Top Ten Subscription Boxes for Teens

Hands-on projects are a great educational tool, and with the advent of the subscription box phenomenon, there are so many fabulous ones now available!!  We've tested out about forty of them, and here are our top ten favorites....plus coupons & bonuses.  😎

You may also be interested in the Top Twenty Educational Subscription Boxes!  (No crossover recommendations)

Craftsman Crate  (See a full review here)  This is the perfect box for teen guys who want hands-on projects. It's also a convenient way to try out new hobbies, use your hands to create, learn skills you can keep using, and have fun, too!  Comes with real tools, complete kits, and a new project every month.  There are also video reviews for this box on our YouTube channel.

The Nitty Gritty

• Each box makes four generous adult servings
• The Cost:
• $33.77 / month   (price drops with 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions)
• Boxes ship for $12.14
• Use coupon code FIRSTTEN to take 10% off

Owl Crate  When you join Owl Crate, you’ll get a cool themed box of high quality young adult books and bookish items. There are two young adult options - writer and artist.  YA Artist subscription comes with one new YA book and a new art medium every month! The YA writers subscription includes one YA book and writing materials that will inspire any modern day writer!

The Nitty Gritty

• The Cost:
• Writer's Box  $30.83
• Artist's Box  $40.83
• Boxes ship to US for FREE
• Use coupon code IMAGINATION to take 10% off

 Creation Crate  Learn how to program and build electronics with new and more challenging projects delivered to your door each month!   Creation Crate uses hands-on projects to teach 21st century skills! Users receive a new project/course every 30 days with access to an Online Classroom. Projects become more challenging as you learn new skills. All projects and courses are approved by STEM.org

The Nitty Gritty

• The Cost:
• Original Crate  $29.99 / month
• Updated Crate  $39.99 / month
• Boxes ship to US for $.99

Salty Owl  Salty Owl Box is an innovative activity box that is made for families with kids 9+. An art project, a new game, a unique snack, a recipe, and a monthly movie pick does the prep work for you. All the materials, instructions and inspiration you need is shipped to your home.

The Nitty Gritty

• The Cost:
• $39.99  (price drops with 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions)
• Boxes ship to US for $5

Matter Box MATTER is a subscription box for curious minds. Each month, you'll receive a collection of materials, objects, specimens, or artifacts that have been carefully selected as some of the most interesting pieces of matter in our accessible universe. Part museum, part laboratory, perfect for quarantine! Feed your curiosity or spark someone's else's.

The Nitty Gritty

• The Cost:
• $39.99 / month (price decreases with 3, 6, or 12 month subscription)
• Boxes ship to US for $4.90
• Use coupon code SCIENCE for 25% off

Palatteful Packs  Each month, you will receive a selection of art supplies. You’ll get to try a wide range of products, from pens to paint. You will receive everything you need to create a work of art. The supplies in the box are ideal for beginners, professionals, or anyone in between.

The Nitty Gritty

• The Cost:
• Petite Pack  $22.32 
• Premier Pack  $32.49 
• Boxes ship to US for FREE
• Use coupon code 10HOORAY to take 10% off

Teen+ Comic Crate  Teen+ Comic Crate has comics with detailed artwork, advanced language, violence, and occasional profanity/suggestive themes. Examples of Teen+ Rated comics include Avengers, X-men, Justice League, Wolverine, and Wonder Woman.  Comic books are a great reading experience for all types of readers. Reluctant Readers enjoy comic books because the short bursts of text and vivid images are easier to read than the solid text in a prose book. English Language Learners can match the text to the images in comic books to help decode and understand the text.  

The Nitty Gritty

• Also available - PG and G Comic Crates
• The Cost:
• $30.00   (price drops with 3, 6, or 12 month subscription)
• Boxes ship to US for FREE

Adventurous Mailbox (See a full review here)  Combining mystery and intrigue with world geography and world cultures, Crameye and Neva are on a race to stop the spies!  This subscription includes an online Teacher's Corner with a full language-arts program to accompany it (not required) as well as a curriculum on computer coding.

The Nitty Gritty

• The Cost:
• $54 for the digital package
• $90 for the physical package + shipping
• Use coupon code HSRange to take 20% off

Brick Loot : The perfect box for Lego enthusiasts, each month you will get unique items including LEGO, LEGO compatible products, and brick items.  These are bricks that you won't find in any store, and they're pretty unique! Some of the themes we've received in the past include Ancient Mythology, gaming, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars....the list goes on...each box is uniquely fabulous!

The Nitty Gritty

• The Cost:
• Month-to-Month Plan: $29.99  (price drops with 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions)
• Boxes ship mid-month ; $6 shipping to USA

For Parents

Adults & Crafts Crate Adults & Crafts is a thoughtfully curated craft subscription box for adults & teens to create fun and trendy projects! Every month is a different craft to allow you to learn a new craft technique like wood burning and engraving. Create beautiful products like wine carriers, epoxy resin coasters, & more! Perfect for a friend hangout or date night!

The Nitty Gritty

• The Cost:
• Monthly : $34.95  (price drops with 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions)
• Shipping is $6.95 to US
• Use coupon code GETCRAFTY for free shipping!

Faith Box  Each Faithbox is based on an uplifting theme and includes a daily devotional book, Everyday Faith, plus inspired content and tools to help you end the month more centered in Christ than you began. They also include amazing products and books that have a positive impact on the world!

The Nitty Gritty

• The Cost:
• Monthly : $34.95  (price drops with 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions)
• Shipping is FREE to US
• Added bonus : Every box that you purchase provides three meals to hungry kids via their Rice Bowls partnership.
• Worth noting : They offer a 'bulk box' program for churches and ministries.

Takeout Kit  Because life gets busy, and sometimes we just need a shortcut.  This box puts it all at your fingertips AND gives you a global experience at the same time, allowing you to cook your way around the world!  With each kit you’ll learn the culinary history of the dish, discover amazing new flavors, and follow easy instructions to craft your delicious global-inspired meal.

The Nitty Gritty

• Each box makes four generous adult servings
• The Cost:
• $31.99 / month
• Boxes ship to US for FREE
• Use coupon code WELCOME5 to take $5 off