Reviewed by
Roxie
ToucanBox is a flexible subscription service that encourages little fingers and minds to stay curious, creative and busy, which is especially important during this uncertain and confusing time. The box is aimed at children aged 3-8. Penny is now 4 and although she often finds a few of the activities challenging, she always has fun playing and experimenting with the materials. Every box brings a different opportunity to explore different textures, colour and materials, as well as develop her creativity, independence and knowledge of the world around her.
Each letterbox-friendly box (personalised with your child’s name) contains two activity packs full of inspiration and materials, a colourful magazine with stickers and a very small surprise gift. Each activity has a rating to give you an idea of the level of grown-up assistance needed, messiness and whether of not drying time needed.
Racing Jellyfish
Contents: Jellyfish template, thick ribbon, thin ribbon, beads, stickers, sticky back eyes, straws, suction cups and brightly coloured dot stickers
Our first activity pack contained all the materials we’d need to create our own pair of Racing Jellyfish. This was a simple and straightforward crafting activity that was perfect for Penny’s age range. Not only did she piece together her Jellyfish almost entirely independently, but this activity also encouraged her to problem solve and develop her cutting skills. Once we made our jellyfish we could race them as the friction kept the jellyfish climbing up the ribbon and gravity allowed it to slip down when there was no tension on the ribbon. A simple concept that really wowed Penny. There was also no drying time needed and hardly any mess involved.
Dream Catcher
Contents: wooden hoop, feathers, wooden feathers, suede cord, watercolour paint set, paintbrush, thread, wooden beads, stickers and a plastic needle.
This activity required a lot of grown-up assistance but the end result was definitely worth it. Penny is a restless sleeper and has been having bad dreams for a while. She loved painting a rainbow design on her dreamcatcher and hanging it above her bed. She couldn’t wait to show her Daddy her creation once he returned home from work. She was proud as punch. I had to do the majority of the weaving as her fine motor skills aren’t quite there yet but she would help pull the cord through and choose what coloured beads and feathers she wanted to attach. It was a lovely activity and inspired a lot of important conversations such as how bad dreams make her feel and what happy thoughts we could fill her head with instead to help her sleep better.
By Evelyn 
