Girls Can! Crate is a monthly subscription box that inspires girls ages 5-10 to believe they can be and do anything by introducing them to fearless women who made the world better.
Each box will include a 20-page activity book telling the featured woman’s unique story (as well as games, experiments, & more), 2-3 hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) activities related to her field, a creative play prop, a featured character trait that helped her succeed and 2-3 practical tips for parents to easily foster that trait, and more. The boxes are designed to encourage a love for STEAM, to foster creativity, curiosity, and support literacy development. With every box purchased, Girls Can! Crate donates 10% of the proceeds to nonprofit organizations working to empower women and girls.
Disclosure: I received this box for review purposes. I was not compensated in any way. All opinions are my own. Post may contain affiliate and/or referral links.
Subscriptions are $29.95/month or less with multi-month commitments. Shipping is free within the US. — For a limited time, you can save 20% on your first month with coupon code “WELCOME20“!
Let’s see what’s in my November 2020 Girls Can! Crate!
Everything was shipped in a bright red box with the Girls Can! Crate logo on top.
A peek inside!
November’s featured “fearless woman” was Adriana Ocampo — the planetary geologist whose research led to the discovery of the Chicxulub impact crater, the signature of a catastrophic meteor strike that likely wiped out the dinosaurs and many other species on Earth. An information card listed all of the activities in the crate and the order in which they should be completed. The reverse side included tips for parents to encourage their girls to be go-getters just like Adriana.
Activity Book
A 20-page, full color activity book included the story of Adriana Ocampo and how her interest in rocks and planets at a young age ultimately led her to work at NASA and discover the Chicxulub impact crater. It also included puzzles, games, experiments, and more. All of the activity instructions were printed in the booklet as well.
Challenge #1: Mineral Testing
The first activity had us testing minerals by using different tools to learn more about how scientists study and classify them. Materials included a small baggie of assorted minerals, 1 black streak tile, 1 white streak tile, a steel nail, a rock/mineral collection bag, and the mineral data sheets inside the booklet.
The tests involved checking each mineral for hardness, streak/powder color, actual color, smell, luster, acid, weight, and magnetism.
As each test was performed, our findings were recorded on the data sheets included in the activity book. I’m not sure if our tests led us to identifying the correct minerals, but the girls had fun examining all of them. 🙂 Oh, for the record, the minerals we received were calcite, pyrite, quartz, gypsum, and fluorite.
Challenge #2: Layers of the Earth
The second activity was to make a “layers of the earth” model out of soap. Materials included 2 soap blocks, 3 mica dye packets, 1 soap mold, 3 wood stir sticks, and 3 microwavable cups.
The first step called for a grownup (that’s me!) to cut both of the soap pieces in half, leaving 4 equal pieces.
Next, we melted one of the pieces in the microwave-safe cup for 10-20 seconds. Once melted, we stirred in 1/4 tsp of red mica powder.
The red mixture (representing the inner core) was then poured into the soap mold to set for 5-10 minutes before adding the next layer.
We repeated the process above using different colors of mica powder to make the orange (outer core), yellow (mantle), and blue (water) layers.
The last layer was topped off with a bit of green mixture to represent the crust/land.
We let the soap sit in the mold overnight to harden and in the morning it was ready to use! So pretty! 😀
Challenge #3: Crack a Geode
The third activity had us cracking open our own geode to see what was inside. Materials included a geode in a plastic bag and the rocks/mineral collection bag from the first activity.
There are no “action” photos of this activity, since my husband basically just whacked the geode with a hammer. 😉 Inside were indeed a collection of sparkling white crystals!
Once all of the activities were complete, we had officially earned our Adriana Ocampo collectible button. 
My daughters really enjoyed their November 2020 geology-themed Girls Can! Crate! They both have an interest in gemstones/crystals, so they were happy to add more to their collection and learn about how they’re identified. The layered soap and geode were also big hits! 😀 — Remember for a limited time, you can save 20% on your first month with coupon code “WELCOME20“!
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