KiwiCo provides monthly at-home “crates”, or maker kits, that provide hands-on learning activities for kids and adolescents. Their goal is to “help kids think big and act like creators and producers instead of just consumers”, through hands-on projects. The crates are designed to help kids’ problem solving skills and “creative confidence.” The Tinker crates are a series of kits designed for children ages 9 to 14. The focus of these kits is to teach children about STEM learning, to “develop and inspire the next generation of innovators”. Some examples of projects that can be built within the Tinker line include a hydraulic claw, a trebuchet, a walking robot and bottle rocket. The kits are a subscription service that arrive monthly in the mail. The crates come in small pieces that include laser printed wood, small motors and wires, and plastic and foam pieces. They also come with a small instruction manual and a “Tinker Zine”, a small paperback magazine with relevant stories and articles connecting the topic of the crate to real-world phenomena. 
 
In spring 2022, my partner and I conducted a detailed analysis of the motivational principles present in KiwiCo STEM kits as part of a project for a course at Harvard. We worked to identify strengths and areas of improvement for these popular maker kits by conducting user testing with children and referencing relevant research. We drew from many theories of motivation, most notably, from Ryan and Deci's (2000) Self-Determination Theory.​

We summarized our research and detailed analysis of two Tinker crates in a final report, and redesigned components of the kits. See the new video instructions for extension activities I designed below.