Surprise Ride

Moved.The old site now redirects to fatbraintoys.com.

What's in the box: A typical box held a themed hands-on project such as a craft, building or science activity, plus a related book or reading material.

Surprise Ride is no longer running as a subscription box, and its website now sends visitors to Fat Brain Toys, an online educational toy store. When it was active, Surprise Ride shipped a monthly box to children, mostly of elementary school age. Each box was built around one theme, such as a science topic, a historical subject or a craft, and gave kids a hands-on project to build or make. Boxes usually came with a related book or reading material, so the activity was tied to something kids could learn about along the way. The idea was to give families a screen-free project each month that kids could mostly finish on their own or with a little help from an adult. Parents tended to like the variety and the educational angle. The usual drawbacks of activity boxes applied too: some projects were quick to finish, and how much a box was worth to you depended on how much your child liked that month's theme. Today there is no Surprise Ride subscription to buy. The Fat Brain Toys site sells individual toys, games and STEM products, not the old monthly box. If you want a recurring kids activity subscription, look at services that are currently operating, and leave Surprise Ride off your list.