Kidstir: Snack Happy! (Review)
by Kidstir
Disclosure
This product was provided to us for the purpose of an honest review. All opinions expressed are our own. This review includes an affiliate link. We may receive a small commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. See our full disclosure for more information.
Overview
Kidstir, founded by two health conscious moms, is a subscription-based cooking kit program designed to get our future chefs into the kitchen and excited about shopping for, preparing, and trying healthy food. This review is for the Snack Happy! kit.
What You Get
The exact contents each kit includes depends on which kit your child receives, but every kit includes step-by-step recipes, educational "foodie" pages, cooking tools, a shopping list, and fun games and puzzles. Parents will receive e-newsletters with additional recipes and printables. A 12 month subscription includes a BONUS Kidstir binder with dividers, but the binder can be purchased separately. At the time of this review, all new subscribers receive 2 bonus years of Family Fun, Parents, or Rachael Ray Magazine. With the Snack Happy! kit your child will receive:
- Easy step-by-step recipes for making whole-grain animal crackers, cheddar goldfish crackers, and crunchy kale chips
- Three educational "foodie" pages (one for each recipe) with fun facts, tips, and activities
- Four plastic spring-loaded, animal-shaped cookie punches
- Three metal nested fish-shaped cookie cutters
- Snack pack sandwich bag inserts (to make snacking fun)
- A shopping list
What It Costs
- Prices vary based on subscription length. At the time of this review, the cost for a monthly or 3 month subscription is $15.95 per month, a 6 month subscription is $14.50 per month, and a 12 month subscription is $12.95 per month. Shipping is an additional $3.95 per kit.
How It Works
Each month (for the length of your subscription), your child will receive a fun-filled box from Kidstir. With help from grown-ups, kids will learn how to shop for ingredients, use cooking tools, and eat healthy. Through the activity pages, kids will learn fun food facts and how to get creative in the kitchen.
Educational Emphasis
Kidstir kits introduce kids to basic cooking skills and entice kids to try new foods. For homeschoolers, the educational value is much more. Incorporate Kidstir into your math, science, and social studies curricula to help your kids learn hands-on about fractions and money, weight and volume, chemical reactions, and the origins and history of food.
The Good
- The full-color recipe cards and activity pages are carefully planned, hole-punched, and color coordinated. Recipe cards include difficulty ratings.
- The kid-sized cooking tools and printed pages are made to last.
- There are different subscription plans, so you can choose one that fits your budget.
- Some kits can be purchased individually.
- Kidstir kits are thoughtfully packaged. (Kids will feel like they're opening a present!)
- You can find additional ideas and inspiration, games and activities, and printable fun facts and graphics on Kidstir's website.
The Not-So-Good
We didn't find anything not-so-good.
Tips
With monthly mailings, the timing is great for incorporating this program into your child's curriculum. With three new recipes each month, you can start each week with a different recipe, and download games and activities from Kidstir's online DIY section on the fourth week. The kits can be easily incorporated into unit studies and themed lesson plans.
Recommendation
Due to the content on the activity pages and the size of the cooking tools, we recommend Kidstir to students in grades PK–5. (It's perfect for kids with older siblings!) Needless to say, cooking requires the help of a grown-up.
Summary
As your kids fill up their cookbooks and collect kid-sized cooking gadgets, they'll look forward to spending time in the kitchen. It's easy to incorporate Kidstir's cooking kits into your curriculum (their "foodie" pages are a great place to start), and kids will learn important life skills.