Craft, Create & Animate?! The DIY Books put the A in STEAM
Harrisburg, PA (October 29, 2025) — When kids immerse themselves in books, they are transported to all kinds of possibilities. Imagine if they had to make the book! EyeConnect Crafts (https://eyeconnectcrafts.com/) offers them the chance to be an artist, an illustrator, an author or even a cartoonist when they engage with these new and unique book making kits! Youngsters discover all the elements of STEAM by making 3D Tunnel Books. Deluxe ($39.97) 3D Tunnel Book art and craft kits boast themes of Space, Ocean and Pond. Eight themed Medium ($19.97) 3D Tunnel Book kits explore everything from Cats to Construction Vehicles in 3D glory. What starts out as blank pages quickly transforms into a memorable storybook and keepsake. EyeConnect Crafts’ 3D Tunnel Books are a one-of-a-kind creative experience—designed to make art easy, unique, and accessible to everyone, even kids who say they “can’t draw.”
Each 3D Tunnel Book arts and craft kit serves up a unique mixture of storytelling with three-dimensional art book known as a ‘tunnel book.’. Tunnel books have been a longtime favorite in art classrooms, but they usually require kids to come up with their own ideas and do all the cutting and designing from scratch. These kits make it easy and fun, with all the pieces prepped and ready to go! No glue or scissors required!
The Deluxe (or larger) 3D Tunnel Book kits boast jointed, poseable animals for interactive storytelling and creative fun. Just pop the pieces out and put your animals together. You can even mix and match to make hybrids or monsters! Adhere the story characters onto the pages with the provided double sided foam tape or glue dots. Next, color or paint your pages and characters. Lastly, add your final thoughts to your own story, research or poem.
It’s All In The Box
Everything creators and dreamers might need are tucked inside each sturdy box, including detailed how-to directions. Start with a blank pages of your 3D Tunnel Book and add the pre-punched pieces made of strong sturdy cardstock. Each tunnel book set includes all the art supplies you need to get started, making it the perfect all-in-one gift!
Durable and high-quality materials are the secret to these lasting books. Thick 500 GSM cardstock ensures durability; highly pigmented, non-toxic, washable colors are safe for kids; and the sturdy, reusable storage box can be used to hold supplies and protect your project in progress. Best of all, each 3D Tunnel Book kit provides hours of screen-free creativity.
“My granddaughter was showing this to me on Tic Tok,” wrote one gleeful grandma on Amazon, “and thought it was so cool. She loves art and creating, and this present did not disappoint!!! It comes with everything you need to be as creative as you want AND directions for those that may need a little help (like me!). This is a project that is not a quick paint and you’re done – this will keep your young ones occupied for a few days’ worth of no screen time!”
It’s not just families, but toy and gift industry pros adore this art and craft line. Last year when specialty retailers gathered for their annual conference, the 3D Tunnel Books Space ($39.97) craft kit was selected as a Finalist in the Astra STAR Play Awards out of all the books and craft kits on the toy self. Equally impressed was the Museum Store Association, which tapped EyeConnect Crafts as a Finalist for their Buyers Choice Award.
Parents and gift givers will find these 3D Tunnel Book art and kits in Barnes & Noble and among the eclectic shelves of zoo, aquarium, nature centers and museum shops. All eleven themed kits (both Deluxe & Medium) can be found online at Amazon and https://eyeconnectcrafts.com/.
Author, Engineer & Artist
The designer behind these DIY 3D Tunnel Book kits is Professor Erin Sparler. Her unique background as an educator, artist and mom shines through in each lovely book. There are hidden Easter eggs, symbolism, and layered depth built into many of the designs, encouraging users to discover more the deeper they go. Sharp eyes will notice the Ocean and Pond Deluxe 3D Tunnel Books are shaped like the ripples water make — and how they recede — when something splashes into it.
Her company EyeConnect Crafts offer a strong emphasis on STEAM learning, creativity, and tactile engagement. Youngsters and “kidults” get to experience meaningful, unplugged play.
“The pieces are precut. Just pop them out,” explains Sarler. “Put them together with the supplied mini brads. And stick them on the pages with the included double-sided foam tape. Now you have a cool-looking 3D Tunnel Book! Draw, paint, and doodle on the pages and characters with the art supplies that are included or even use your own!
Discover these kits online at Amazon and https://eyeconnectcrafts.com/. Consumers can pick them up at toy, book, gift and museum shops plus the store chain Barnes & Noble.
EyeConnect Crafts Deluxe Kits • $39.97 • Ages 10+
Choose from Pond, Space and Ocean scenes and animals. Each 500 GSM cardstock page measures an impressive 8.5 x 11. Once completed, the 3-hole punched pages can be bound by the enclosed rings or stored in a 3-ring binder for safekeeping. The Pond set comes with 12 poseable pond creatures including koi fish, butterflies, swans and ducks and more! In the Space set, kids connect then pose an astronaut, a shuttle and a satellite and can learn about all 9 planets plus a few extra space objects. And octopus, dolphin, whale, starfish and seahorse are found among the dozen poseable Ocean creatures!
EyeConnect Crafts Medium Kits • $19.97 • Ages 3+
Paint, assemble and pose these DIY 3D Tunnel Books with eight kid and adult friendly themes of Cats, Dinosaurs, Dragons, flowers, Unicorns & Pegasus, Kawaii, Dragonflies & Butterflies, Construction Vehicles and Flowers & Pots. Eagle eyes will notice how the shape of the Dinosaurs tunnel is based on a real fossilized footprint. The colors found in Dragons represent those from Wings of Fire. What tunnel shape forms in Cats? A ball of yarn of course!
These enchanting and edu-taining crafts make a great birthday gift, family activity, sleepover project or surprise when visiting grandparents. Get yours at https://eyeconnectcrafts.com/ Follow @EyeConnectCrafts on social media channels Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram.
ABOUT EYECONNECT CRAFTS
EyeConnect Crafts is a woman-owned company created by Erin Sparler, a college Professor of the Arts with a background in traditional and digital 3D animation and design. The company is best known for its award-nominated 3D Tunnel Books™ hands-on, screen-free art and craft kits that are like make-your-own pop-up books, except they pop in. Each kit invites kids and adults to build layered, dimensional scenes while exploring themes in nature, science, and storytelling. Designed to make art easy and unique, the kits make it easy to build an art book or even create stop-motion animation—no drawing skills required.