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The coronavirus outbreak has closed some U.S. schools through the end of the academic year, so if you're a parent who was hoping to get a brief break from your kids before summer break kicks off, you might be SOL.

SEE ALSO: Bored kids at home? Osmo is offering 20% off all coding and starter kits.

Now, we're not here to shame you for plunking your child(ren) down in front of a smartphone or tablet while you try to get some work done — "A pandemic is no time for parents to set sail on some screen-time guilt trip," as Mashable tech writer Sarah Lindenfeld Hall so succinctly put it. But if you're looking for a fun, more hands-on way to entertain them amid social distancing and homeschooling, consider signing them up for a cooking or baking subscription box — that way, they'll get some opportunities to learn more about nutrition, flex their fine motor skills, and develop valuable culinary skills they can carry into adulthood. (Better yet, you'll both have something to look forward to in this weird, liminal time.)

Here are three such kits you can get on sale (or for free) right now:

Founded by a former middle school teacher, Raddish is an educational culinary club for kids ages 4 to 14+ that seeks to "make cooking and sharing a meal fun for the whole family." Themed kits are delivered to subscribers' doorstep once a month, each one containing three recipe guides, three culinary skill lessons, a grocery list, a kitchen tool, monthly collectibles (like an apron patch or conversation-starting cards), and instructions for a kitchen game, craft, or experiment.

Raddish's April kits ship out this week, so now's a great time to sign up: Enter the code ATHOME during checkout to save $15 on a six-month plan (normally $132).

If a sweet tooth runs in your family, the Foodstirs Baker's Club is the subscription box for you: Its organic, sustainably/directly sourced baking kits are low in sugar but high in deliciousness. Geared towards ages 6+, each themed, bimonthly delivery includes non-GMO baking mixes, natural (read: chemical-free) decorations, a recipe card, and supplies like molds, cookie cutters, pastry cups, and popsicle sticks.

Foodstirs is currently running a promotion where you can save 20% on a Baker's Club subscription just by entering the code SWEET at checkout. Choose from a 1-kit subscription (normally $25.99/box) or a 3-kit subscription (normally $25.34/box).

Little Sous aims to help families reconnect in the kitchen while developing kids' palates with its monthly Kitchen Academy subscription boxes, which feature creative cooking projects sprinkled with food science lessons and art. Each themed box ships free and contains a step-by-step cooking tutorial, kid-friendly recipes, activity cards, a ready-to-color poster filled with games and puzzles, stickers, and a kitchen tool or non-perishable ingredient.

Kitchen Academy subscriptions usually start at $22.99 a month, but right now Little Sous is giving away free digital downloads of its "Cheese: The Grate Adventure" kit to "[help] kids and families navigate these challenging times." Click here to claim your box, which comes with a DIY ricotta lesson, four recipes, cheese-themed how-tos, and an interactive coloring poster that teaches kids how to say "cheese" in 16 different languages.





Source: Mashable

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