Mister Maker Club - Closed
"I am a shape." If you read that and immediately thought of four people in colourful foam geometric costumes overlaid with simple graphics, all dancing to music that wouldn’t be out of place in a supermarket, then you will already be familiar with Mister Maker and may be interested in this box. However, if the words “googly eyes”, “arty party” and “make it in a minute” mean nothing to you, but you have children aged between 3 and 8 years old and are looking for ways to keep them entertained, then do consider giving this subscription service a try.
The Mister Maker Club is actually a service provided by toucanBox, an established and successful provider of children’s craft subscription boxes. toucanBox have worked in partnership with the licence holders of CBeebies show Mister Maker, featuring a zingy and enthusiastic travelling character who uses card, paper, felt, foam shapes and more to create simple, but fun crafts that children can copy at home.
| At A Glance Info | |
|---|---|
| What's in the box? | Materials for a children's art project, an activity book, and a collectable sticker |
| How often does it come? | Every two weeks |
| Sent from | UK |
Mister Maker Club Review
By Emma & Thomas (September 2017)
My five-year-old son, Thomas, adores CBeebies’ Mister Maker, and it’s one of the few cartoons that will fully hold his attention. I’m slightly less of a fan, largely because after watching an episode my son has a tendency to assume that I can then produce an old egg box, some foam shapes, some googly eyes, sponges, paint, and a paper plate from thin air.
So, when I was asked to review a subscription box from the Mister Maker Club, I’m almost ashamed to admit that I clapped my hands with glee. At last, I could fulfil my son’s desire to channel his inner Mister Maker without needing to decant all my milk, eggs, and cereal from their various containers or take a pricey trip to the local art supplier.
First Impressions
The box arrived the day after it was dispatched and fit very neatly through the letterbox. This was ideal, as it meant I didn’t need to wait in for a delivery. The box was very colourful with a picture of Mister Maker waving, and was addressed to “Mini Maker Thomas”.
I really liked the personal aspect, and my son was very excited to see his name, commenting on how amazing it was that Mister Maker had sent him something.
What We Received
The box folded open and stuck to the lid on the inside is a letter from Mister Maker that outlined in a very child friendly way what the craft project involved. I thought this was a lovely touch, and it sealed the magic for my son, particularly as the box happened to be on a theme that he adores: space. My son was well and truly convinced that Mister Maker had sent him a personal gift, elevating him to the same status of worship that was previously only occupied by Father Christmas!
Another side of the box had a frame printed onto it with the inside of the frame perforated, enabling you to cut it out. There was a note that encouraged the user to use the frame for their best creation. I thought that this was a great way of partly recycling the packaging, and added to the fun of the whole box.
Craft Activity - Rocket
We received everything we needed to do one craft activity: a colourful rocket. There was a leaflet with very easy to follow instructions, and my son, who can’t read yet, was able to follow them simply by looking at the pictures.
Although no other materials were needed to complete the project, we did find that a small amount of Sellotape was useful to secure the tissue paper at the end of the rocket. It wasn’t completely necessary, but very helpful for a child who has a tendency to swing items around. My son loved the finished item, and it is now hanging proudly in his room alongside his other space memorabilia.
Activity Book
In addition to the craft activity, we also received a paper activity book with five tasks. The activities were largely art based (e.g. draw an alien, colour in a rocket, etc.) but a counting activity and spot the difference was also included. My son normally dislikes colouring, and is usually reluctant to practice writing and drawing – a big issue for us as he goes into primary school.
I was therefore pleasantly surprised when he enthusiastically sat and completed the entire workbook. He asked me to take a picture to “send to Mister Maker” and was really proud of his work. I think the Mister Maker branding transformed the book from a standard activity book to one that had star appeal, and it was great to see him engage with something that he wouldn’t normally like to do.
Sticker & Card
We also received a sticker with the same space theme, and a card with a code to pass onto a friend, enabling them to receive a box for £1. My son liked the sticker, and used it as part of an additional craft project that we did using some of our own materials.
I thought the card was a nice touch, but you do need to look at the small print carefully, as once your friend orders a box for £1 they will have subscribed to the service and will then receive further boxes at full price unless they cancel.
Overall Impressions
I thought the box had wonderful presentation and it will certainly appeal to any “mini maker”. The entire box probably filled about an hour of our time. In terms of value for money, I think it probably depends on how much worth you place on the box’s convenience. We have a lot of craft materials in our house, and I’m aware that I can get a lot more materials from other sources for the same price.
However, I do often struggle to come up with new craft projects to do with my children, and it was nice to have something that was ready to be used without any thought or preparation on my part. The fact that it was packaged in a letterbox friendly container made it very portable. It would easily fit into a backpack or large handbag to take on holiday or to a restaurant, giving you a ready to use activity to occupy your child. For this reason, I do think the box offers good value, and my son was delighted with the opportunity to try it.
How Does It Work?
The Mister Maker Club uses the same formula as the regular toucanBox. Once you have signed up, you will receive a box every two weeks, with payment taken from your account shortly before each new box is dispatched.
There is no minimum subscription period, so you can cancel at any time. Each box will contain craft activities aimed at children between 3 and 8 years old, and the branding, instructions, etc. all feature Mister Maker. When you sign up you can provide the Mister Maker Club with your child’s name and age, so your box can be personalised accordingly.
What Do You Get?
Each box contains all the materials you need to complete one craft project, as well as an activity booklet, and a sticker, all adhering to one of twelve different themes. You will also receive a card with a voucher code that enables two of your child’s friends to try the service for £1. toucanBox has worked with Montessori professionals to ensure that each box has an educational slant, particularly in relation to STEAM topics, so not only will you child have fun, they will also learn.
Examples
Your box might contain everything you need to create your own version of a famous work of art, or funny mask. You might be able to make a puppet based on a character from Mister Maker, or explore space using your very own rocket.