Frequently Asked Questions

Outside the Box Creation is different than other art kit boxes in a couple of ways:

• The most common feedback we get on all of our products is how thoughtfully the boxes are put together! We include almost everything you need so you don’t have to waste time looking for supplies! We do assume that most families have a pair of scissors and a regular pencil. If not, we offer an optional Basics Pack that you can purchase for $9 when you subscribe.
• Each Kids’ Box contains a picture book to read that ties in some way with the lesson/project – this provides inspiration, a literature tie in, and some context.
•  Each regular size box contains enough to serve 2 children & each large family size contains supplies for up to 4! We do assume that some supplies can be shared – we put much thought into which supplies it makes sense to share and which it doesn’t.
• We use quality art supplies and often, you will have supplies left over to keep using!
• We also try to give enough structure for everyone to feel successful, but we don’t tell you or your child exactly how to do your artwork because you are the artist and we want you to have permission (& encouragement) to be creative!

Nope, you do not need to have prior art experience or artistic talent. We believe it can be awesome to discover the project along with your children – that way, they won’t feel like they have to make their art look just like yours and you won’t feel pressure to be the art expert!

Unfortunately no, all subscriptions get the box of the month. (Although we do reserve the right to send a different box your first month if we run out of the current month’s box.) However, if an upcoming box is something you do not want your child to have, for any reason, just email us, and we will gladly substitute one of our stocked boxes for you or you can skip a month!

We plan the boxes to cover many different elements/principles of art and different mediums so that over the course of your subscription, your child will experience many different art elements & mediums! You can find the schedule of upcoming boxes here, although please note that we sometimes have to change the projects because of supply availability and other issues that arise. If you are already a subscriber, we have a private Facebook Group where we share upcoming boxes and additional tips & techniques. If you purchase one of our individual stock boxes: Texture Adventure Box, Museum Trip, or Try It Positive & Negative Space, then you will receive the boxes you ordered.

The only supplies we assume you have are a pair of scissors and a regular pencil. If you don’t, there is an optional Basics Pack that you can purchase for $9 when you subscribe!

We ship on the monthly kids subscription boxes on 7th of every month (or very near – depending on weekends & holidays). You must subscribe by the 4th of the month to be included in the monthly shipment! Subscriptions placed after that will be in the following month’s shipment, however, if you purchase a pre-paid subscription and we have boxes left after our main shipment, we will send you the current month’s box within a couple of days. If you purchase a month to month subscription and we have boxes available, we will reach out to you and see if you want a box right away because we will have to move up your renewal date so that you are charged again right before we ship the next month’s box. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email us.

Delivery times vary. Right now, during the COVID 19 pandemic, we are  experiencing some longer shipping times than normal .

One time purchases & pre-paid subscriptions are billed at the time of sale. Month to month subscriptions re-bill once per month around the anniversary of your sign-up date. We say “around the date” because it can be tricky. Sometimes we have to move your re-bill date so that you are not billed for your next  box before you receive the first one or so that you haven’t received 2 and only been charged for 1. If you EVER have any concerns about this, please contact us at info@outsidetheboxcreation.com or 425-616-3750. We try our absolute best to do this right, but once in a while we may mess up!

Although we hope that you will love it and never want to cancel, month to month subscriptions can be canceled at any time. If you cancel after the 15th of the month, you will still have that last box coming.

We do our absolute best to make sure that all the products in our Kids’ Boxes are safe for children, however, Outside the Box Creation projects should always be done with adult supervision & supplies should be used as per manufacturer’s instructions only. Children should never be left unattended with art supplies.

No, we stock 3 of our most popular boxes and occasionally will do specials if we have excess inventory of any other specific boxes. These individual boxes are a good way to try the product and decide if you would like to subscribe. You can also purchase prepaid 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions that do not automatically renew when that term is up so that you don’t have to remember to cancel and you can skip a month or suspend your subscription if you need to take a break.

All of our boxes come with enough supplies for up to 2 children. If you have a second child who is younger but wants to participate, we suggest you read the book together and let her/him work with the art medium without worrying too much about the actual project. We do assume that most families have a pair of scissors & a regular pencil, if not, we offer an optional Basics Pack that you can purchase when you subscribe.

If you have more than 2 children or want to do the box as a family, we offer a large family size option that accommodates up to 4 people. *This does assume a little bit of sharing of supplies. We think deeply about which supplies each child needs and which ones could be shared to balance the cost of the product to you and the ecological impacts.

The Kids’ Boxes are designed for age 5 – 11. However, we have many middle school age customers who love the boxes as well as families who have kids ranging in age from 5 to 17.

The younger the child is, the more an adult will need to be involved. If your child is a timid artist or if you have a second child who is younger but wants to participate, we suggest you read the book together and let her/him work with the art medium without worrying too much about the actual project. If your child is older than elementary school and you think he/she may be offended by having a picture book in the box, you can opt out of the book when you subscribe.

We offer a flat $9.99 on all boxes. For subscriptions, the shipping is $9.99 per month. They ship USPS Priority or UPS SurePost depending on the destination. The actual cost to ship is usually greater than $9.99, but we pay the rest.

We are an approved vendor with quite a few virtual online schools. You can find the updated list on the homeschool page of this website. If we aren’t an approved vendor for your school, you can request us. There is a sample vendor request form for that on the homeschool page also.

Yes! Many of our homeschool subscribers get 3 or 4 weekly lessons out of one of our monthly boxes. You might read the book one week, do the main project the next week, do the “if you want more” project the third week, and possibly research the element of art or the featured artist (if there is one) the fourth week. Also, if you join our private Facebook Group for subscribers you’ll have access to some video tutorials and other suggestions for taking the lesson further.