Best Toy Subscription Services

 Rockets, kites, volcanos, arcade games: You name it—you can build it (and then play with it) with an affordable and ultra kid-friendly KiwiCo subscription. 

Every subscription line in the KiwiCo brand is a winner in our book, thanks to the smart and kid-friendly way these subscriptions are put together. With nine different “crates” to choose from, each aimed at different age groups and, for older kids, different interests, KiwiCo is a subscription you’ll want for your kid’s entire childhood. Each one comes with at least one activity that kids will love to play with or work on. Plus, for the crates aimed at older children, each one will come with an activity that kids can, for the most part, assemble and play with on their own.

For young children, KiwiCo offers the Panda crate (for ages 0-24 months), the Koala crate (ages 2-4), and the Kiwi Crate (ages 5-8). These crates follow childhood development milestones and encourage kids to learn new skills. The Kiwi Crate even starts teaching them some STEM principles as it encourages them to build a toy themselves. 

Then for ages 6 and up, KiwiCo offers several themed subscription kits. For example, if your child loves geography, travel, and learning about the world, you might want to opt for the Atlas Crate. This one will have them build their very own spinning globe and learn about different continents and places. Or if your child loves hanging out with you in the kitchen, you can opt for the Yummy crate, which helps teach them how to make their very own meals. The Doodle crate, meanwhile, is aimed specifically at little artists that can’t get enough of crafting (saving you trips to Michael’s). The Tinker, Maker, and Eureka crates, meanwhile, are aimed at older kids that are into STEM and creating things on their own. 

Regardless of what subscription you start with, KiwiCo integrates learning and playtime into all its crates. Prices start at $18.50 per box with the plans aimed at younger children and go as high as $32.95 for the more advanced crates. There are also prepaid plans available to save you money over time.

No more waiting around for a subscription to arrive only to find your child isn’t interested in that month’s selection. With this service, you pick the toys you want and either keep them or send them back when you’re done.

Nobody likes buying a toy only to watch their child play with it for five minutes and then never pick it up again. With Green Piñata, you’ll never have to risk finding a brand-new purchase in your child’s toy wasteland again: This rental service lets you choose the toys for them to try out at home and decide what to do after they've played with them.

Similar to borrowing books from the library, as a Green Piñata subscriber you can choose from a catalog of toys appropriate for ages 6 months to 5 years, receive four of them shipped to your door, and use them for as long as you want (there’s no time limit on sending the toys back). You can either then send all the toys back for a new shipment and/or purchase the ones you want to keep for 10% off the manufacturer’s list price. 

Green Piñata says all of the toys in its catalog are meant to be both educational and stimulating, so you’re not likely to get any toys that just make noise for no reason. For about $30 per month, you can request, play with, and exchange toys on your own customizable schedule, guaranteeing that any toys you buy are ones you already know your child loves.

Science isn’t boring when you can use it to create liquid sand, cannons, robotic hands, and electric boats. MEL Kids will stimulate your kids.

Unless your child is a Bill Nye the Science Guy in training, STEM activities can feel daunting: Chemistry, physics, math, and engineering are involved, which can be fun topics for kids to explore and expand upon but maybe not in your wheelhouse as a parent.

That will change with the MEL Kids subscription, which uses science experiments to make your child into a full-on "science kid." Using kid-friendly toys like boats, cannons, and rockets, your child will learn about hydraulics, electricity, projectiles, optical illusions, and more. The concept is similar to Kiwi Crate, but the activities are a little more science-focused and challenging.

MEL Kids is delivered monthly for about $30, with prepaid plan options available. Their projects are all tested for safety, and none of them include explosives—they’re meant to be used by kids, not adults, so in theory, your child should be able to explore all on their own.

Designed to match up with your child’s micro-stages of development, you can’t beat Lovevery’s carefully curated boxes for each age and stage. 

The creators of Lovevery know exactly what your baby, toddler, or preschooler needs at their current stage of life. They’ve founded their subscription service with the help of child development experts, ensuring your child will get the perfect toys for the specific stage they’re going through.

With subscriptions for babies under 12 months and kids ages one, two, and three, Lovevery’s Play Kits target the skills your child is learning based on a breakdown of micro-stages of development. So whether your baby is learning that some things are hard and some or soft, your toddler is boosting language skills, or your preschooler is turning into quite the storyteller, there's a Lovevery box for you.

We love this subscription for babies, though, because the toys in each kit are made with natural wooden and organic cotton materials, making them safe and long-lasting. (And just because your child loves a toy as a baby doesn’t mean they won’t still want to play with it when they’re a toddler.)

Your baby will also get plenty of time to experiment and engage with their new toys; Lovevery ships every two or three months, depending on your child’s age, but your monthly cost will break down to $30 or $40 per box.

Whether your child is a fan of the Sago Mini apps or not, they’ll love getting three opportunities for exploratory and role-playing learning featuring the Sago Mini friends.

Toddlers love to put themselves in other people’s shoes, which makes the Sago Mini Box so much fun for kids in the 3 to 5 age group. With monthly themes like farmer’s market, airplane, and pet shop, your child will be sent a new role-playing activity involving their new Sago Mini friends encouraging them to explore the world outside their home.

That’s not all you get in the Sago Mini Box, though: There are also crafts, games, and learning prompts, making it the perfect combination of activities for busy little hands and minds. You'll receive three separate but related activities in each box.

We also like how the Sago Mini Box keeps waste reduction in mind; all products are made with recyclable materials, and you can turn even the shipping box itself into a prop for that month’s activities (like an airport or drama stage). At $19 per month, this box is an affordable mix of stuff your toddler will love; just keep in mind that you have to pay $4 shipping for each delivery.

Some subscriptions should just be for fun, and Toy Box Monthly has fun in spades. Whatever characters your child loves, they’ll never run out of toys to add to their collection. 

Be honest: Your kid’s bedroom is basically one large display for all of their precious trinkets and toys. There’s something about being a child that comes with a strong desire to collect things—and Toy Box Monthly is one of the best ways to keep them happy with a steady influx of collector-worthy toys.

Focused on the characters kids know and love, Toy Box Monthly sends four to six new toys to your child every month designed to fit right in with their existing collections. You can choose themed boxes like Marvel superheroes, LEGO, and Star Wars, Disney, and My Little Pony. But we love that there’s also a mixed option, so if your child’s interests are far-reaching or you have siblings sharing a subscription, you’ll get a combination of themed toys.

The toys here teach kids teamwork, cooperation, and problem-solving skills, among others. Plus, at about $30 per month, it's a cost-effective way to grow your little one's toy collection.

Get your entire family off their individual screens and around the kitchen table for game night with this tried-and-true subscription to the best board games around. 

On the surface, this subscription doesn’t seem like it offers much—a board game once every month or three. But you’re paying for the expertise of some serious board game fanatics who are not only keeping their fingers on the pulse of what’s new and exciting in the board game world but are filtering out all the stuff that isn’t.

If you’ve ever wasted a family game night on a board game that was too hard to figure out, too long to finish, or too uninteresting to even continue, those days are over with a subscription to UnboxBoardom. Choose from three plans—monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly—and decide whether you want to pick the new game yourself or let the experts at UnboxBoardom choose for you.

Many of the company's games are relatively new, meaning they’re not easy to find in stores, but all of them are worth about $35, so you can rest assured that your subscription fee is matched with the value of your items.

UnboxBoardom says all of its games are appropriate for families, so this is a solid subscription for both older siblings and families to play together. You can pay as you go monthly for about $34 per game plus roughly $5 shipping, or select an annual prepay option that saves you a few dollars per game and includes free shipping.

If your family enjoys working on a puzzle on the coffee table, this subscription is for you because you’ll receive a selection of puzzles every six to 12 months of various difficulties and sizes.

If you’re one of those families that loves to gather around the coffee table and work on a jigsaw puzzle, then this is the subscription for you. You can choose from six different plans featuring different billing cadences and puzzle sizes, then you’ll receive one new puzzle a month to work on (alone or as a family).

With puzzles as small as 750 pieces and as big as 2000 pizes, you can choose your difficulty (and always change if you’re finding it too easy). The puzzles are also high quality: they’re printed on recycled, durable graphic boards and feature vibrant images. The biggest drawback to this subscription is that you have to commit to at least a six-month subscription, which may not be what you’re ready to sign up for.

Created by a kid for kids, Brick Loot is the ultimate subscription for children that love LEGOs. Each box includes kids created by popular LEGO designers, with some exclusive builds too.

The subscription was created in 2013 by a nine-year-old (who used to review LEGO toys on YouTube since he was four) and it has remained popular ever since. Each month, your child will receive LEGO and LEGO-compatible building kits, some of which are exclusive to Brick Loot. Boxes also come with fun accessories, such as mini figures, LED brick lights, pencil cases, and more. 

Month-to-month subscriptions begin at $27.28, but you can save if you commit to a six or twelve-month subscription. The company ships to Canada and internationally too. Just be aware that the price of shipping is not included (and begins at $6 for domestic shipping).

Designed specifically for children with autism, this subscription plan includes a variety of sensory toys and tools for kids and caregivers. It also includes a pamphlet for parents or guardians to help understand how each item is beneficial for their child.

If your child is autistic and you’re not sure what toys they’d like best, this subscription might be what you’re looking for, as it was developed specifically for neurodivergent children. The company was founded by an occupational therapist so each month you’ll receive five to eight toys and other sensory items that help your child develop motor skills, focus, and regulate their emotions. Each box also comes with a pamphlet for caregivers to help explain why the item was included, how it can be used, and how it can help their child.

The company also offers a line for older kids (teens and adults) if your child outgrows this box. You cannot customize your box (i.e. select specific items you want), nor do you know ahead of time what will be included. However, there is an option to order just one box without committing to a recurring monthly subscription if you self the “gift a box” option at checkout.