PHOTO SOURCE: DepositPhotos.com
Are you a fan of subscription boxes? Do you subscribe to any? I only subscribe to one currently, but I used to subscribe to four of them.
Subscription boxes are all the rage these days. There is literally a subscription box for just about anything you can think of, from boxes that supply you with things you’ll need for an apocalypse (no kidding!) to toilet paper (where was this during the pandemic?) and from chicken keepers/owners to pickle of the month. There are A LOT of subscription boxes.
There are some great subscription boxes for children, but one of the cutest and most engaging ones I have personally experienced is the subscription service, Book and Bear.
As you probably guessed, book and bear has to do with books and bears – but not always bears. There are other cute critters as part of this service as well.
You can order a box specific to your child’s age. There is a box for children ages 3-7, and another one for children 8+.
Each box comes with the following.
- A new plush animal your child will instantly love, all the soft and cuddly fur included
- Plush Animal Stuffing Kit with generous amounts of soft fluff & Adoption Papers
- No sewing necessary – simply zip or Velcro when fully stuffed
- A Purple “Best Friends” heart, have your child insert the purple Best Friends heart after closing their eyes and making the biggest wish!
- Chapter Book (or picture book – depending on the box you order) pertaining to your child’s new best friend you can add to your growing library.
- BONUS: A little extra surprise gift!
I received the December box to review. I am IN LOVE with this box! If my kids were little I would subscribe to it in a heartbeat. And I’m NOT just saying that. You get a lot in the box.
Just opening the box I could see that it was going to contain a lot of fun goodies. I was right!
Let me start with the bonus goodies.
Inside the box there was a holiday treat bag with an adorable illustrated mouse “topper.” Inside the bag there was a coloring/activity book, a Christmas pencil and a cute snowman stacking pencil.
Growing up, I ALWAYS received a new coloring book in my Christmas stocking. To this day, I still love to color, and I especially love to color Christmas scenes.
The snowman stacking pencil (pictured above) are favorites with my “work kids.” Whenever I buy them holiday surprises, I always get stacking pencils. I’ve even given out something similar to the snowman one. When the pencil gets dull you simply remove the entire snowman piece and place it on the other end. When you do that a new pencil piece will available to use.
This box is all about the book character Santa Mouse. I’ve actually reviewed a few books in the series. They are a favorite of mine because I love the adorable illustrations. They are so cute! And the stories are wonderful too.
I get a lot of children’s books to review. Most I donate the my program’s library. The special ones I keep in my family library for my future (God willing) grandchildren. So far I have kept all the Santa Mouse books, and will continue to do so (there are several Santa Mouse books).
To help bring the stories to life, your child can make their very own Christmas mouse.
The box comes with a Christmas mouse “shell.” All your child needs to do is stuff it with the included stuffing. Your child can make it as soft or as firm as they want.
The box even comes with a heart for your child to add their love to, then place it inside their new friend.
You don’t need any sewing skills to close the plush up. You just pull on a zip tie-like thing to close it.
Once your child has completed, your child can fill out an official “adoption” form to make the plush officially their new name.
Once you are done, your child can read and enjoy the book(s) that came with the box, while snuggling with their new friend.
Initially my little fuzzy mouse didn’t have a nose. Some how it was inside the shell of the plush. As I was stuffing it I felt a “ball” in his foot. I reached in and pulled out the nose. That was weird.
Thankfully I was able to sew it back on, so he looks perfect. I think it was a manufacturing thing, and nothing to do with Book and Bear.
I love the entire concept of Book and Bear. Children love plush toys, and I love how it encourages children to read and love books. Sadly, in this day and age, children don’t read as much as they used to. I only have a handful of kids at work who read. Most of them would rather go on an iPad or their parent’s smartphone to play games. That’s just so sad.
If you are interested in learning more about Book and Bear, and/or subscript to their subscription box service, visit them online at BookandBear.com.
If you are not ready to subscribe, you can buy a single box so as to get an idea of what to expect in the boxes.
Kimberly
*I received a free sample in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
