6 Ways to Make Sure Activity Boxes for Kids Actually Get Used!

My sister and I were talking a few months ago about buying gifts for the kids. This activity box craze is awesome and we both love the option to give things that get the kids doing or creating. One of the problems that we’ve both found though, is that sometimes after doing one or two of the awesome activities, the activity box kind of gets forgotten. They get shoved to the back of a closet and all of that fantastic activity goodness ends up hiding. Has that happened at your house?

I needed to find an answer to the problem. That way we can keep buying the kits as gifts and the kids can keep loving the experiences! Here are 6 ideas that have gotten our activity boxes out and used!

6 Easy Ways to Make Sure the Activity Boxes Get Used!

1. Use it right away. When a gift or activity box is new the kids want to use it right away. Don’t wait. Let the excitement and momentum carry you through the entire box. I have a tendency to think “Oh, this is so fun… we don’t want to use it all up today”. But that kind of thinking sends the activity boxes straight to the back of the closet, never to be seen from again.
   
2. Keep it in sight. Put the activity box on a visible shelf or right in the front of your game closet. Somewhere that you will see it when you’re looking for a way to entertain the kids.
3. Schedule it. I’m a planner, that’s just the way it is. If I write on the calendar “TOGETHER BOX “, it’s far more likely to happen.
4. Use it for a Family Night. Instead of picking a movie or a game, grab your activity kit and have some family fun with it!
5. Have it set up for after-school. Those couple of hours between the rush of getting home and making dinner can be a bit crazy and frantic. Try setting up an activity from your kit so it’s ready to go when the kids walk in. (I think I just may do that right now).
   
6. Sick day. You know that day when they still aren’t quite themselves, but you just can’t stand for them to watch another minute of TV? Pull out an activity box and you instantly have a morning full of entertainment.

4 Activity Boxes for Kids that We Love!

These are the kits we actually have. I’ll tell you a little bit about each one so you can decide which one is the best fit for your family. All of the links are affiliate links. I will be compensated if you make a purchase. (So thanks. :))

1. Super Sleuth Detective Activity Kit  – Little M loves this kind of stuff! This kit includes searching for fingerprints, collecting data and evaluating the evidence. There are codes to break and special glasses. AWESOME! I was able to help her set up a detective station where she could explore the activities on her own.
2. Big Bag Of Science – WOW! There are 70 science activities in this big bag. I really like the way the activity descriptions are laid out. There are simple descriptions for how the activity works. Since there are so many supplies it does require adult set up and I participated in most of the experiments.
3. Crime Catchers Spy Science Kit – This one was so much fun (but honestly won’t be for everyone). There are two crimes to solve. I spent about 15 minutes “setting the stage” as the kit suggested. Solving the crimes took about an hour and I was involved the entire time. If you like pretend play this would be perfect for you and your little ones.
4. Hair & Accessory Creativity for Kids Set – M and M spent an entire rest time working on bracelets and headbands. The materials were easy to use, so they were able to use this activity box completely on their own.

Which kid’s activity boxes have you tried? Would you recommend them? How do you make sure the boxes get used to their fullest potential?