Here’s a proposition: Rather than delight your kid once or twice a year with a big, expensive present that will eventually get put aside, why not surprise them with a small, delightful package once a month? I have two kids, a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old. They are thrilled when something arrives in the mail that isn’t bills, replacement chargers from Amazon, or Garnet Hill catalogs.

Subscription boxes can be useful supplements for remote learning. Some of them are consumable, so your kid can have a treat that won’t be left to molder in a corner of a playroom until they’re 25. They’re also handy to have around the house if you can’t send your sniffly kid to school or a big indoor birthday party, and as a bonus, they’re also usually affordable. I tested some of the subscriptions on this list, and I bought others for my kids and their friends. These are our favorites.

Be sure to check out all of our other buying guides for kids, including the Best STEM toys, Best Kids’ Headphones, Best Tablets for Kids, and Best Tech Gifts for Kids.

Updated June 2024: We added the CrunchLabs Hack Pack, the Pipsticks Sticker Club, and SketchBox. We also updated links and prices.

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