Review: The School Readiness Box by Panda Post

Panda Post was started because of a passion to empower parents and caregivers to help them make learning easy and fun for children.  Started by a teacher who understands the importance of learning through play-based activities - Nina provides themed boxes of carefully curated items to help your child reach their full potential and have fun at the same time.

The latest box to launch, The School Readiness box was a huge hit in our house.  It has been put together to guide you, as a parent, for your child's big leap of Grade R to big school by helping them with the necessary skills to help them cope with the academic demands of Grade 1.  It helps you to boost your child's  pre-reading, pre-writing, early numeracy, gross motor and emotional development.

Reading through the Guide Book was super helpful and helped me understand the importance of these simple yet essential activities that will really help kids to be ready for school and give them that confidence boost.

Harry (3) joined in on the fun too and loved taking part.  The boxes are aimed at ages 4-6 years old but most of these activities can be made appropriate for younger kiddos.

Included in the box is:

• A4 Sketch Pad
• Tripd Grip Junior Pencil
• Junior Scissors
• Glue
• UNO
• Alphabet Puzzle
• Follow the Dots
• Wooden counting sticks
• Set of Wooden Dominoes
• Cutting activities 

We tried out each activity and had a lot of fun!  It was also a good way for me to spend some quality time with the boys - which I feel I don't do enough of recently.  Jack loved copying the tracing patterns while the cutting and gluing was a firm favourite for Harry.  The guidebook gave me ideas of what each activity could be used for and I also made up a few things too.

For example, after we lined up the sticks to practise counting, Jack then made different shapes with them as well as made a little man figure.  It is so wonderful to see him using his imagination - I often find that with a bit of guidance at the beginning allows Jack to then go off and make up his own game with the same items.

I was so chuffed when Jack sounded out each letter and matched it up to the relating item when doing the alphabet puzzle - something he has obviously been practising in class in Pre-R.

The biggest thing for me about this School Readiness box is the ease of having it delivered and it all being organised and curated for you.  The guidebook gives me ideas and understanding and it is an easy activity to do with the boys when we need something to keep us busy in the afternoons or on a rainy weekend PLUS we are learning!  Its a win-win.

Learning through play is vital at this young age - and I thoroughly enjoyed myself as well - seeing my boys learning and watching them grow is something I am so grateful for.

Follow Nina on Instagram - @pandapostlearning for loads of inspirational tips for learning through play, new products and a host of services that Nina offers!

Panda Post are offering my readers 15% off The School Readiness box until the end of February!  Just use the code GATHEREDBYCLAIRE on their website and grab yourself a box and get involved with your kids learning and have fun at the same time.