Think Outside Boxes

Children's Outdoor Subscription Boxesthinkoutsideboxes.com

Think Outside Boxes is a founder-led Ohio-based subscription company shipping monthly themed outdoor-skill boxes (curriculum + gear) to children ages 4-16+ via D2C website and 50+ charter school vendor relationships.

Company typePrivate
Founded2017
HeadquartersReynoldsburg, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Think Outside Boxes does

Think Outside Boxes (legal entity: Think Outside LLC) is a privately-held, founder-operated outdoor education subscription company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. The company designs, sources, and ships monthly themed boxes teaching practical outdoor and survival skills to children, organized as a 13-box year-long curriculum. It operates two product lines: 'Think Outside' for ages 7-16+ at $42-$46/month and 'Think Outside Junior' for ages 4-7 at $28-$30/month, each beginning with a starter Intro Box containing a backpack, 28-page activity booklet, water-resistant reference cards, and curated gear. Monthly themes follow seasonal progression through constellations, water, first aid, wildlife, knots, shelter, fire, weather, navigation, nutrition, and nature.

Revenue mechanics are predominantly recurring subscription billed through the Subbly subscription platform, with self-serve checkout on thinkoutsideboxes.com offering monthly, quarterly, half-year, and full-year commitments. The company also runs a standalone Gear Shop selling individual items ($14.95-$29.95) with automatic 20% subscriber discounts, sells downloadable gift certificates, and ships free within the U.S. with paid international shipping to select countries. A B2B channel exists via approved-vendor relationships with 50+ charter schools (including iLEAD, ACE Ohio, Inspire, and Summit networks) for homeschool curriculum purchases against purchase orders.

The business operates with 1-10 employees and two named co-founders (Crystal Wren and Richard Carr), with no disclosed funding rounds, institutional investors, or revenue figures. Distribution is omnichannel but small-scale: D2C website, organic social on Facebook and Instagram, SEO-driven blog content, email marketing, charter school partnerships, and limited international shipping. Underlying technology is a Subbly-powered e-commerce/subscription stack; no proprietary AI, app, or API is present. The brand has 2024 industry award recognition and operates within the broader kids subscription box market projected at $6.3B by 2033.

Think Outside Boxes firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Think Outside Boxes
Legal name: Think Outside LLC
Website: https://thinkoutsideboxes.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2017
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: Think Outside Boxes is a founder-led Ohio-based subscription company shipping monthly themed outdoor-skill boxes (curriculum + gear) to children ages 4-16+ via D2C website and 50+ charter school vendor relationships.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Think Outside Boxes industry classification

Industry

Product category: Children's Outdoor Subscription Boxes
NAICS: Educational Services (611), Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Retailers (4594)
SIC: Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: Toy Rentals & Subscription Boxes (CRALAFAK)
akta.pro secondary industries: Family Engagement & Take-Home Learning Materials (Home Packs, Parent Guides) (EDACAJAL), Health, Safety & Hygiene Early Learning Content (EDAGACAH)

Keywords

Kids subscription boxes
Outdoor education
Children outdoor gear
Homeschool curriculum boxes
Monthly activity boxes

Where Think Outside Boxes is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Reynoldsburg
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Think Outside Boxes business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

Subscription Boxes (Think Outside - Ages 7-16+): Monthly subscription boxes for older children featuring outdoor gear, educational booklets, and themed activities. Pricing tiers range from $42-46/month depending on commitment length. Initial intro box starts at $46 with subsequent monthly themed boxes.
Subscription Boxes (Think Outside Junior - Ages 4-7): Monthly subscription boxes designed for younger children ages 4-7. Pricing tiers range from $28-30/month. Includes canvas satchel, watch, carabiner, bingo cards, activity booklet, and explorer pass.
Gear Shop Sales: One-time purchases of outdoor gear and equipment for kids including backpacks ($29.95), walkie talkies ($20.00), water bladders ($16.95), watches ($14.95), waist bags ($15.00), and satchels ($22.50). Subscribers receive automatic 20% discount.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Pay-as-you-go	Think Outside (Ages 7-16+) Intro Box
Subscription	Monthly	Think Outside Monthly - $46/mo
Subscription	Multi-year contract	Think Outside Quarterly - $44/mo
Subscription	Multi-year contract	Think Outside Half-Year - $43/mo
Subscription	Annual	Think Outside Full-Year - $42/mo
Subscription	Multi-year contract	Think Outside Junior Quarterly - $30/mo
Subscription	Multi-year contract	Think Outside Junior Half-Year - $29/mo
Subscription	Annual	Think Outside Junior Full-Year - $28/mo
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Gear Shop Items

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Think Outside Boxes product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Think Outside Boxes curates and ships monthly outdoor-themed educational subscription boxes for children. The flagship Think Outside program (ages 7-16+) ships an Intro Box with starter gear (foldable backpack, 28-page activity booklet, water-resistant reference cards, bear bell, carabiner, paracord, intro map) followed by 12 monthly themed boxes covering constellations, water, first aid, wildlife, repair, knots, shelter, fire, weather, navigation, nutrition, and nature. The Think Outside Junior program (ages 4-7) offers a parallel curriculum for younger children. A separate Gear Shop sells individual outdoor equipment at a 20% discount for subscribers.

Product overview

Think Outside Boxes is an outdoor education subscription company offering two main programs: Think Outside (ages 7-16+) and Think Outside Junior (ages 4-7). Each subscription begins with an Intro Box containing essential gear (backpack, activity booklet, reference cards, bear bell, paracord, and more), followed by monthly themed boxes covering seasonal outdoor topics like constellations, water, first aid, wildlife, fire, shelter, navigation, and nature. The company also operates a Gear Shop selling individual outdoor equipment items including backpacks, water bladders, walkie-talkies, watches, and bags. All subscribers receive a 20% discount on Gear Shop purchases. Think Outside partners with charter schools to offer their programs as approved curriculum vendors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Think Outside: Outdoor subscription box program for children ages 7-16+
Think Outside Junior

Products and services

Think Outside Subscription (Ages 7-16+)

Companies that use Think Outside Boxes

Customer profile

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Think Outside Boxes technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Think Outside Boxes partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

Multiple Outdoor Product SupplierscoreOthersThe company has partnered with several companies to carefully source outdoor products suitable for young adventurers. Content is curated from credible online and print sources and in partnership with teachers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Think Outside Boxes competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

REI Co-op: Large outdoor retailer with kids' outdoor gear, educational outdoor content, and family adventure programs — overlaps in target demographic and outdoor-skill category, though not subscription-based.
Highlights: Established children's brand offering activity products, magazines, and educational kits — broader portfolio but overlapping target market of curriculum-focused parents and homeschool families.
National Geographic Kids: Major kids' educational brand offering nature, science, and geography content including subscription magazines and activity kits — comparable in audience (parents seeking nature/STEM education for kids) and curriculum-style packaging.

Direct peers

Little Passports: Monthly subscription boxes for kids focused on geography, world cultures, and science — competes for the same parent-dollar with similar price tiers and education-oriented positioning.
Bitsbox: Monthly coding subscription box for kids delivering real coding projects and instructions — similar D2C subscription mechanic with STEM curriculum angles overlapping Think Outside's STEM/educational content.
KiwiCo: The leading kids subscription box company offering age-tiered STEAM activity crates (Koala Crate for ages 3-4, Kiwi Crate 5-8, etc.) — directly comparable business model, pricing structure, and homeschool-friendly positioning to Think Outside Boxes.
Atlas Crate: World cultures and geography subscription box for ages 6-11 from the KiwiCo family — comparable monthly delivery, parent-curated educational content, and homeschool alignment.
MEL Science: STEM-focused subscription kits for children with monthly hands-on experiments and educational materials, often used as homeschool curriculum supplements — overlapping customer base of curriculum-conscious parents.
Green Kid Crafts: Eco-friendly STEAM subscription boxes for kids — overlaps with Think Outside's nature/education focus and competes for parents seeking screen-free, hands-on learning experiences.
Bookroo: Children's book subscription box company delivering curated age-appropriate titles monthly — comparable subscription-first D2C model targeting the same family demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Think Outside Boxes financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Think Outside Boxes leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Think Outside Boxes funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Think Outside Boxes M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Think Outside Boxes

What does Think Outside Boxes do?

Is Think Outside Boxes a public or private company?

Think Outside Boxes is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was Think Outside Boxes founded?

Think Outside Boxes was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is Think Outside Boxes based?

Think Outside Boxes is headquartered in Reynoldsburg, United States, in the North America region.

How does Think Outside Boxes make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Boxes (Think Outside - Ages 7-16+) is the primary driver. The others are subscription Boxes (Think Outside Junior - Ages 4-7) and gear Shop Sales.

Who are Think Outside Boxes's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are REI Co-op, Highlights and National Geographic Kids. Direct peers are Little Passports, Bitsbox, KiwiCo, Atlas Crate, MEL Science, Green Kid Crafts and Bookroo.

Does Think Outside Boxes have an API?

No public API is recorded for Think Outside Boxes.

What industry is Think Outside Boxes in?

Think Outside Boxes's product category is Children's Outdoor Subscription Boxes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAFAK, Toy Rentals & Subscription Boxes, with a secondary code of EDACAJAL, Family Engagement & Take-Home Learning Materials (Home Packs, Parent Guides). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 3944.