I always forget to take a good shot of everything in my Ivy Kids box to use for the leading photo. Always. So here’s yet another boring box shot. (I promise to do better next month. 😉 )
If you’re not aware, Ivy Kids is a monthly activity box for children aged 3 through 8. It was founded by a certified early childhood educator, turned stay-at-home mom who had begun creating her own activities in order to entertain and educate her kiddos.
Every Ivy Kids kit contains more than 10 activities, along with a book which all of the activities are based upon. The games, projects, and crafts are all designed to “develop fine and gross motor muscles, build math and literacy skills, encourage reading comprehension, and promote scientific thinking”. All of the materials you’ll need are included right in your kit, as well as instructions and age modifications for each project.
Let’s check out February’s box!
First look: So colorful! Plus… A panda!
As always, all of the activities were listed on a sheet glued to the inside lid, along with photos of everything included in each one.
Dinner at the Panda Palace by Stephanie Calmenson – The featured book this month is about a restaurant called Panda Palace, which is quite the popular destination. When dinnertime rolls around, all sorts of different animals show up, one after another, filling the restaurant to capacity. But no one is ever turned away by Mr. Panda… there’s always room for one more.
Make Your Own Menu – I LOVED playing restaurant when I was little, so I would have been all over this. Your kiddo can decorate the pre-made fold out menu with the included food stickers and washable markers. There are printed sections for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert where they can list everything their restaurant serves.
Make Your Own Apron – This one is pretty self-explanatory… Just decorate the apron using the included markers. Simple & easy.
Make Your Own Chef’s Hat – Same concept as the apron, but with a chef’s hat. Have your child decorate it with markers, then adjust it to fit their head and seal it with its self adhesive strip. Glue dots are also included for extra reinforcement.
My Very Own Restaurant – Using the plate and play dough, have your child make their own pretend food items to serve in their restaurant. Make sure they’ve already created their menu and decorated their apron & hat to experience a complete restaurant experience.
Animal Food Facts – Nice, sturdy posters that depict a variety of animals and the foods that each one likes to eat. These are to be used as references in the next couple activities.
What Do I Like to Eat? – After reading about what certain animals like to eat, have your child tell you what he/she likes to eat and draw some of the foods on the sheet included.
Follow the Path – Your kiddo can see what food specific animals enjoy the most by tracing the colored paths with a marker or by using their finger.
Mr. Panda – I love that Mr. Panda came with a heart-shaped necklace with my girl’s names on it. Cute! This activity involves decorating an apron and chef’s hat for Mr. Panda to wear. Glue dots are included to assemble them once they’ve been cut out. After he’s all dressed, have your child reenact the story using their very own Mr. Panda.
Animal Memory Game – A classic game of memory using animals and numbers. After separating all of the cards, put the animal cards face down on one side of the table, and the number cards on the other side. Take turns flipping them over and trying to find the matching pairs (a pair is one card with a number that matches the amount of animals on the other card).
Animal Stairs – While reading the featured book, as each group of animals enters the restaurant, have your child place the corresponding amount of stacking cubes on the board next to that animal. They can also use the animal stickers to place on the blocks for a better visual.
Word Family Cards – Start by placing a letter sticker on each stacking cube. Then use the included word family cards to connect the 3 rhyming words. Then have your child think of another word that uses the same last 2 letters and build that one too.
Feed the Animals – A simple board game that’s played by spinning the spinner, landing on an animal, and placing a piece of food (a stacking block) on that animal’s table. The game ends when all of the food is gone, or when all of the animals have been “fed”.
Heart Stickers – Just a fun little bonus item for Valentine’s Day. Cute!
I think this is one of my favorite Ivy Kids boxes yet! I’ve always loved food/restaurant themed play, so this just really resonated with me. Plus, anything that includes a little stuffed panda is awesome in my book. 😉
If you’re interested in signing up for Ivy Kids, you can save 20% on your first box just by using the promo code “IVY20” at checkout. Plus, new subscribers will also receive a free gift and a monthly personalized item for their child!
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.
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