Captain Mail vs Games With Gramma

Where they differ

Both are letters and activities clubs. Captain Mail covers science and art & prints on top of that; Games With Gramma stays narrower.

Games With Gramma is the cheaper of the two — $6/mo against $7.50/mo, roughly 20% less on a monthly basis. Whether that gap means anything depends on what turns up: the dearer club is not automatically sending more, and on a gift the up-front total matters more than the monthly figure.

The age ranges differ too: Captain Mail is pitched at ages 4–9, Games With Gramma at ages 4–10. Match the reading level rather than the birthday — a child who cannot yet read the letter alone needs an adult in the loop either way.

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.

Games With Gramma

A monthly envelope of handmade puzzle and game material from Gramma Kat Academy, who makes print and digital learning activities for children. It is built around gamified practice rather than a continuing story. Ships from the US to more than 190 countries.

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.