If you are looking for a fun new way to spend time outside with your kids and teach them about outdoor survival skills, check out Think Outside boxes!
In this Think Outside subscription box review, I’ll share 3 reasons your kids will love using these boxes to enhance their outdoor exploration.
What is a Think Outside box?
Think Outside is a monthly subscription box that encourages kids to explore and learn about nature. Designed by parents and teachers, each monthly box focuses on a different outdoor survival skill, like outdoor shelters or night-time discovery. Each box contains high quality outdoor gear and hands-on challenges related to the monthly theme.
Itβs a great way to learn important life skills and to create family adventures with older kids. Plus, the boxes ship free in the US too!
I was gifted this Think Outside Box by Cratejoy to provide an honest review. This post also contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.
3 Reasons Your Kids Will Love Think Outside Boxes
1. It’s a fun way to get outside with your kids.
If you’re like most of us, chances are your goal is to spend more time outside and less time on screens. Having some new hand-on challenges and outdoor gear to try out provides some great incentives to get outside together as a family.
2. Think Outside boxes are full of helpful tools, not toys.
Another awesome feature is that Think Outside boxes contain practical, high quality outdoor gear rather than toys kids will quickly outgrow.
What’s inside a Think Outside box?
Here’s what comes in the Intro Backpacking box:
- Backpack: thinner, lightweight material that is waterproof with extra pockets
- Bear bell with cover
- Carabiner
- Paracord
- Color changing pencil
- Metal ring & laminated reference cards
- Activity guides
Besides the backpack, the two items my kids were most excited about were the bear bell and color changing pencil. The bear bell has a magnetic flap that keeps the bell from ringing when it isn’t needed. And the pencil is heat sensitive, so when you hold it, the pencil changes color. Useful and entertaining items!
3. Each month focuses on a different outdoor survival skill.
No matter when you begin your subscription, the first box you will receive in the Intro Backpacking box. From there, each month focuses on a different outdoor theme.
In the Intro Backpacking box, besides the gear, there are several educational pages and hands-on challenges. A few of our favorites include learning Morse Code, how to make a paracord keychain, and how to build a raft. For my kids, the highlight was learning Morse Code and decoding the secret messages!
As a parent, another highlight was the empathy section on homelessness. A short conversation (in kid-friendly terms) and suggestions for helping the homeless can go a long way in instilling kindness and compassion for all our fellow humans.
Other Monthly Themes To Look Forward To
- January: Knots
- February: Shelter
- March: Fire
- April: Weather
- May: Navigation
- June: Nutrition
- July: Nature
- August: Night
- September: Water
- October: First Aid
- November: Wildlife
- December: Repair
Even though we regularly spend time in nature hiking and camping, we haven’t really focused on outdoor survival skills. This aspect is a huge plus for us. Learning new skills together like Morse Code is an awesome way to bond as a family.
What’s the best age range for Think Outside boxes?
My kids are ages 4 & 7. I tend to age up with educational items, so I choose the standard Think Outside Boxes (7-16+). The items and activities were perfect for my 7 year old and would be engaging for tweens and teens too. My 4 year old was excited about all of the gear but mostly observed the activities.
Overall, I’m very happy we went with the standard box. I would rather have the experience be too challenging (and something to grow into) than too easy for them.
If your kids are 5 or under, check out the Think Outside Boxes Jr (Ages 4-7) option.
Where To Purchase Think Outside Boxes
My favorite resource for subscription boxes is Cratejoy. which is an online marketplace where you can purchase and manage all kinds of subscription boxes in one spot. Also, Cratejoy often has promotional deals throughout the year, especially if you purchase multiple month subscriptions at a time.
Happy Outdoor Adventuring!
Have you tried Think Outside boxes before or think you might order one for your child? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!
For more family adventure inspiration, check out 5 Best Subscription Boxes For Adventure Seeking Families and Fun Outdoor Gifts For Families Who Love To Explore Together.
Oh! I think Amelia would really love this! We’ve done other subscription boxes before and had so much fun, but the outdoor theme seems like it’d be even better. I might direct one of the grandma’s to this page as a birthday present idea π
Subscription boxes make such great gifts! My boys really enjoyed this one and asked for more boxes for birthday gifts too. π