Tinker Crate

Tinker Crate challenges tweens ages 9-12 with hands-on engineering and science projects that teach real STEM concepts. Each monthly crate includes materials to build a functional project - from hydraulic claws to electronic circuits - plus a blueprint magazine explaining the science behind it. Perfect for curious minds who want to know how things work.

Tinker Crate is designed for the kids who take things apart to see how they work - the natural engineers, the question-askers, the “how does this work?” curious minds. Each monthly project results in something genuinely functional, not just decorative crafts. A hydraulic claw that actually grabs objects. A trebuchet that launches projectiles across the room. An electric piano that plays real notes. These are working creations demonstrating real engineering and scientific principles, making Tinker Crate the natural progression from Kiwi Crate (ages 6-9) for tweens ages 9-12 ready for deeper STEM challenges.

Part of the KiwiCo family (14 years in business), Tinker Crate benefits from refined educational design, rigorous testing, and quality materials. Projects are specifically calibrated for the tween developmental stage - complex enough to feel like genuine accomplishments, clear enough to build independently with minimal adult intervention. With a 3.7/5 Trustpilot rating across 4,881 reviews (sharing KiwiCo parent profile), the subscription reflects generally positive satisfaction, with some billing and cancellation complaints noted alongside strong praise from both kids who love building and parents who appreciate the educational rigor.

Pricing Plans

KiwiCo offers flexible subscription options with significant savings for longer commitments:

Plan	Monthly Cost	Total Prepaid	Per-Crate Savings	Annual Savings	Best For
Monthly	$23.95/month	$23.95	Baseline	-	Trying the service, flexibility
3-Month	$22.95/month	$68.85	Save $3 (4%)	-	Short commitment
6-Month	$21.95/month	$131.70	Save $12 (8%)	-	Half-year learning
12-Month	$18.50/month	$222.00	Save $65.40 (23%)	Save $65.40	Best value, committed subscribers

Pricing Notes:

• Free shipping included on all plans within the United States
• International shipping available with additional fees
• Gift subscriptions available at same pricing tiers
• No cancellation fees for monthly plans
• Prepaid plans are non-refundable
• Pause or skip months through your account anytime
• Seamlessly transition between KiwiCo lines as kids age (move to Maker or Eureka Crate around age 14+)

The 12-month plan saves over $65 annually compared to monthly billing, essentially providing nearly three free crates over the year. Many parents start with a 3-month subscription to confirm their child engages with the more complex Tinker projects before committing to the discounted annual plan.

What’s Included

Every Tinker Crate delivery contains everything needed for one substantial engineering project:

Engineering Project Materials: All supplies pre-measured, pre-cut, and quality-tested - no shopping for random hardware store items or specialty electronics components. Materials are genuine engineering-grade (not flimsy toy-quality) designed to create functional working models. Includes:

• Mechanical components (gears, axles, levers, pulleys, springs)
• Electronic components when applicable (LEDs, batteries, wires, circuits)
• Building materials (wood pieces, plastic parts, metal fasteners, adhesives)
• Specialty items unique to each project (mirrors, magnets, motors, sensors)

Detailed Instructions: Full-color, step-by-step illustrated guides written for 9-12 year olds. Instructions show exactly what to do at each stage with clear diagrams and photos. Unlike younger KiwiCo lines, Tinker instructions assume more independent work - most 10-12 year olds can complete projects entirely on their own, while 9 year olds may need occasional parent guidance for tricky assembly steps.

Blueprint Magazine: This is where Tinker Crate shines educationally. The Blueprint magazine (20-24 pages) provides:

• Deep explanations of the science and engineering principles behind your project
• Real-world applications - how these same principles power actual technology
• Historical context - who invented these mechanisms and why
• Additional facts, comics, and activities related to the month’s engineering theme
• Glossary defining technical terms introduced in the build

Tinker Zine: Supplementary activities and experiments extending learning beyond the main project. These might include:

• Modification challenges - “Can you make your trebuchet launch farther?”
• Design improvements - “How could you modify your creation?”
• Related experiments using the same scientific principles
• Brain teasers and engineering puzzles

Educational Context Cards: Small cards explaining each project’s connection to real engineering careers and applications, helping kids see how today’s build relates to actual STEM professions.

Sample Projects

Past Tinker Crates demonstrate the impressive range and functionality:

• Hydraulic Claw: Build a fully functional mechanical claw controlled by water-filled syringes. Learn about fluid dynamics, hydraulic pressure, mechanical advantage, and how excavators and construction equipment use these same principles.

• Walking Robot: Construct a robot that actually walks using gear mechanisms and motor power. Explore gear ratios, kinetic energy transfer, robotics basics, and how changing gear sizes affects speed vs. torque.

• Trebuchet: Create a medieval siege weapon that launches projectiles several feet. Understand projectile motion, potential energy, kinetic energy, leverage, and the physics of catapults vs. trebuchets.

• Electric Piano: Build a functional electronic piano that plays real notes using circuits and sensors. Discover how circuits work, sound waves and frequencies, electrical conductivity, and the basics of electronic instruments.

• Infinity Mirror: Construct an optical illusion mirror using LEDs and reflective surfaces. Explore optics, light reflection, LED technology, and how mirrors create the infinity effect seen in art installations and modern design.

• Mechanical Hand: Engineer a prosthetic-inspired mechanical hand controlled by strings and levers. Learn about biomechanics, how tendons work in real hands, lever systems, and assistive technology engineering.

• Solar Racer: Build a vehicle powered by solar energy. Understand photovoltaic cells, energy conversion, aerodynamics, and sustainable energy technologies.

Projects rotate to cover diverse engineering disciplines - mechanical, electrical, structural, optical, pneumatic - ensuring broad STEM exposure over a year of subscriptions.

How It Works

Tinker Crate subscriptions operate on a predictable monthly cycle designed for independent tween engagement:

1. Subscribe and Select Age Range: Visit KiwiCo’s website and choose Tinker Crate for ages 9-12. If you have multiple children at different ages, KiwiCo offers other lines: Kiwi Crate (ages 6-9), Maker Crate (ages 12-14), Eureka Crate (ages 14+), etc. Select your subscription length based on budget and commitment comfort.

2. Monthly Crate Ships: Crates ship around the same date each month (varies by subscription start date), typically arriving within 7-10 business days for domestic orders. You receive shipping notifications with tracking information. International subscribers should expect 2-3 weeks.

3. Unbox and Preview: Kids love the unboxing experience - colorful packaging, intriguing project preview, and discovering what they’ll build this month. Parents appreciate that everything needed is contained in one box (no frantic searches for missing screws or batteries).

4. Read Blueprint Magazine First (Recommended): While many kids want to dive straight into building, reading the Blueprint magazine first provides context. Understanding WHY you’re building a hydraulic claw (and how real excavators use the same principles) makes the build more meaningful than just following steps blindly.

5. Complete Engineering Project: Building typically takes 45-90 minutes, longer than Kiwi Crate projects (which average 30-60 minutes). Complex builds may stretch across multiple sessions, especially for 9 year olds or perfectionists who want to understand every step thoroughly. Most tweens work independently after initial setup, though some challenging steps may benefit from an adult double-checking alignment or tight connections.

6. Test and Use Your Creation: This is the payoff - your hydraulic claw actually grabs things, your trebuchet launches objects, your electric piano plays music. The functional aspect creates pride and demonstrates that the science and engineering principles truly work. Many projects become desk displays, demonstration tools for school science fairs, or toys used repeatedly.

7. Complete Tinker Zine Challenges: The additional activities in the Tinker Zine extend engagement beyond the main build. Modification challenges encourage creative thinking - “Can you make your robot walk faster? What happens if you change the gear ratio?” These open-ended explorations teach engineering thinking beyond rote instruction-following.

8. Collect and Display: Many families keep completed Tinker Crate projects as a timeline of learning. A shelf displaying 6-12 months of finished projects visually represents accumulated STEM skills and serves as conversation starters when friends visit.

9. Manage Subscription: Through your KiwiCo account, pause deliveries during busy seasons (soccer playoffs, exam weeks, family vacations), skip specific months if needed, change subscription length, or cancel without fees (monthly plans). The subscription flexibility accommodates changing schedules and interests.

10. Transition Between Lines: As kids outgrow Tinker Crate (typically around age 12-13), seamlessly move to Maker Crate (ages 12-14) or Eureka Crate (ages 14+), which tackle even more advanced engineering with power tools, advanced electronics, and sophisticated builds. Many families maintain KiwiCo subscriptions from toddlerhood through high school, simply transitioning between age-appropriate lines.

Why Tweens Love It

Projects are challenging enough to feel like real accomplishments, not “kid stuff” or overly simplified crafts. Building something that actually WORKS - a claw that grabs, a robot that walks, a piano that plays - creates genuine pride and demonstrates mastery. The finished creations look impressive on a shelf or desk, often becoming prized possessions that kids show off to friends and family.

The science explanations in Blueprint magazine satisfy curious minds without feeling like homework. Tweens at this age ask “why” and “how does this work?” constantly - Tinker Crate provides actual answers with real engineering principles, not dumbed-down simplifications. The magazine respects their intelligence and curiosity, treating them as capable learners ready for substantive scientific content.

The independent building process builds confidence. Successfully completing a 90-minute complex engineering project without parent help proves competence and capability - critical for tween development and self-esteem.

Who It’s For

Best For:

• Tweens Ages 9-12: Projects perfectly calibrated for this developmental stage - challenging enough to require focus and problem-solving, achievable enough to complete successfully without frustration
• Natural Engineers and Tinkerers: Kids who disassemble old electronics, build with LEGOs for hours, or constantly ask “how does this work?” thrive with Tinker Crate’s functional engineering focus
• Kiwi Crate Graduates: Children who loved Kiwi Crate (ages 6-9) but now find it too simple - Tinker provides the natural next challenge level
• STEM-Interested Students: Those showing interest in science, math, or engineering who could benefit from hands-on applications of classroom concepts
• Screen-Time Alternative Seekers: Parents wanting educational activities that compete with video games and YouTube - functional engineering projects provide compelling screen-free engagement
• Gifted or Advanced Kids: Often popular with gifted students who find grade-level science too basic - the genuine engineering content provides appropriate intellectual challenge
• Future STEM Career Explorers: Kids considering engineering, robotics, or technology careers get early exposure to fundamental principles
• Independent Learners: Tweens who prefer working autonomously rather than requiring constant adult supervision
• Homeschooling Families: Supplements STEM curriculum with hands-on engineering experiences that bring abstract concepts to life

Not Ideal For:

• Younger Kids (Under 9): Children younger than 9 typically find Tinker projects too complex and frustrating - Kiwi Crate (ages 6-9) or Koala Crate (ages 3-4) more appropriate for younger ages
• Older Teens (13+): By age 13-14, most kids are ready for Maker Crate or Eureka Crate, which offer more sophisticated engineering with power tools and advanced electronics
• Kids Uninterested in Building: If your child hates STEM, dislikes projects, and prefers sports/arts exclusively, they won’t engage with engineering subscriptions regardless of quality
• Impatient Personalities: Projects take 45-90 minutes and require careful attention to multi-step instructions - kids who rush through steps or refuse to read directions will struggle
• Those Needing Immediate Gratification: Unlike video games with instant rewards, Tinker projects require sustained effort before the payoff of a working creation
• Ultra-Budget-Conscious Families: At $18.50-23.95/month, it’s a premium subscription - while educationally valuable, it’s a discretionary expense
• Minimalist Households: Projects create physical items requiring storage space - families trying to reduce possessions may struggle with accumulating completed builds
• Kids Who Only Follow Teacher Instruction: If your child only learns through direct teacher instruction and struggles with self-directed learning from printed guides, the independent format may frustrate

Tinker Crate works exceptionally well for the target age range (9-12 year old curious thinkers), with a 3.7/5 Trustpilot rating across 4,881 reviews (sharing KiwiCo parent profile) reflecting generally positive customer satisfaction. KiwiCo’s 14 years in operation and specialty in age-appropriate STEM education validates Tinker Crate’s expertise applied to the tween development stage.

Most complaints (when they occur) cite age mismatches - projects too easy for advanced 12 year olds (who should move to Maker Crate) or too difficult for struggling 9 year olds (who might thrive with another season of Kiwi Crate first). Starting with a 3-month subscription helps determine fit before committing to the discounted 12-month plan.