October's Nerd Block Jr. for Girls

*Complimentary Review Box Provided

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My daughter and I just got to check out the Nerd Block Jr. for first time!  It's geared toward girls between the ages of 6-11 and each month subscribers receive a box filled with toys, games, and collectibles from some of their favorite brands for $13.99 a month + shipping.  That sounded pretty cool to us & we couldn't wait to check it out.

Parents can choose between a boy and a girl box when ordering, which is really great, because boys and girls often have very different opinions on what is cool.  My eight year old was very excited when our purple box arrived for this review.

I really thought the box design was very well done.  It's a fun color so it definitely stands out!  There wasn't any packing material inside nor was there an information card.  However, the shipping label included what was inside as part of the customs declaration since this box came to us from Canada.  I think the values are divided up so that the total equals the monthly subscription price, as I feel some of the items are actually worth a higher value than what's listed.

As you could see before, the shipping label partially obscured the Nerd Block Jr.'s cool logo but there are other custom touches that make this a fun box to receive.  The logo is also on each side of the box and they've taken the time to also custom print their packing tape.  Once this is cut open and you lift the lid you are greeted with "WOO HOO!" printed underneath.  This extra effort gives me peace of mind that this is a legit and and established brand.

I have not had personal experienced this issue, but I have read about some people having issues with new or fledgling subscription services.  Things like the custom packaging, professionally made promotional videos, secure payment portals, etc. are important when researching into reputable services.  It shows that the company has also invested in making their service special and is planning for the long run.

Here was our first look, and right away I knew the Hello Kitty vinyl figure was enough to make this a hit!  As I mentioned,there wasn't any kind of additional packaging within the box but judging from the contents it wasn't necessary.  Everything reached us safe and sound.

The October Nerd Block Jr. for Girls included five items and there was a nice range of variety.

We'll start with that Hello Kitty Collectible Figurine: Zombie. The box gives this a value of $4 CAN but on Sanrio's site it's listed as $11.99 and I usually see these kinds of figures at around $10 so that seems on point.  Since that's almost two thirds of the price of the box, we really liked seeing this seasonally appropriate and fun toy inside.  My daughter actually squealed when she saw it.  Normally, I don't think zombies are very cute.  I don't get how they are a thing right now, but it seems that Hello Kitty can even make zombies cute!

These are very fun and cute, perfect for the parent who is not super good at applying Halloween makeup.  Since I'm one of those parents, we were especially happy to see these.  The black and hot pink go perfectly with her costume too.  It's very nice how two come in a package so one can be for Halloween night, with a spare for another event.

This DreamWorks' Dragons: Riders of Berk - Volume 2: Dangers of the Deep has a value listed as $3  CAN on the box label but the list price is actually $6.99 US.  It's sold on Amazon for $5.88 so I think that between the Hello Kitty vinyl figure and this graphic novel you are getting back at least the value of the purchase price for this subscription box.

My daughter wasn't very particularly thrilled about this particular book, even though she did sit down and immediately begin reading it.  I would say this falls more under a gender neutral item & it was actually sent out in both the Nerd Block Jr. for Boys and the Nerd Block Jr. for Girls this month.  The story skewed toward a plot generally enjoyed more by boys.

What I liked that it's a graphic novel so a little different than the normal early reader type book that are sold and are around the same size dimensions and length of pages.  I think a graphic novel has more appeal to both the lower and upper age range this box is targeted toward.

This is the only item that I'm not sure about it belonging.  Yes, Frozen is huge and little girls often love jewelry and anything glittery.  However, these bracelets are on the small size and I'm not sure if an eleven year old could even get them on their wrist.

I'm also finding that my daughter and her friends are beginning to like more sophisticated jewelry, the kind that looks like adult jewelry but in brighter colors and sized for them.   Plastic bracelets don't really cut it anymore.  These seem more appropriate for the preschool through age five crowd.  In fact, that's who we gifted these to, a four year old and she loved them.

Pin trading continues to be popular and my kiddo is no different from tons of others who love collecting.  She has a lanyard from Disney World with Tinkerbell on it.  This blue one appears to be something you get for free from your travel agent when you book your trip through them.  My son has claimed it since my daughter prefers the two she already has.

I think the cute pin more than makes up for this in my daughter's mind so I am glad they made a point to include a Minnie pin.   I did a search for this older pin and it can be found on Ebay for prices between $5.50-$8.99.  That sounds about right compared to the pins we've purchased at Disney World.   I am glad that both a lanyard and pin were included, since I think the pin on it's own might have seemed kind of random. It shows to me, that thought was put into deciding what to include in the box.

Over all, I think the concept of Nerd Block Jr. for Girls is a very neat and I like that it's designed for the age ranges of 6-11.  It's been my experience that it's easier to find quality kids subscription boxes for babies through preschool so this fills a void.  

While my eight year old was generally happy with what came in her box, she was expecting all out girly based on the promotional video and preview pictures on the website.  It came pretty close, with only the book being something she wasn't very interested in.

That being said, I didn't mind that a unisex book was included that because now we also have some things for my son to enjoy.  Plus I think overall the items included will appeal to a wider range of girls than just pink, pink, pink.  My daughter just happens to be that kind of girl.

Yes, the bracelets are a little on the young side but to be honest, I would rather she get something like that, than something too mature.  Plus I know many of her friends are going to be Frozen characters for Halloween so I can see why it was included.  It is a very hot and popular theme this year!

It's been my experience with my own subscription boxes that it's rare that you end up loving absolutely everything in a box so I would say that this box does fulfill what it's sets out to.  I also think the value of the box versus the price of the box + shipping, around $20 total per month, is there.  It's a good buy or gift idea if you want to provide your child or a special girl in your life with a fun and age appropriate surprise each month.  My daughter certainly enjoyed getting it and gives it two thumbs up!  What do you think of October's Nerd Block Jr. for Girls?   Hit or miss?