Subscription box keeps kids entertained and educated during COVID-19

LOS ANGELES -- A mom in Southern California has found a way to keep small kids not only amused but also educated during the coronavirus pandemic.

Tinkering Toddler Crates is a monthly subscription activity box designed for children ages three to five-years-old.

"Each month, it's a different theme and they're all designed to help children meet their developmental milestones," said founder Lisa Prins.

When Prins' five-year-old son, Jackson, was born premature, she developed activities to help him meet his developmental milestones.

"I ended up forming a little playgroup here in Long Beach," Prins said. "That kind of morphed into this idea of being able to share my ideas with a larger audience, packaging them up and mailing them out to other families across the U.S." Prins worked as an educator for eight years before launching her business in 2017.

"I saw kids that were severely behind academically," Prins said. "I saw what they needed. Those foundational skills that they didn't have that, had they started when they were in early childhood education, they would have been doing a lot better academically in school later on."

The monthly subscription box includes step-by-step instructions and materials for three hands-on activities.

"Especially during this time when everyone is social distancing and stay away from stores, this is the perfect crate because everything comes supplied in the box," Long Beach mom and customer Monique Muro said.

A subscription to Tinkering Toddler Crates costs around $30 per month. For more information, visit their website.