In the Mommy Trenches: Crayola Products

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Crayola Products - Review and Giveaway

I have always enjoyed using Crayola products and one thing I have learned is that quality counts. I have tried products from the dollar store only to find the crayons that don't color, the glue doesn't glue and the felts are either already dried out or almost there.

As part of Crayola Canada’s Mom Advisory Panel, I was recently sent these three products:

Repositionable dry-erase decals that allow kids to decorate and create on almost any flat surface! Decals peel easily from sheets and stick to most walls, metals, windows, fabric, plastic, notebooks, mirrors and more (4+, $10.99)

My kids really had a blast with the peel and stick dry erase decals. They worked exactly as the packaging said. You stick them to a dry surface and let the kids colour away AND it does actually wipe off easily with a soft cloth. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was and how much fun my kids had with it. There were three in the package so it worked out perfectly for my three. They each got their own decal and they each created their own masterpiece.

My only caution to parents would be to make sure you have paper or something down on the floor where you have the decals stuck because if your child is as enthusiastic as mine was for wiping away the crayon, you will end up with wax bits on your floor which then can get tracked around leaving marks. While I did end up with a bit of mess to clean up, it did clean up quickly and easily. I am informed by the care instructions on the packaging that

"The Crayola Dry-Erase Crayons are designed to wash from skin and most children's clothing. If you have difficulty removing the marks with a soft dry cloth, then use a soft cloth with mild soap and water. Do not use ammonia or other cleaning solutions, as they may cause the surface to become cloudy. Abrasive cleaners may scratch the surface. For best results: Remove crayon marks from walls as soon as possible with soap and water. Wash clothing in warm or hot water. Melted crayons may cause permanent heat-set stains. Check pockets for crayons before placing clothing in dryer. Stain Advisement: Keep away from wallpaper, painted walls, unfinished wood, carpeting and other materials that cannot be laundered. "

Like I said I had no problems cleaning up for me and while the kids do tend to travel over a bit from their decal onto the wall, if you clean it right away there should be no staining.

20 Broad line Pipsqueaks markers, 5 wacky tip markers, 2 themed sticker sheets and one sketch pad; portable set (3+, $10.99) With the Pipsqueaks, I always enjoy these because they are the exact right size for little hands. This particular package set was convenient in that it comes in it's own plastic carrying case, which holds the felts nicely in a tray but also holds a colouring book. Add to that some very nice colourful stickers and you are all set to take this kit on the road. My oldest daughter has dance class so I popped this package into my bag and it was all ready for her siblings to sit and colour while they waited for her. Even though I am sure the kids don't appreciate the organization as much as I do, I am sure they appreciate having all their colours laid out so they are easily visible to them. The colour book is made of nice thick paper so it stands up to my 3 year old's repetitive scribbling in one spot.

A simple, one-step project and craft tool that eliminates the extra steps, mess, waste and frustration that typically comes with school poster projects. Five different assortments cover a broad range of poster and sign-making graphics, and special effects include peel-and-stick letters and numbers, pockets and stencils, all designed to peel off easily and stick on firmly, again and again. (8+, $5.99)

I was particularly excited about the Re-Stickems and while my kids would have dived into them immediately I wanted to save them for a bit until we had a really good idea for them. Fortunately, it didn't take long for inspiration to strike. My kids love playing restaurant and are always making menus for us to "order" from so I decided we should make a Menu we could actually read. The Stickems worked really well on the poster board I had and true to their word, they lifted up easily when we needed to straighten out the lettering. With a variety of sizes, numbers and symbols there are a lot of options for this prodcut. I even stole one number from the set to adorn a birthday card we made for the neighbour. Not just for kids crafts though, the quality and ease of use make this a great accessory to any project!

As always you can visit Crayola.ca for tons of craft ideas and projects. Plus Crayola.ca has just launched the Story Studio, the updated version of Crayola's Lights Camera Color. It's an easy to use interactive online program that allows kids to upload their photos and transform them into colouring pages. Kids can even have a photo of themself changed into a charactization which they can then create their very own story starring themselves. Specially marked packages of Crayola products contain an activation code which allows you to print your projects.

THE GIVEAWAY

Crayola has graciously offered to provide one of my readers with a Repositionable Dry-Erase Decal to try out for themselves.

TO ENTER

Mandatory: