Science and Technology Tailored to Tweens: StemBox

With so many fantastic subscription box options for kids, it’s difficult to sort through the crowd to find the one that will appeal to your kids. StemBox, a monthly science kit aimed at girls ages 7-13, stands out from the rest with its appealing design and more advanced STEM concepts offered.

If you’re looking for a STEM kit that dives deep into concepts, StemBox could be the box your tweens and pre-teens look forward the most to seeing on the doorstep every month.

The June kit focuses on chromatography, separating a mixture to discover what it’s comprised of. The box contains almost everything you need, with the understandable exception of isopropyl alcohol, which is dangerous to ship through the mail. Once we had the final component, my daughter was excited to see what else was inside.

Surprisingly, my 7-year-old was especially delighted to discover that the protective gloves were just her size. In fact, the entire box seemed tailored to her taste, with a simple, not over-the-top “girly” design. As a result, she was immediately interested, and eager to get started.

The steps are clear and concise, with extra care being taken because isopropyl alcohol is an irritant. (If your girls are closer to the youngest age range, like my daughter, be prepared to help with each step.) My daughter was thrilled to be doing something more than mixing food coloring in a kids’ science experiment, declaring the process “very science-y.”

After mixing the alcohol solutions and noting our findings, I was pleased to see that the kit also includes directions for proper clean-up so that the components can be used again. The StemBox isn’t cheap–it starts at $36.00 a month–so being able to perform the experiment more than once is a must.

My daughter had fun with the experiment, but the science was slightly above her head and not explained on the instructions. And, to be honest, the chemistry involved disappeared from my brain the moment I left high school. StemBox is prepared for that. Through the web site, you can get a walkthrough of the experiment itself and an explanation of what happened.

Overall, StemBox is a fantastic, well-prepared kit if you’re looking to pique girls’ interest in deeper scientific concepts. The price is steep, from $36.00 for one month to $170 for six months, which will likely prevent many parents from being able to pick it up monthly. If it’s in the budget, though, the tailored experiments and well-produced content are sure to capture your kids’ interests in STEM.

A promotional sample was provided for review purposes.

All photos: Kelly Knox

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