Kiwi Crate and the Right Brain Thinker

Kiwi Crate and the Right Brain Thinker

My son is a right brain thinker.  He excels in music, art, and literature.  If I ever need him to memorize something, we could drill it and flash card it until he is blue in the face...and while some of it sticks, it's never a permanent memory.  However, if we create a song or if we create pictures full of vibrant colors with his multiplication tables, he picks it up instantly.

Unfortunately, with our educational system (and he is in a private school, mind you) not designed for independent right brained thinkers, many children get frustrated and lack motivation.  The great teachers (bless their hearts) with all their efforts still can not go against the system that employs them.  I have realized (long before he was born) that  most of his education would be up to me and my husband.  While I was fully aware of this, I admit I have become complacent.  Yes, private school forces you to become this crazy "Tiger Mother", (even when your inner hippie is trying to rebel with every fiber of your being) and you find yourself in an endless sea of flashcards and 2nd grade homework that is more time consuming than your junior thesis...and in between the fog of math drills...you realize, I am forcing my child to be a sheep...a non independent thinker.  Furthermore, this is not the way he learns and forcing him into this box is just causing him (and I) to be frustrated and weary.

I remember my sons first day of kindergarten.  He was freshly dressed in his school uniform and was excited to go.  We walked him into class (me, my husband and my mother in law.  Yes, the first day of kindergarten is a big event in our family) and watched him for a moment while class started.  My son was so excited, all the other students were fidgeting and staring into space, but not my son.  He was at full attention, with his hands folded on his desk, hanging on to his teachers every word.  Slowly as the days and weeks passed, he went from loving to do his homework and going to school to absolutely loathing  homework (he still wanted to go to school to play with his friends, however).

Unfortunately, school is a necessity and apart of life and I don't see myself homeschooling anytime soon so I have to find activities for my son to nurture his artistic and creative side.  Recently I wrote about Kiwi Crate, you can check out my post here http://www.iheartretailtherapy.com/2014/03/do-good-x-family-traditions-x-kiwi-crate.html  From my post: 

"With all this pondering and trying to  find fun (fun for me too!) and educational  activities, I was delighted to find Kiwi Crate.  Every month Kiwi Crate sends a crate with fun activities for children ranging in age from 3 - 8 years old.   Each month, subscribers receive boxes filled with fun and engaging kids' projects. Each box includes plenty of materials and inspiration for 2-3 projects in arts & crafts, science activities or imaginative play. Previous crate themes include Dinosaurs, Gardening, Colors, Space and more. Kiwi Crate projects are designed to encourage discovery, exploration and expression. Each project is designed by moms, reviewed by child development experts, and, of course, tested by kids. Every month is a new adventure and opportunity to do fun and creative things with my children."

The wonderful thing about Kiwi Crate is every month you have a new activity crate with each one geared toward another subject to explore.  Here are some of the crates available:

Wild Safari

Overview

Create your own stamps to decorate safari animals. Play a round of safari bingo and build an off-road jeep that actually rolls! 

Everything needed, from materials to illustrated directions, is included, along with bonus online content specially created for this crate.

All the materials are included to create:

Safari Animals

Make your own stamps to decorate animals. Hide them and send a friend on a safari bingo hunt.

Off-Road Jeep

Everything you need to build your very own safari jeep that actually rolls!

Animal Drawing Booklet

Learn more about your safari animals with an explorer booklet. Plus, create a savanna scene from your crate.

Space Hero

Overview

Up, up and away! Explore outer space in your very own hero cape and mask, and create a special flying ball for a game of comet catch. 

Capes are 25" long with a 16" velcro-closure neck circumference.

All the materials are included to create:

Hero Cape

Customize your very own cape with sticky felt shapes.

Hero Mask

Complete your disguise and decorate a mask with metallic markers.

Comet Catch

With bright fabric and ribbons, make a special ball for a game of comet catch .

Secret Agent

Overview

Go on a secret agent mission! Gather your gadgets and disguises to discover clues and solve a mystery.

All the materials are included to create:

Periscope

Build your own periscope to hide, seek, and spy.

Disguise Kit

Create your own secret disguises and play pretend.

UV Light Pen Kit

Use this special pen to write and decode secret messages

And there are many many more crates and themes to choose from!  Every month my child will do fun activities designed around themes that are interesting to him.  Furthermore, besides peaking his interest in the arts, each activity works on a specific cognitive skill such as problem solving and critical thinking.  These activity crates also will help build upon some of the things he is learning in school in a fun and imaginative way.

With Kiwi Crate you can choose to buy one crate (or a few) or sign up for their monthly subscription and get a fun filled activity crate to your door every month.

For more information visit Kiwi Crate here: http://www.kiwicrate.com/.  

Now Kiwi Crate isn't just for the right brain thinker.  The activities and projects are designed for all kids left or right, and designed to spark their inner creativity and imagination, while educating them.  My BFF homeschools her little ones and subscribed to the monthly subscription.  She says it really adds to her curriculum and helps them stay engaged.  Furthermore Kiwi Crate, has been recently featured in InStyle, Parenting Magazine, and US Weekly. Kiwi Crate has also been awarded Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Products of 2012, Parent’s Choice Gold Award, and an Oppenheim Gold Seal Best Toy Award. Kiwi Crate is already a celebrity favorite, and is sure to delight the little ones in your life!

Kiwi Crate offers a range of subscription levels, all shipped for free:

	Monthly Subscription - $19.95 a month
	3 Month Gift - $60
	6 Month Gift - $110
	12 Month Gift - $205

If you're looking for ways to inspire your little one, be sure to check out Kiwi Crate here: http://www.kiwicrate.com/ to get started with your own activity crates!