Captain Mail vs Future Explorers' Club

Where they differ

Both are letters and activities clubs. Past that they pull apart: Captain Mail also covers science and art & prints, while Future Explorers' Club adds travel.

On price there is effectively nothing in it — $7.50/mo against £5.99/mo, which works out within a dollar a month of each other. Price is not the deciding factor here.

What each one sends

Captain Mail

Each packet holds a letter addressed to the child, a short nonfiction reading segment licensed from Encyclopedia Britannica, puzzles, a collectible 3D paper craft, a joke of the week and an "attainable superpower" challenge. You choose monthly or twice-monthly delivery. The first packet ships within five to seven business days.

Future Explorers' Club

Each month covers a new location through an illustrated letter, plus a craft activity card, a recipe card for local food, a map, a fun-facts card and a puzzle sheet. The envelope is printed with the child's name. A sample letter PDF is downloadable from the site.

Which one to pick

We are not going to pretend there is a winner here — they are close enough to be on the same shortlist, which is why this page exists. What we would say is that the choice usually turns on the household rather than the club: how much adult time there is, whether the child reads independently yet, and whether you want post that asks something of them or post that simply arrives.

Read the full listings before deciding, and follow through to each club's own site — prices, terms and gift options are theirs to change and ours only to record.