Willow and Wild

With the weather on the turn, sticking the kids out in the garden is no longer a surefire distraction. However, these clever Willow and Wild subscription boxes are packed with activities for keeping 3-8 year olds entertained that make the most of the season, from seeds to craft projects. For example, the October box currently available includes a grow-your-own grass head, instructions on how to make an autumn leaf bowl, egg-carton spiders and bats and a spotter’s guide to British fungi.

From £8.50 per box 

The Curiosity Box 

Our first choice for sprogs aged 7-11 who love a little science and road tested for several years by my youngest charge (now aged 11) who made this fun electric circuit back in the day.

 The Curiosity Box is a monthly subscription filled with 2-4 STEM activities that link to the curriculum – a godsend for parents who want to fill any gaps lockdown might have left. Have younger kids? The Curiosity Box also offers Curiositots Box for little’uns aged 3-6.  

From £10.95 per box

Rainy Day Box 

When in doubt, throw everything at them – that’s the beauty of the Rainy Day Box, which includes everything from craft projects to baking supplies and toys and games based on the seasons. Best of all, these boxes either come once a month or you can craft your own box as and when you need it. 

From £6.99 per box 

Makerly Crafts

If you have tween or teen girls at home, this stylish craft subscription box might offer an alternative to days spent glued to Instagram. Each month you’ll be sent a one-off craft project with detailed instructions, generally with a fashion or home flavour (think knitted beanies, terrazzo clocks and rattan crochet bags). In need of a project now? Order one of the past boxes as a one-off.

From £13.33 per box.

Little Cooks Co 

Pick up a monthly subscription from Little Cooks Co and you’ll get all the dry ingredients for easy to follow, healthy bakes popped right through your letterbox – ideal for getting the kids stuck into a bit of entry-level baking. Keeping their sticky fingers busy and getting snacks out of the deal? Sign us up.  

From £8.33 per box 

Bookabees

Juggling working from home, childcare and keeping the house in check can mean that updating the bookshelf is somewhere down the bottom of priority list. Luckily, Bookabees can handle that for you. Just let them know how old your kids are (the libraries work best for ages 0 to 11) and what kind of books they like, and one of their experts will pick out a monthly selection and send it in a personalised box once a month, along with fun stickers and bookmarks. That’s the bedtime story ticked off the list then.

From £9.99 per box 

Geo Journey

Overseas holidays might be on hold until 2021, but that doesn’t mean your geo-genii can’t learn about the world in the meantime. Geo Journey sends your explorers a subscription box with postcards, activity booklets and souvenirs from a different country each month, and there’s even a mega-cute suitcase, map and passport for them to update. By the time we’re flying again, they’ll be able to tell you where they want to visit next before you ignore them and book for Ibiza (oh, just me?).

From £12 per box 

Mysteries in Time 

Make history fun (or at least slightly more tolerable) with this monthly subscription for 7-11 year olds. Your kids will be able to follow characters Max and Katie as they hop about in their time machine learning about different historical periods – think Ancient Greece, the Victorian Era or the Wild West. Each Mysteries in Time box comes with a new part of the story, an activity booklet, puzzles and stickers, and if you shell out for the Bumper Box you’ll get a history-inspired craft kit too.  

From £6.45 per box 

Make + Wonder  

I am woman, hear me roar! Each monthly Make + Wonder box focuses on a fantastic female artist, and comes with four fun art activities designed by primary school teachers to help your budding Picassos explore their creativity. There’s even a Sibling Box option for those with larger families to entertain.  

From £14.50 per box 

Zaza’s Storybox

This monthly book and toy box is fantastic for little bookworms under two. Every month Zaza’s Storybox will send two board or cloth books, a toy to match, and some little goodies (including a teabag for mum), starting at £18.99. There are themed one-off boxes too, including a newborn box, a 1^st birthday box and a new sibling box – which also make ideal quarantine-safe gifts to send to friends.  

From £18.99 per box