top of page

ExplorerBox Review



About ExplorerTots

ExplorerTots was established by Tom and Sarah; they are the proud parents of two little boys. Their older son was the inspiration behind the ExplorerBox after stating that ‘bicarbonate of soda in the store cupboard “makes volcanoes.” This was a clever discovery and later encouraged Tom and Sarah to explore different activities and themes resulting in them creating ExplorerBox for children.

"I think it's fun because people's children love things like that and I love things like that!" - Isabella-Grace, 3 years old.


Themed ExplorerBoxes

Currently there are 3 different themed ExplorerBoxes; Woodland ExplorerBox, Space ExplorerBox and the Science ExplorerBox. The Explorer Boxes are suitable for children ranging between 3-8 years old. Each box is filled with different materials and resources to get you and your little explorer prepared to participate in each activity. Sometimes the only thing required maybe a pen or a pair of scissors, because Tom and Sarah ensure that you get great value for money by providing the bulk load of the tools required for you. I think this is a really great idea and shows that they value what they are doing, they know that parents with children are already rushed off of their feet and the last thing they need to do is run around the shop purchasing bits and pieces for the different activities.

Each box measurements are 34cm x 15cm x 23cm.


The welcome note is a lovely way of introducing the ExplorerBox to parents and their children. It adds a very personal touch, I think it is very thoughtful.

Activities such as creating a weathervane and going on a minibeast hunt will help your little ones to look more at the world around them. With this box you can talk to your children about the weather we encounter and explore nature and the beauty of the world together.


Read more here: https://explorertots.com/collections/explorerboxes/products/woodland-explorerbox

Activities related to space such as creating an Astronaut Costume and launching a rocket into the sky will also be big hits for younger children, especially those with a keen interest in space. These activities will create conversations relating to space and the solar system to broaden your budding astronauts’ knowledge.


Read more here: https://explorertots.com/collections/explorerboxes/products/space-explorerbox

Activities such as making magnetic butterflies and building your own skeleton are great for little children too because it teaches them more about the human body and they learn about magnets and different forces. We received this box and Isabella-Grace is so taken by her skeleton that she has named her, “Bessie Rider Flower,” she insists that she is a girl skeleton!


Read more here: https://explorertots.com/collections/explorerboxes/products/science-explorerbox

Design

Firstly, I must say that the boxes are absolutely beautiful and visually appealing for children. I love the concept of the little bottles, the light bulb, clock and the beanstalk. I also like that the ExplorerBox appears to be sort of like a treasure chest and once opened up allows you to use the handle. Isabella-Grace has decided to use her ExplorerBox to store some of her activities in and her toys, so it is a handy reusable box that your children can get plenty of use from. The design is very pretty, but also gives an indication of what the children will be doing (because of the bottles and magnets, etc); learning.


"It's pretty, I can see beanstalks!" - Isabella-Grace.

Activities

The ExplorerBox features STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities which have been carefully tailored for children. Each activity comes in a brown envelope with the majority of the materials required and clear instructions which I found very easy to comprehend and follow.



Isabella-Grace and I had so much fun doing each activity and it was a great conversation starter about each topic; the skeleton, magnets, rainbows and growing cress. We have just started to do our cress head, but it has given Isabella-Grace something to add to her daily routine and I admire how she always remembers to give her cress some water. This is something that I will be continuing with her and I will be looking into getting her, her very own little plant to take care of. It has sparked conversations about plants and flowers (she is very fond of flowers) and whenever we go out she always comes home with a flower or two! We have been trying to spot different flowers and I am proud to say that she can name quite a few flowers of her own accord.




When asked what her favourite activity from the four was, she responded, “I liked the plant, I liked the rainbow, I liked the skeleton and I liked the butterflies!” So, I am happy to report that she enjoyed all of the activities.

The Importance.

I think it is so important for children and parents to do activities together when and where they can to enable children to develop various skills. My daughter has always been fascinated with nature and the outdoor world, she is always exploring and has a very big imagination. I like that the ExplorerBox met a lot of her interests and likes by encouraging her to get exploring outside and kept her busy. She was keen to help with the experiments and often I allowed her to take control, but only gave her some guided instructions. She is very independent and so likes to do things for herself anyway, but the ExplorerBox really complimented my daughter’s personality and helped to captivate her curious little mind.



Together we sang, "head, shoulders, knees and toes." Isabella-Grace took control of measuring the skeleton and allowed me to record the measurements!

Be Creative!

During the 10 years I had worked with children fI learnt about the importance of children learning through play and being provided with activities to stimulate them as well as activities to encourage exploration. With the ExplorerBox parents can create their own activities or extend the activities already provided. The opportunities are endless and therefore you should not just seek to do the activities provided and close the box. You should definitely research other activities you can do with your child or extend on the ones already provided. With the human body activity, Isabella-Grace is very keen to decorate her skeleton and give her hair and a face with clothes – although this activity is a creative one it still opens up the door for her to get creative. You can tailor the activities to suit your child and their interests; for example, the magnetic butterflies can be changed to magnetic bees or magnetic fish or even magnetic cars, the choice is yours.





"It was awesome! It made my heart happy! Look Mama, it's attracting!" - Isabella-Grace.

We both had fun seeing what else the magnet would attract to. Isabella-Grace was fascinated by this activity because this was the first time she had encountered a magnet. She went around the garden and the kitchen in search of various objects such as; a wooden spoon, a metal fork, etc to see what would happen. Interestingly, we have an electric can opener, so she learnt that our can opener also has a magnet.

Step Outside Of The Box.

The ExplorerBox literally gets you to step outside of the box and think outside of the box too! Sarah and Tom offer an ExplorerBox Book which will enable you and your children to keep all of your information cards and fun facts safe. I would recommend taking pictures of the activities your children do and the outcome then adding them to the folder too, so that you and your children can look back on the experiments they have done.


This book can be purchased here: https://explorertots.com/collections/add-on-items/products/explorer-book

Caring Aspect.

I like that Tom and Sarah opt to use recyclable materials in regard to their packaging and the activities. It shows that they care not just about the children and the parents, but they are also conscious of the environment and want to do their part to make sure that they help in any way that they can.


Tom and Sarah also donate 50p from each ExplorerBox purchase to various charities working with families and children. This is such a thoughtful idea and I am all for helping others when and where I can.

The ExplorerBox costs £23.99 each and free shipping is available with every purchase.

To purchase your ExplorerBox today head to: https://explorertots.com/collections/explorerboxes





"It was so good! I liked mixing the colours. It made such a pretty rainbow Mama, can you see?!" - Isabella-Grace.

We were able to practice Isabella-Grace's colours and numbers in French. She really enjoyed mixing the colours and was intrigued by the rainbow and the prospect of mixing colours to create alternative colours.

Final Thoughts.

In conclusion the ExplorerBox is a great tool to have in your house and it can be used for rainy days, summer holidays and so forth. It is lovely to always have something to do and to be able to use your ExplorerBox to store your child’s activities away. I think that the ExplorerBox will be used by Isabella-Grace for many years to come.

Thank you Tom and Sarah for incorporating fun and learning for the little people – keep up the amazing work!

With Love, Roxanne-Sasha x

*This post is a sponsored post for ExplorerTots, promoting the ExplorerBox. Isabella-Grace and I were kindly sent an ExplorerBox to review.

All opinions are my own.

bottom of page