Disclosure: This box was received free for review purposes.
Ivy Kids July 2015 Review
The July 2015 Ivy Kids arrived and it was even bigger and better than ever Ivy Kids is a craft and activity box for 3-8 years olds. Each box is $39.95/month and is packed with fun learning activities, all made a featured book. There are usually more than 10 activities in each box, each in their own little bag. If you have more than one child, you can add-on a sibling pack for only $5.00.
Since a 3 and 8-year-old have different learning needs, Ivy Kids sends instructions for “Little Ivys” (3-5) and some for “Junior Ivys” (5-8). There are also tips for parents to help facilitate more learning. As a bonus, Ivy Kids includes a personalized item in every box. The July 2015 Ivy Kids was made around the book “A House for Hermit Crab” by Eric Carle. I was sent the sibling pack, since I have two little boys that fall under Ivy Kid's age bracket.
Ivy Kids always ships in their classic green box. The box was really heavy this month!
First Look.
Inside the lid, there is a sticker with pictures of everything activity in the box.
The featured book this month was “A House for Hermit Crab” by Eric Carle. I love Eric Carle, in addition to being a great writer, the illustrations in this book are beautifully done.
This is a look inside the book.
Name Collage: Every box has a personalized item. This month, your child glues shells on the letters and can place stickers around letters to create an underwater scene.
L had fun gluing the shells to his name.
This is the finished piece. L liked it and decided to hang it on his door.
Create Your Own Hermit Crab Habitat: Using the sand, plants, and shells, your child creates a habitat for their hermit crab. The hermit crab can grow to 600% it's size, eventually leaving it's shell, just like in the book. This is the next project we are completing, as my 6-year-old really wants to play with the sand.
Hermit Crab Shell Observation: Since this was the sibling pack, two sets of activity sheets were included. Your child observes the included Hermit Crab shell, and record the findings on the worksheets.
Hermit Crab Body Parts: To teach your child more about hermit crabs, two fact sheets about the hermit crab's anatomy were included. Once the sheets are reviewed, your child/children can cut out the body parts on the sheets and glue them in the appropriate places on the diagram.
Sea Animal Sun Catchers: I think this was my favorite activity. Ivy Kids included 6 sun catchers for your child to color and hang, along with 6 suction cups.
L really wanted to pant all the sun catchers, but he agree to split the 6 with his brother.
Each child got their own container of paint, which works out well. My 3-year-old doesn't like to rise his brush between paint colors.
The finished sun catchers, my 3 year old's on the top and my 6 year old's on the bottom.
Hermit Crab's Year: In the book, the hermit crab's story goes through the whole year. Using the monthly cards, your child places them in the correct month space on the calendar. This is great for reading comprehension and learning the months of the year.
Sorting Shells: Once your child reads the shell fact sheet, he/she can use the included shells to sort by size and whether it's a Gastropod or a Bivalve
L likes sorting all kinds of objects, so this was a fun project.
Shell Painting: Ten shells were included for your child to paint. Since I received the sibling pack, two sets of paints and paint brushes were also included.
Both of my children hate having paint on their hands, so it was a bit tricky to paint the shells without touching them.
T really loves the color blue, so his shells were all blue, expect for the two shells he dipped in paint.
The finished shells, T (age 3) on the left and L (age 5) on the right.
A House for My Hermit Crab: After reading the story, decorate a shell for the hermit crab. Your child can glue the paper plate to the hermit crab, then use the stickers and shells to decorate the shell.
We ended up gluing the plate down up side down, but it still worked. T basically stuck the stickers where he wanted on the shell, but L did a spiral.
These are the finished shells, I think they turned out really nice.
Hermit Crab Race: This two person game is perfect for siblings. You use two shells from the box as pawns, then both people roll a die at the same time. Who ever rolls the larger number, gets to move their shell forward one space. The game was a bit tricky, because the boys are used to moving the number on the dice. It was a great counting exercise.
Playing the game.
Final Thought: “A Home for Hermit Crab” was one of the cutest books Ivy Kids has included in their boxes. The crafts and activities in the box were especially great this month. My boys are looking forward to making the hermit crab habitat. The sun catchers look great on our door. If you want to try Ivy Kids, click HERE and use the code IVY20 to get 20% off your subscription.
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