homeschool Families: Parents seeking structured, curriculum-aligned geography/social studies content that doesn’t require teacher preparation beyond gathering recipe ingredients
• World-Curious Children: Those who ask “What’s it like there?” when seeing other countries on TV or hearing about travel - Atlas makes learning tangible
• Cultural Appreciation Builders: Families wanting to raise globally-minded children who respect cultural diversity and see beyond stereotypes
• Recipe-Loving Families: Households where cooking together is already valued - Atlas adds international flair to your recipe rotation
• Souvenir Collectors: Kids who enjoy building collections and displaying items from different themes - Atlas provides structured collecting with educational purpose
• Ages 7-10 Sweet Spot: While rated 6-12, kids aged 7-10 tend to find the best balance of challenge and accessibility in both crafts and reading content
• Visual Learners: Children who understand concepts better through hands-on projects and visuals rather than reading or listening
• Classroom Teachers: Educators supplementing geography units with engaging activities - one crate can serve as class demonstration or rotating through students
• Gift Givers: Thoughtful presents for intellectually curious kids, especially those who already own too many toys but benefit from educational experiences

Not Ideal For:

• Kids Under 6: Crafts require fine motor skills and reading comprehension beyond most pre-K/kindergarten abilities - Koala Crate (ages 3-4) or Panda Crate (ages 0-36 months) are better KiwiCo options
• Teens 13+: By middle school, Atlas activities may feel too simplistic - better suited for project-based learning or deeper cultural immersion programs
• Strict STEM Focus: Atlas emphasizes culture and geography over science/technology - if your child only engages with engineering and experiments, Tinker or Eureka Crates suit better
• Kids Who Hate Crafts: If your child groans at art projects and finds them tedious, the core Atlas activity (craft) will frustrate rather than engage
• Families Without Cooking Interest: Recipe component requires kitchen access, grocery shopping, and willingness to cook - if you never cook together, half the crate’s value disappears
• Picky Eaters or Food-Anxious Kids: Some children refuse to try foods from unfamiliar cultures - if your child won’t even taste the recipe, educational value decreases
• Control-Seeking Children: You don’t choose which countries arrive when - if your child desperately wants to learn about Italy but receives Thailand, disappointment may ensue
• Minimalists: Monthly subscription means accumulating crafts, souvenirs, and materials - if you’re reducing possessions, ongoing deliveries conflict with that goal
• Budget-Strict Families: At $23.95/month (plus recipe ingredients), Atlas represents $287-431/year depending on plan - library geography books and YouTube videos cost nothing
• Families Needing Immediate Results: Broad geography knowledge builds over 12-24 months of crates - if you need comprehensive coverage quickly, textbooks work faster

Atlas Crate works beautifully for families embracing the long game of cultural education. Over a year, your child “visits” 12 countries, cooks 12 international recipes, and builds genuine appreciation for global diversity. The subscription shines when families engage together - cooking the recipe, discussing the culture, and displaying completed crafts creates shared experiences. If Atlas sounds like a good fit for 6-12 months rather than indefinitely, the flexible subscription model allows you to subscribe during the school year and pause in summer.