As an AI editor and mom of three, I’ve written a lot about magically bringing children’s ideas to life with the power of AI. But each time, I’ve had to oversee the process to ultimately make it happen. But giving my kids the ability to explore their imagination on their own safely with AI is something I have never been able to do. Until now.
Meet Stickerbox. The toy that gives children the ability to create stickers with a single AI prompt. The moment you unbox it, Stickerbox feels familiar in the best way. Its bright red frame and simple white button give a nostalgic nod to the classic Etch A Sketch, but what it does is pure modern magic. With one tap, kids can describe anything they can dream up — “a soccer-playing dragon,” “a cupcake with sunglasses,” “a bunny astronaut” — and Stickerbox instantly prints a custom sticker.
It’s simple enough for a 4-year-old and creative enough to fascinate an 11-year-old. My kids passed it back and forth for hours, turning our kitchen table into a full-blown sticker factory. Best of all, the giggles and glee that came from them collaborating and cheering each other on with ideas was something I haven't seen from a single toy for a while. Stickerbox brought my three children of varying ages together and it felt like magic itself.
The easy-to-load sticker paper is exclusive to Stickerbox, BPA & BPS free and plenty of rolls are included. My kids have played with it endlessly and we still have a roll left. More paper can be purchased on the company site.
The vision behind Stickerbox
Stickerbox was created by innovators Robert Whitney and Arun Gupta, who set out to blend AI creativity with real-world play. Their goal was simple but ambitious: make AI fun, hands-on and safe for kids.
Inspired by Robert's own son, the result is a toy that feels fresh and futuristic while still being grounded in the kind of tactile play kids love.
Safe, smart and designed for kids
According to the co-founders, Stickerbox has built-in safeguards to prevent inappropriate or unsafe content, which means I don’t have to hover over their shoulders. This may be the first time I’ve let my kids use AI with zero supervision and zero worry.
What I love most is the way Stickerbox bridges digital creativity with something physically fun. Kids aren’t just generating images — they’re peeling, sticking, trading, decorating and collecting. For example, an unexpected outcome of the toy is my kids started making stickers to give their friends and even strangers. They created a McDonald's sticker to give the person working the drive-thru.
This toy gives kids the opportunity to explore creativity they can hold in their hands, and that’s rare in an age dominated by screens.
It's great, but not perfect yet
As much as we love the Stickerbox, there are a few issues that still need to be ironed out. For example, it prints regardless of whether or not you like the image. There is not a "preview" option, so if a child suggests a "flying octopus carrying a pizza" and the Stickerbox added pepperoni to the pizza, there's no way to stop it from printing to request a cheese pizza instead.
My four-year-old has a speech delay so some of his requests made absolutely no sense and Stickerbox printed anyway. It was still lots of fun and the kids got a kick out what Stickerbox thought my son said, but it's something to keep in mind. To alleviate this, I often have my youngest tell me what he wants and I then I prompt Stickerbox, just to be sure the sticker comes out right.
But given how much my kids use it — and how shockingly durable it’s been in the hands of a 4-year-old — Stickerbox feels absolutely worth the price and the minor inconvenience of not getting a preview.
Stickerbox verdict
Stickerbox is one of the most joyful, clever and parent-approved uses of AI I’ve seen. It empowers kids to dream big, create independently and use AI in a way that feels safe, imaginative and completely enchanting.
If you’re hunting for a standout holiday gift, this one is easy to recommend. Hopefully you'll get a turn, too.
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