Category Archives: kids

Science Saturday: Crunchlab’s Creative Kits

January 11, 2026 DanM Leave a comment

My kids found Crunchlabs on youtube and then nextflix, and my son really wanted to get a hack pack subscription for Christmas, which made my daughter really want to try their creative kits, so we got those as well.

We have now received and worked through the first two creative kits, and Sasha was able to do them entirely by herself!

Crunchlabs Creative Kits

The creative kits are simpler and a bit more like art projects vs engineering and robotics. They still do teach how to build and follow complex instructions to complete the project. Overall these are closer to many of the kiwi kits we have done in the past, but they have such good instructions and videos that Sasha was able to do these kits without needing a bunch of help from me.

Treehouse Kit

Our first kid was the Treehouse kit. Oddly enough they made a mistake and sent me 2 creative kits not one creative kit and a hack kit (they fixed this and we got our hack kit). So we had two treehouse kits, but Theo was pretty excited to do the kit as well. They both worked on theirs together and helped each other name their squirrels and design slightly different houses.

Ice Cream Stand

This was the the Ice Cream stand. We didn’t get two of these as they fixed the mistake, so we played a board game that was a bit to old for Sasha, while she built her creative kit. Other than helping after one piece was put on backwards she built the entire kit herself. She really enjoyed it and was engaged in the process and she likes it even better than the treehouse. She has been taking ice cream orders around the house ever since. She even got the treehouse back out and played with the treehouse and the ice cream shop and the little animal characters together.

Verdict

The creative kit is a hit and probably works well for kids 4-7. After that they might be leveled up to the next one.

The list of pro’s and cons is similar to the hack pack.

Pros

This is one of the highest quality toy build kits I have had
This has great videos, tutorials, and support
The programming and hacking was very cool and fun
The kids have enjoyed playing with this a good deal and are excited for the next kit

Cons

kind of expensive
not sure of long term re-play, but so far so good

Referral Code

Since we like these I am happy to share my referral code if you sign up we get some free credits.

kids, Science Saturday

Science Saturday: Crunchlab’s Turret

January 8, 2026 DanM 1 Comment

My kids found Crunchlabs on youtube and then nextflix, and my son really wanted to get a hack pack subscription for Christmas, so we did.

The first hack pack delivery was the IR Turret and it was a hit!

Crunchlabs Turret

So the kit first kit came and it was this IR Turret that shoots Nerf like arrows (Although I am sure crunchlabs is not allowed anywhere near the name nerf). It said it would take around an hour to make if you were new to building robots. We built it over 2 sessions that added up to about an hour (The kids got distracted and it was good to take a break). Our youngest at 6 was still able to help with some of the build, our oldest at 8 was able to do many of the steps.

A few days after we built it and fired many rockets, Theo wanted to “hack it” so we then went online and followed the video instructions. It was easy to get the software setup and start sending custom code to the turret, we started with the prebuilt stuff and within 30 minutes we were modifying the code ourselves with new customizations. Theo already wants to try to get some new sensors and possibly more motors.

Pros

This is one of the highest quality toy build kits I have had
This has great videos, tutorials, support
The programming and hacking was very cool and fun
The kids have enjoyed playing with this a good deal and are excited for the next kit
They offer 3d printable versions of the pieces and the kids are interested in learning about 3d printing
Dad had always been interested in Arduino’s and now he has written code for one

Cons

one of our motors started to have issues a few hours after use, a few days later it totally broke we had to order a replacement for the up / down motor
expensive
Kids keep leaving it on the floor and I trip over it

Summary

This was a hit and we are looking forward to the next one.

Theo’s Mom Attack

Theo Showing Off His IR Turret

Holiday Updates, kids, Pictures

Happy New Year 2026

December 14, 2025 Erin Leave a comment

We’ve been grateful for these good ole’ elementary school days with Theo (8) and Sasha (6) as we attempt to navigate the turbulent waves of our times. The kids have become tree skiers, snorkelers, and white water rafters! We celebrated my mom’s 70th birthday with a slightly-delayed Galapagos escapade, and despite the more-intense-than-predicted logistics (which were predicted to be intense), the kids proved to be adventurers. The highlight was snorkeling with sea lions in Punta Pitt.

This year we said goodbye to Great Grandma at 99. She leaves a legacy of love, warm hugs, watching her 9 great-grandkids swim in her pool, and always pulling up an extra seat to her table.

Wishing you love and peace in 2026.

See more pictures from our 2025 adventures here.

Advocacy, kids

Vote Yes on LL and MM in Colorado this November

October 5, 2025 Erin Leave a comment

Theo published his first Op-Ed in the Westword today. He’s a 3rd grader in DPS and a supporter of universal school meals based on his first-hand student experience.

He drafted the op-ed in response to a recent article on the two state-wide ballot measures voters will decide on this election cycle to fund the universal school meals statewide.

The op-ed is especially timely given the recent delivery of election Blue Books to households across the Denver metro area.

Theo argues for the importance of school meals and the passage of these measures based on his experience as a DPS student and the evidence supporting universal school meal programs.

See the full article over at the Westword.

Screenshot of the Westword masthead and framing for the readers responses that follow.

Additional framing and a screenshot of Theo's Op-Ed.

kids, Pictures

New Couch

January 7, 2024 DanM Leave a comment

Making the most of moving in a new couch and rug.

The kids enjoyed the living room as a camping chair setup for a few days…

kids, Pictures, Retrospectives

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY 2024!

December 30, 2023 Erin Leave a comment

See more pictures from our 2023 adventures.

2023 was a year of transitions for the Miller-Mayers. Theo transitioned to first grade at a Spanish immersion elementary school in Denver Public Schools and Sasha grew into generally sleeping through the night. Both Dan and Erin started new jobs — Dan at Shopify and Erin at Community Catalyst, having spent 8 legislative sessions passing bills to improve health coverage and equity in Colorado, she is now working on health policy across states and at the federal level. Dan also transitioned from a broken to screw-filled to largely healed ankle bone (broken while bouldering at a local gym), a transition aided by his new Spa Serene 6 hot tub.

The kids transitioned to skiers, and Theo learned to ride a bike and surf, and Sasha learned to swim. The year also included several work trips for Erin and lots of family trips, including to Nebraska, Oklahoma, Mexico, and Hawaii.

All our love and best wishes for 2024!

Erin, Dan, Theo (6) and Sasha (4)

Click through to see the full 2023 gallery

kids

Theo is now a surfer

November 8, 2023 DanM Leave a comment

A strong swimmer and now can get up on a board!

See him catch a wave.

Cities and Sites, kids, Pictures, Quick Thoughts

Family Climbing Time

January 7, 2023 DanM Leave a comment

We have been into climbing as a nice form of exercise. Theo has been climbing since he was a baby. He first visited this climbing gym at age 3. Now that Sasha is 3, we needed to get her to her first gym as well. It was fun to go as a family, and they have daycare available making it possible to climb with the kids for a while, then have them play with other kids while you get in a few climbs without distractions.

Theo Climbing a Boulder (click for higher quality video)

It was good to get them more experience at the climbing gym, as Theo could start youth group climbing classes in just a few months when he turns 6.

Sasha, had fun at the gym, but quickly wanted to go to the daycare so she could play with the toys and other kids… She was happy and we were able to focus on ab it more climbing with Theo.

A great way to spend some time with the family and to get some exercise during the cold and snowy winter months in CO.

kids, Retrospectives

Happy Holidays and Happy New year!

January 1, 2023 DanM Leave a comment

See more pictures from our 2022 adventures.

2022 started in quarantines and ended in continuous adventures – culminating with a 10-year anniversary couples trip to Puerto Vallarta and a 9-person family trip to Disney World.

Four days of child care between quarantines in January was enough for the whole family to get Omicron. Our post-quarantine 90-day pass allowed us to take the kids to the Children’s Museum and dine inside the first restaurant of Sasha’s memory. With eventual vaccine access for the littles, the adventures continued through the fall with two trips to Oklahoma City, and family trips to Billings, MT, Colorado Springs, Crestone, and Grand Junction. The kids are becoming swimmers and gymnasts. This year, we learned that they love raw oysters — they’ll each eat two dozen in a sitting — vacations, and amusement park rides – especially roller coasters.

kids

First Family Ski Trip

December 26, 2022 DanM 1 Comment

We finally got our little family out skiing. We tried two years ago for our first ski trip, and our car broke down on the way to the mountains… After that disaster, we finally built up the courage to try again.

our kid's first time on skis — Our kid’s first time on skis.

We go on Christmas eve day to Loveland, a family tradition before kids. We had to bring two duffle bags of gear to have all that was needed, along with backups for any issues that might come up. For a family of 4 renting everything and getting two passes along with a small shared lunch, it costs about $300 for a single day… Which is pretty expensive but much less than the bigger resorts.

kids getting lift tickets and ski rentals — The kids going through the lift line and getting sized for rentals

Getting the kids through the lift pass (free for kids 5 and under) line and fitted for rentals was a breeze. Loveland is really well set up for beginner kids, with folks helping size boots, helmets, and goggles, sweetly telling our kids how great they are doing.

Theo made amazing progress on his first day

It was amazing to see how Theo took to it, with no complaints and learning so quickly. He sometimes carried his skis up the bunny slope so I could carry Sasha. He went from his first time standing in the skis to being able to do “pizza pie” stops, riding the “Magic Carpet” lift, and even finishing off the day with two real lift rides.

Sasha also had fun and was excited to join the adventure

Sasha also did amazingly well for a 3-year-old. She did three bunny slope runs before wanting a warmup and snack break. She got comfortable with all the gear and asked to go “again and again.” She got pretty good at skiing down but couldn’t yet master the “pizza pie” stop.

Theo kept going, and I was looking for a break to get some water while he still wanted to ski more. He finally admitted he might need a break as he was “running low on air.”

After all four of us had a break (in shifts so we could sneak in a few bigger runs), we got everyone out for round two, and Sasha did three more runs, including going up the “Magic Carpet” lift once… They did pretty great for a cold day, with snow and a first time on skis.

I also need to mention the help of having grandpa who would watch kiddos when they needed a break for a bit in the lodge. Erin and I both managed to sneak in a few non-bunny slopes runs. I am not sure we could have pulled that off without another adult.

Overall it was a super exhausting day, and carrying both kids and gear up a hill while on skis is far more exhausting than just going skiing oneself. Still, it seemed like a success and went well enough we will probably rent a cabin for a long weekend sometime. Feel free to check out the full ski gallery if you like.