Do Kids’ Cooking Subscription Boxes Come With Food?

It depends on the company. Some of them will come with premeasured dry ingredients, which makes things move a bit faster once you receive the kit; it’s helpful because kids are sometimes impatient. Other kits, however, arrive with just the recipes and a shopping list, though some companies will send you a list ahead of time.

Are Kids’ Subscription Boxes Customizable?

In general, most of them are not. You’re signing up for the themes, ideas, or focus of a specific company’s approach, which often means you receive what is coming. However, many of them allow you to skip a month.

Are Kids’ Subscription Boxes Good for All Ages?

Many subscription boxes we feature here are ideal for kids 4 to 14; some skew a little younger, as in Baketivity, which is great for toddlers. But all of them have kids in mind and at heart, so that means there will be elements of recipes that will require adult help and supervision for some younger children.

What Is Included in a Kids’ Cooking Subscription Boxes?

Most of these kids’ cooking subscription boxes come with a shopping list, one to three recipes, activities, stickers, educational materials, and a high-quality kitchen tool geared toward kids. Some of these kits include ingredients, too. eat2explore’s approach is worldly, so it sends spices that might otherwise be hard to find, and Little GF Chefs contains premeasured dry ingredients because sourcing allergen-free items can sometimes be challenging.

8 Best Kids’ Cooking Subscription Boxes of 2023

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Getting kids interested in cooking is fun for parents, but it can also be tricky. What is appropriate for a young child might be too easy for a tween or teenager. But cooking is an excellent opportunity for kids to learn basic life skills, develop a sense of pride and accomplishment, and interact with the rest of the family, too. And then there’s the fun part: eating whatever you cook.

You might not know where to start, and that’s where kids’ cooking subscription boxes come into play. These are great for getting kids involved in the process and seeing the effort involved in making a meal. Most of these kits arrive monthly via subscriptions that can be easily canceled or skipped ahead of time. Many companies steeply discount if you prepay for them in three-, six-, or 12-month increments. Whatever you choose, there’s never been a better time to take out your pots and pans and get inspired by this list of the best kids’ cooking subscription boxes.

Best Kids’ Cooking Subscription Boxes of 2023

Best for Learning the Basics: KiwiCo Yummy Crate
Best for Tweens: Little Sous
Best for Toddlers: Baketivity
Best for International Flavors: eat2explore
Best Themed Box: Raddish Kids
Best for Picky Eaters: Kidstir
Best for Young Scientists: I’m The Chef Too!
Best Allergy-Friendly: Little GF Chefs

Best for Learning the Basics: KiwiCo Yummy Crate

Key Specs

Starting Price: $19 per month
Ingredients Included: No
Dietary Modifications Available: No

Why You Should Try It

KiwiCo’s boxes place a strong emphasis on learning to cook; each box contains recipes, tools, tips, and STEAM projects for kids ages 6 to 14.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Inexpensive
Educational
Free shipping

Cons

No ingredients included
Only one plan for cooking

Overview

If you want to maximize learning the science behind cooking in a way that’s accessible to kids ages 6 to 14, KiwiCo offers the Yummy Crate, which focuses on just that. Each box offers a different theme: A past cooking box focused on the Maillard reaction––the magic of browning––and used hamburgers, crispy chicken tenders, and smashed potatoes as examples. The only bummer? The boxes don’t include the ingredients, so you still have to shop for those. The boxes do include recipes, educational materials and activities, and necessary tools.

Pricing and Plans

Yummy Crate, from $19 per month.

Best for Tweens: Little Sous

Key Specs

Starting Price: $25 per month
Ingredients Included: No
Dietary Modifications Available: Yes, but limited

Why You Should Try It

Kids age 5 and up can benefit from the Kitchen Academy kits offered by Little Sous with adult assistance, but those older than 8 will get the most out of these thoughtfully crafted cooking experiences.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Boxes promise 6 to 8 hours of kitchen activities
High-quality kitchen tool included in every box
Can also shop for single boxes

Cons

No ingredients included
No shopping list included

Overview

The recipes included in the Little Sous Kitchen Academy subscription “lesson boxes” are a little more sophisticated but still accessible to kids. Imagine learning to make ricotta cheese, which herbs go well with certain foods, or even just how to make a great batch of pancakes with your kids.

Subscriptions include cooking lessons and activities. Kids 8 and up should have no trouble completing most recipes or lessons independently, which helps them develop autonomy in the kitchen and a sense of accomplishment.

The subscriptions ship once a month and auto-renew, but you can easily cancel or skip a month. Shipping is free, which is always a nice perk. The company also offers a few themed single-box purchases such as “It’s Alive! A Cooking Box for Science Lovers,” and another called “One Smart Cookie,” which features gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free recipes.

Pricing and Plans

1-month subscription: $25 auto-renews
6-month subscription: $135, prepaid
12-month subscription: $240, prepaid

Best for Toddlers: Baketivity

Key Specs

Starting Price: $35 per month
Ingredients Included: Yes
Dietary Modifications Available: Yes

Why You Should Try It

Parents who want to expose their toddlers to food prep can choose from either the baking or cooking club from Baketivity. All kits come with premeasured dry ingredients, easy directions, and a fun activity.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Kid-friendly recipes
Colorful, helpful illustrations
Gluten-free kits available

Cons

Kits are not nut-free
Need to choose baking or cooking kit; cannot alternate

Baketivity is geared toward kids ages 4 through 10, but we especially like this kit for toddlers. Each one comes with step-by-step instructions for three recipes. Seasonal offerings pop up around the holidays, which keeps things engaging for kids, and shipping is free.

We also like Baketivity because you can buy other useful supplies, such as a kid-safe knife set, baking kit, or pans. Other fun options include themed kits, such as one that teaches children how to make their own dog treats. Kids receive a chef hat and apron, along with monthly achievement stickers so they can celebrate their progress.

Pricing and Plans

One-time purchases vary in price, starting from $29.95 for a cake pop kit, for example, or $46 for a kids’ birthday cake kit. Subscriptions are also available and make good gifts, too.

Baking Kits:

Month to month: $35
3-month subscription: $99 ($33 per month)
6-month subscription: $185 ($31 per month)
12-month subscription: $347 ($29 per month)

Cooking Kits:

1-month: $22 per month (auto-renew)
3-month subscription: $63 ($21 per month)
6-month subscription: $114 ($19 per month)
12-month subscription: $215 ($18 per month)

Best for International Flavors: eat2explore

Key Specs

Starting Price: $35 per month
Ingredients Included: Some, yes
Dietary Modifications Available: Yes

Why You Should Try It

Eat2explore offers kids the opportunity to explore the world through food, and brings the hard-to-find ingredients to you in every kit.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Culturally diverse offerings
Hard-to-find spices and ingredients are included
Vegetarian and gluten-free plans available

Cons

You can’t choose what country you receive
You may get repeat countries/destinations

Overview

Every month, eat2explore sends a kit with three recipes from one country (you’re helpfully notified ahead of time), along with hard-to-source spices or sauce mixes. The kit includes a shopping list for the remaining ingredients, an activity sheet, a flag pin, and a useful and fun cooking tool for kids. (Fun fact: The first box arrives with a passport.)

Kids age 5 and up can complete the recipes with help, and teenagers should have no trouble completing the recipes themselves. We like how kids are exposed to the entire world through eat2explore’s offerings and that the ingredients are organic whenever possible.

Pricing and Plans

You can choose a standard/regular box or between two diets these kits accommodate: gluten-free and vegetarian. You can also do something a little different if you don’t want a subscription and can opt for single boxes or bundles; the latter is organized by continents, regions, and countries. It’s hard to be bored.

Monthly: $35 (auto-renews)
3-month subscription: $100 ($33 per box)
6-month subscription: $187 ($31 per box)
12-month subscription: $351 ($29 per box)

Best Themed Box: Raddish Kids

Raddish Kids

Key Specs

Starting Price: $24 per month
Ingredients Included: No
Dietary Modifications Available: Yes

Why You Should Try It

A themed educational approach to cooking makes Raddish Kids different (it was started by a former schoolteacher) as each box incorporates math, science, history, and other elements through themed monthly boxes.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Kits ship quickly and for free after ordering
Shopping list is emailed to you ahead of time
Digital access to recipes and other materials online

Cons

Need to buy the ingredients
No three-month prepaid plan

Overview

Raddish Kids offers a monthly cooking club kit that includes three illustrated recipes and three culinary skill lessons, a helpful, high-quality kitchen tool, and a creative kitchen project designed to educate. The recipe cards are laminated, which is very helpful when dealing with sticky fingers. Choose among cooking, baking (two recipes), or global eats (three recipes).

Each month’s recipes have a theme, making them extra appealing to kids. In the past, Raddish Kids has featured boxes like the winter-themed “Snowed In” with alpine pancakes (with a cookie cutter), cozy chicken and dumplings, and chocolate snowball cookies. Dietary modifications are offered; the website provides some recipe adjustments to accommodate some common food sensitivities.

Pricing and Plans

Cooking, Baking, and Global Eats plans are available. Six or 12-month prepaid subscriptions also come with an apron for your child. You can cancel them at any time. It’s also possible to buy single kits if you want to try out its offerings ahead of time; selections have included countries such as Morocco and Germany or specific themes such as s’mores, sushi maki, or spring picnics.

Monthly: $28 (auto-renews)
6-month subscription: $156 ($26 per month)
12-month subscription: $287 ($24 per month)

Best for Picky Eaters: Kidstir

Kidstir

Key Specs

Starting Price: $24 per month
Ingredients Included: No
Dietary Modifications Available: Yes

Why You Should Try It

Kidstir knows how to invite kids into the cooking process so they feel empowered by what they’re making with an array of creatively plated dishes.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Themed lessons
Dietary needs accommodated
Ships to U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia

Cons

No ingredients included
Lessons are geared toward younger kids

Overview

There are a few distinguishing features of Kidstir, and the most singular is the fact that the creations are visually appealing for kids. It’s said we eat with our eyes first, and kids can get excited about creating recipes that look fun and are therefore more inviting to eat. Grilled Cheese-o-Saurus, anyone?

Like many of these other kits, kids get recipes (three of them), a kitchen tool, stickers, activity suggestions, and a magazine. But they also receive a STEM project, and extensive community support is appealing to families but especially helpful for homeschoolers (there’s a Facebook group and homeschool materials). Kids can even build a cookbook if they want.

There’s free shipping on all kits in the U.S.; if you live in Canada, the U.K., or Australia, shipping is just $7.

Pricing and Plans

Choose the auto-renew monthly option or get discounts for buying a three-, six-, or 12-month subscription at once.

Monthly: $24
3-month subscription: $72 ($24 per month)
6-month subscription: $132 ($22 per month)
12-month subscription: $240 ($20 per month)

Best for Young Scientists: I’m the Chef Too!

Key Specs

Starting Price: $37 per month
Ingredients Included: Yes, dry ingredients
Dietary Modifications Available: No

Why You Should Try It

For fun science-themed projects, it’s hard to resist the appeal of the kits from I’m The Chef Too!, which arrive with a recipe card, a STEM activity, a shopping list, and premeasured ingredients.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Dry ingredients included
Kits do not repeat
Good for ages 4 to 14

Cons

More expensive
Prepaid monthly and annual memberships are not refundable
Shipments don’t arrive until the subsequent month

Overview

Every month you receive a recipe card, activity guide, STEM-themed project suggestions, and a shopping list, along with any specialty supplies and premeasured dry ingredients. Themes change throughout the year, and it’s not likely you’ll see repeats. If you’re not into a subscription or you’re not ready to commit, you can order one kit at a time or opt for one of the bundles, which are themed accordingly: The Traveler, The Adventurer, and The Explorer, all priced from $115 up to $250. The company also offers a rewards program called The Chef’s Club to earn 5% cash back with every order, which you can apply to your subscription or a one-time purchase.

Pricing and Plans

If you’re unsure if you want a subscription, you can buy a single kit starting from $36.95. Typically you’ll be able to choose from some past kits like Pancake Pets, Cupcake Geodes, and Pharaoh's Tomb Rice Krispie Treats. Otherwise, standard subscription rates are as follows:

Monthly: $37 (auto-renews)
3-month subscription: $99 ($33 per month)
6-month subscription: $186 ($31 per month)
12-month subscription: $347 ($29 per month)

Best Allergy-Friendly: Little GF Chefs

Key Specs

Starting Price: $40 per month
Ingredients Included: Yes, dry ingredients
Dietary Modifications Available: Yes

Why You Should Try It

Little GF Chefs is a huge help for parents and kids who need gluten-free cooking kits that also happen to be free of all other major allergens, including eggs, soy, nuts, and dairy.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Kits ship quickly and for free
Digital access to recipes and other materials online
Recipes are free of nuts, dairy, gluten, soy, and eggs

Cons

More expensive
Only baking kits are available

Overview

Kids who can’t eat gluten or have other major allergies will love these kits, which promise delicious baked goods such as rainbow pop tarts, soft pretzel bites, unicorn donuts, and other sweets. All dry ingredients are included, which takes a lot of guesswork out of the process and makes it easier to start immediately.

The kits are a bit more expensive than other subscriptions on this list, but allergen-free ingredients tend to cost more. The only other downside is that the company only offers baking kits, not cooking ones.

Pricing and Plans

You can purchase a one-time kit (starting from $35) to test it out before committing to a subscription. The company also selects four-pack kits of popular mixes, such as pizza, donuts, breadsticks, and sugar cookies, from $35.96, which you can purchase anytime.

Monthly (auto-renews): $40
3-month subscription: $110
6-month subscription: $220
12-month subscription: $439

Final Thoughts

There are so many cooking subscription boxes for kids, and we put together a list that reflects a variety of needs and interests. If your child is just starting with cooking, we like KiwiCo Yummy Crate as a primer. Other companies are best suited for specific age groups (toddlers, tweens, etc.) or for putting forth a rotating theme or an approach, such as the international flair offered by eat2explore. There’s truly something for everyone with these cooking subscription boxes for kids.

Compare the Best Kids’ Cooking Subscription Boxes

Company	Starting Price	Ingredients Included	Dietary Modifications Available	Free Shipping?	Gift Options?
KiwiCo Yummy Crate Best for Learning the Basics	$19 per month	No	No	Yes	Yes
Little Sous Best For Tweens	$25 per month	No	Yes, but limited	Yes	Yes
Baketivity Best for Toddlers	$35 per month	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
eat2explore Best for International Flavors	$35 per month	Some, yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Raddish Kids Best Themed Box	$24 per month	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kidstir Best for Picky Eaters	$24 per month	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
I’m the Chef Too! Best for Young Scientists	$37 per month	Yes, dry ingredients	No	Yes	Yes
Little GF Chefs Best Allergy-Friendly	$40 per month	Yes, dry ingredients	Yes	Yes, on all non-subscription orders over $100	Yes

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Kids’ Cooking Subscription Boxes Come With Food?

It depends on the company. Some of them will come with premeasured dry ingredients, which makes things move a bit faster once you receive the kit; it’s helpful because kids are sometimes impatient. Other kits, however, arrive with just the recipes and a shopping list, though some companies will send you a list ahead of time.
Are Kids’ Subscription Boxes Customizable?

In general, most of them are not. You’re signing up for the themes, ideas, or focus of a specific company’s approach, which often means you receive what is coming. However, many of them allow you to skip a month.
Are Kids’ Subscription Boxes Good for All Ages?

Many subscription boxes we feature here are ideal for kids 4 to 14; some skew a little younger, as in Baketivity, which is great for toddlers. But all of them have kids in mind and at heart, so that means there will be elements of recipes that will require adult help and supervision for some younger children.
What Is Included in a Kids’ Cooking Subscription Boxes?

Most of these kids’ cooking subscription boxes come with a shopping list, one to three recipes, activities, stickers, educational materials, and a high-quality kitchen tool geared toward kids. Some of these kits include ingredients, too. eat2explore’s approach is worldly, so it sends spices that might otherwise be hard to find, and Little GF Chefs contains premeasured dry ingredients because sourcing allergen-free items can sometimes be challenging.

Methodology

When considering the best kids’ cooking subscription boxes, testers wanted to look at the value, what was included in each, and what approach each company took. Other distinguishing factors included educational value (in particular, if supplementary materials were online or provided in the box itself). And, of course, transparency about shipping, returns, and FAQ pages was important, too, along with ease of contacting customer service. Parents testers looked at several dozen companies before settling upon this list of best kids’ cooking subscriptions.

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