When we first started home schooling, I was like a kid in a candy shop - I subscribed to all of the apps, resources and activity subscriptions I could find - which led me to discover that not all educational resources are created equally. Some offered very little value for money, some were things my children showed absolutely no interest in and some were very poor quality for a premium price.
These days I'm far more discerning with what I choose to spend my money on - home education can be expensive with all of the classes and clubs on offer, and so it's important that I'm only paying for things that are useful to us.
My eldest son has been very interested in history since he was about 4 years old - he first discovered the subject via Horrible Histories and now loves to spend his evenings in bed reading books about the World Wars and The Tudors. So when I came across a subscription box all about history for kids, I knew it would be right up his street!
We received our first Mysteries In Time box last week, and I am very impressed! In fact we enjoyed it so much that we have already subscribed on an ongoing monthly basis.
Each box focuses on a different area of history - future boxes will cover things like the Elizabethan era, Ancient Rome and the Wild West - our first box was all about Ancient Egypt.
The box itself is designed to fit through your letterbox and is styled to look like a time machine - a great bit of fun! I love how this box really got him excited to learn - I can often find it a bit of a chore to get him ready and excited to learn, but with this box he was raring to go!
Tyne has had an interest in Ancient Egypt for a long time now so he was thrilled to discover the topic for this box, but even though he already had a fair amount of knowledge on the subject - he still discovered new facts that he hadn't been aware of.
There are two box options with Mysteries In Time, these are:
Classic Box - This includes a story book, a fact booklet, word puzzles and other fun activities linked to the topic, a themed book mark and sticker sheet and colouring in pages.
We received the Bumper Box which includes all of the above PLUS a themed craft project and a themed gift.
The craft inside our box was Make Your Own Amulet - Tyne loved getting the chance to design an amulet of his own, before sculpting it and painting it - there were actually enough materials in the box for him to make two, which was great.
The gift included was a pen which Tyne really loved - the element of a surprise gift each month really adds something extra special to the box, and I know it's something that's going to make him really excited every time.
As for the educational content - I was very impressed with how engaging it was. The story contained two characters - Max & Katie - who are the same characters in every box, which I think really helps to keep children interested in their adventures month after month.
Tyne thought that the book was really fun and interesting, and he loved doing the activities in the booklet afterwards - he particularly enjoyed the hieroglyphics quiz!
The first box also contains a large World Map with a timeline that is used to place the sticker that comes within each box to record your adventures through time.
I was really impressed with the quality of items within the box, and we're looking forward to seeing what next months box is like. If you'd like to take a look at an unboxing of the items, check out my Instagram account today - @sparklesandstretchmarks - where it will be on my stories.
The Classic Box costs £6.45 per month plus postage, and the Bumper box costs £11.95 per month plus postage - subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.
You can find out more at www.mysteriesintime.co.uk
COMPETITION
Mysteries In Time are very kindly offering one lucky reader the chance to win a 3 month Bumper Box subscription.
To be in with a chance of winning, just enter via the Rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The competition will close on 14th August, and winners will be notified by email.
Competition open to UK residents only, no cash alternative available.
Good Luck!
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