Even in this digital age, receiving something in the mail still feels magical. Kids love seeing their names on letters, magazines and especially packages! Maybe because it is so rare these days, they are excited to see what surprise awaits inside, so the subscription box trend seems tailor-made for kids. When we saw the subscription boxes from Pley had been selected as one of the Forbes’ Best Subscription Boxes For Kids of All Ages in Nov 2017, we were super-excited to try it out and see if it lived up to our expectations.
First off, there are a few different Pleyboxes available, but we chose the Disney Princess Pleybox since our 4 1/2 year old son is kind of going through a princess phase (it’s lasted a couple of years now, the neighbors still talk about his incredible mash-up Princess Elsa/Batman costume for Halloween, which was, of course, accessorized by a lightsaber. The kid knows what he likes!). This Pleybox is targeted to kids ages 4-9 and each box has up to 6 official Disney Princess toys, activities or fashion accessories.
The box arrived with a few scrapes from delivery process, and I was a little concerned that the contents or play scene would be damaged. All the items inside the box were really well packaged and nothing was damaged. The Cinderella box we received contained:
T-Shirt
Hobo Purse
Pillowcase
Tin Money Bank
Light-Up Yo-yo
A box that turns into Cinderella’s Castle
Activity magazine
We loved the items in this box. The Yo-yo was a little bit more advanced than my son could manage, but he loved the other items. The Money Bank was a big hit and the Activity magazine kept him engaged for quite a while. I inadvertently ordered the wrong size T-shirt, so definitely need to get that right in the next box!
One of the most unique elements of this Pleybox is that the shipping box itself can be transformed into a castle and added into your child’s play story. It was pretty intuitive to put together, but the instructions are in the Activity magazine if you need a little assistance.
Shipping box transforms into Cinderella’s Castle!
I’d definitely love to get another of these Pleyboxes for my son. I might be interested in trying the other Pleyboxes, including the HotWheels and National Geographic Kids Pleyboxes. I think these are a great idea for birthday or other special occasion gifts for a grandchild or other loved one.
Being a subscription service, there are some terms that are good to understand. New boxes are released every other month, with the most recent release in May. You can place an order (while supplies last) until the 7th of the month following the release (e.g. this time, cutoff for orders is June 7). It is good to order early if you have your heart set on something particular, as the Pleyboxes are run in limited quantities. All boxes are shipped while quantities last, including past boxes are now available to purchase separately via the online Pleyshop.
Of course, any time you sign up for a new subscription, you should also be clear on the billing and return policy. If you sign up for multiple months subscription from Pley, you are billed for the full subscription upfront. Pleybox gifts cannot be canceled, refunded or transferred after purchase, but you can ‘take a breather’ if you need to pause your shipments and skip a box.
All in all, I think this subscription box was a lot of fun. My son wants to color the castle next and will be digging out all his Disney figures over the weekend to make a show for Grandma. We are both looking forward to enjoying all the treats in this Pleybox for hours to come!
Product received from Pley, thank you for supplying us with a product for this review, all opinions are our own.
