Review: Educational Family Fun With Weekend Box

The weekend has arrived, you’ve had a busy week at work and the kids have been at school so all you want to focus on is enjoying some quality family time – me too! As the weekend approaches I’m usually brimming with fantastic ideas for activities to enjoy with the kids, but often find myself lack the time or equipment needed and my good intentions go to waste. If I have to spend half a day trailing around the shops buying the items I need my enthusiasm will most certainly have waned by the time we get around to having fun!

Luckily busy parents need not worry as a solution to our predicament already exists in the form of children’s subscription Weekend Box. Created back in 2013, Weekend Box started life in founder Andy’s bedroom and now thanks to its massive popularity has a team of 10 who work together carefully designing and creating each box. Andy’s inspiration for the business was sparked when he found himself struggling to find suitable gifts for his niece’s and nephews so decided to create his own and the rest they say is history. Boxes are aimed at ages 3-8yrs and filled with a variety of activities to enjoy.

We recently teamed up with the creators of this fun-filled box who kindly sent Leo a box to road test, here’s how we got on……

Delivered directly to our door in a letterbox sized colourful package Leo practically exploded when he caught sight of it dropping through our door and couldn’t wait to get started. The first thing I noticed when we opened our box was the presentation of the items, it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into the packaging.

Our Bumper Box contained:

Four colourful and beautifully packaged parcels
Three A5 sheets of coloured card
Two large stickers for the loyalty chart
Four small stickers for inside the booklet
Glue stick
Instruction booklet

On the inside of the packaging we were introduced to the Weekender ‘gang’, Wooster, Hattie, Sammy and Oswald, a cute, friendly group of forest animals there to help guide you through the activities provided. The box also had a pair of shoes with lace holes printed inside that we were able to cut out to help practice tying with string – such a great idea as it’s something that a lot of children struggle to grasp!

Each box contains four activities; MAKE, BAKE, EXPLORE and GREEN and the materials required are packaged in colour co-ordinated packaging making them easy to identify against the instructions provided. Each of the weekender’s have their own area of expertise and introduce an activity inside the instruction booklet.

Every box has a different theme and we were sent Under The Sea which contained the following activities:

MAKE with Sammy: Pom Pom Octopus
EXPLORE with Oswald: Jellyfish Suncatcher
BAKE with Wooster: Marshmallow Fish
GREEN with Hattie: Button Fish

Each activity is designed to last for around 30 minutes and most resources are provided, with the exception of a pair of scissors, a pen and the pan needed for baking. This was ideal as it meant we could just sit down and start having fun without the hassle of looking for the bits and bobs we needed.

The instructions provided are clear, concise and are accompanied by photo’s making it easy for children to follow with support from an adult. I did need to help a little with the cutting, but Leo is only four and older children would easily be able to complete the activities with minimal help.

We found the estimated timings for the activities to be about right and were the perfect length of time for Leo before he wanted to go and do something else! On completion of each activity there is space for a sticker inside the booklet and as every parent knows stickers are always popular!

As well as instructions the booklet also includes a colouring sheet, cartoon strip and fun facts relating to the box theme. Leo is like a sponge at the moment and really enjoyed reading the facts together then proudly telling Daddy and his sister’s that the ocean covers three quarters of the Earth’s surface!

Leo and I both really enjoyed completing the activities together and spread them out over a few days during the Summer holidays – they are the perfect boredom busters! As a parent it was fantastic to have activities that enable kids to learn whilst having fun. Not only did Leo learn plenty of facts he was able to develop and improve skills whilst creating his fabulous masterpieces! As a Mum I loved being able to relax and simply enjoy spending time with him and not worrying about what activity to do or what I needed to find!

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These hassle-free boxes can be delivered Fortnightly or Monthly depending on your preference. They are completely flexible too and can be paused or cancelled at any time during your subscription. Boxes cost £8.95 each with free delivery, however if you fancy trying Weekend Box for yourself, Fun House readers can get their first box for only £1 by clicking here*

The Weekend Box shop also sell a range of one-off and limited-edition themed boxes as well as a range of accessories and is well worth a browse!