Children’s Books Delivered Monthly from Sproutkin

Reading has always been a top priority for me and when I had children I knew I wanted to encourage them as much as possible to read and enjoy it so they wouldn’t see it as a chore or hard task once they started school.  My husband and I both agreed that making sure they kids are read to each night is very important in their development.  Any type of program that encourages reading and help parents share books with their children is a great one in my opinion.  So when I stumbled on Sproutkin I wanted to learn more about this monthly subscription box service.  Who wouldn’t be interested in finding out about having children’s books delivered monthly.

 

Sproutkin offers two monthly boxes.  You can either sign up for the infant/toddler boxes or the preschool boxes.  Both programs work differently.  I opted to try the Preschool boxes since two of my children are in this group.  Here’s how each box subscription works.

Infants & Toddlers

•  For children 0-3 years old
•  Curated box of books & toys to keep
•  $24.99/month for 1 Sproutkit each month
•  Sproutkit = 1 theme + 2-4 books + toy + activity card
•  Up to 45% off retail pricing

Each month, you will receive a box with 2-4 high quality board books and a toy that is tailored to help grow your little one’s mind. In addition, each box contains a Sproutcard that explains developmental milestones and tips on how to use your Sproutkit to foster this development.

Each Sproutkit is customized to your child’s specific age (down to the exact month). You can join at any time — just tell us your child’s birthdate or due date so we can make sure that each box is age appropriate.

Everything you get is yours to keep. We are sure that the books will be a welcome addition to your personal library.

This option is great for parents who want to offer their child age appropriate toys and books but don’t want to search for them on their own.  It’s a great way to build on your book collection and you also get a toy monthly for your little one.  If things start to build up you can put your subscription on hold and donate toys when your child out grows them.

Preschool

•  For children 3-6 years old
•  Library system for curated box of children’s books
•  $24.99/month for unlimited Sproutkits
•  Sproutkit = 1 theme + 10 books + activity card
•  Retail value of each Sproutkit approx $75

Receive Sproutkit. Each box includes 10 carefully selected books all centered around a central theme. Included with the books is an activity card (or “Sproutcard) which includes discussion questions and activities relating to the books and theme.

Read books. You no longer have to carve out time to scour through children’s books at bookstores and libraries – we’ve done the work and have chosen the highest quality books for you. Take 1 week or 4 weeks to read through the books – it’s up to you.

Engage in guided discussion and activities. Use the Sproutcard to help your child understand the stories and overarching theme. You and your little one can make moon sand together with the recipe included in our ”Earth and Beyond” Sproutkit, or help your child pretend to be a new superhero in our “Imagine That” collection.

Return books (or keep what you want). Keep the books you want (for 10% off retail price) and return the rest. It’s easy – use the same box and prepaid postage label included. You can even pre-order your next Sproutkit online so that you’ll never be without books. Or, simply return your books and we’ll send you a new set right away.

The preschool kit is much different from the infant kit as you can see.  With the preschool kit you don’t get to keep the kit.  You can buy the book you want at a discount.  This is the only drawback I could find in using the kit.  Maybe if the company offered a kit with less books that you did get to keep I would like it a lot more.  I do however love the idea of not having lots of books and no where to store them.  I didn’t realize the preschool kit allowed you to get more than one kit a month.  I though it was just once a month.  I really liked the theme and that all the books in the box surrounded the theme.  We were sent the Earth and Beyond Kit and the Bon Appetit boxes during my time using the service.

It was very easy to use, I signed up and picked the preschool box.  Then I got an email letting me know I was getting a box of books in the mail.  It arrived in about four to five days.  After we were finished reading the books we mailed that kit back and we received a new kit.  Please be aware that you can keep the books as long as you like but you will be billed monthly even if you are just using the same box.  Sproutkin also recently changed the program for parents who didn’t wanting a gap between boxes so now you can request your next box and wait for it to arrive before shipping back the box you are currently reading.  Shipping it back is also so easy.  Just remove the old label from your box and replace it with the return label in you box, replace the tape on the outside to secure your books, and give it to your mail man or drop it at the post office.

All in all it’s a great service for parents to try, especially if your children love reading.

Connect with Sproutkin online, on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Disclosure: I was provided a trial subscription to Sproutkin to review the service.  Any and all opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced, however they may differ from your own.

 

Post Update:

Sproutkin is no longer offering their monthly delivery service for books.  Instead they have switched to a digital service on iTunes for $4.99 per month.  Visit the app store to learn more.  I have add some other services below that does offer delivery of books & toys for children.

Monthly Delivery Service of Toys & Books for Children.

Books by the Foot: “GRAB BAG” Boxes! These formerly loved children’s books are in need of a new home and are ideal for donations to crisis centers, daycares, or schools. Each large (18″x12″x12″) box will be filled with as many children’s books as possible. Quantities per box will vary due to different book sizes. If you buy these for personal use, please note that each box will consist of books suitable for a variety of ages, from toddler to young adult. Please feel free to donate or share any of the books that you may receive that are not appropriate for your child. – Price $24.99 per box.

Kiwi Crate: Kiwi Crate was built out of a passion for hands-on fun that encourages creativity and curiosity in children. I had a deep appreciation for these projects, but often found that my greatest intentions fell short. It was tough to find the time to come up with engaging hands-on activities, let alone get the materials. So, as I started to develop creative projects with my kids, I thought, “why not share them with friends, who are also busy?” At playdates, the kids had a bunch of fun, and the parents appreciated having all of the materials and inspiration for the projects provided. Several parents mentioned, “I wish I could do this at home with my kids!” – Price varies by kit and subscription.

Gift Lit:  Put those annoying “buy six books and get 12 free” programs that have been around for decades (and usually end up costing a fortune!) out of your mind. This monthly book subscription program is a huge leap ahead. GiftLit allows you to purchase a subscription for three, six or 12 months, and narrow down the category of books for your child (for example, board books or mysteries for ages 8-10) and then they send a selection of appropriate choices once a month, as chosen by the GiftLit experts. And, GiftLit isn’t just for kids — they have a similar program for adults too! – Price per month: Approximately $55; varies based on the category of books selected.

Little Passports: At Little Passports, our subscriptions create those opportunities, and certainly spark the imagination! Our products deliver discovery and adventure to children ages 3-12, and we’ve also built a wonderful community of parents, grandparents and educators that share our vision. All together, we have built a business that we are incredibly proud of. – Price varies by kit and subscription options you choose per month.

Bookaroo: Our mission is to enable and empower parents to build their children’s book collections in an affordable and exciting way through curated monthly book deliveries. We believe in the power and impact of the written word in the life of a child, and believe it’s never too early to start reading to children! – Price starts at $17.99 per month to $15.99 per month based on subscription.