Reviews for Crafts & Hobbies
Project Table Two Stool Set$375 at Ecotots |
We’re always looking for children’s products that are made here in the U.S. using eco-friendly materials and practices. Ecotots kids furniture, including this table and stool set, are all that and more! First, every one of this company’s pieces are beautifully designed for aesthetics, function, and ease of assembly. The parts are made from 100% formaldehyde-free renewable birch Smartwood, and fit together in minutes without any hardware, tools or glue. Ecotots’ patented Lip & Groove and Slide Lock assembly system also makes disassembly, storage and transport easy. We love the clean, modern look of the furniture, as well as the colors to choose from (fire, leaf, cocoa and clear) — each derived from non-toxic water-based stains with U.V. cured finishes to minimize greenhouse gases. Ecotots takes their environmental practices seriously, and are Forest Stewardship Council accredited, Rainforest Alliance certified, and a member of the Sustainable Furniture Council. The pieces also come with a lifetime construction guarantee. Ecotots produces upscale and stylish children’s furniture that is also practical and environmentally responsible — this is a gift you can feel great about giving!
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Dazzlin Dough was essentially developed for the educational market, but we found it for you at the 2008 Toy Fair. It’s far superior to other play dough or modeling dough, and it’s a great activity to do with your grandchild. When stored properly, its shelf life is longer than any other dough out there. And that means fewer dried-out messy crumbs! It comes in many vibrant colors and 10 different long-lasting fruity scents (our kids love to guess the smell!). And for budding artists, it can be air-dried, microwaved or oven-baked, and then painted with watercolors or acrylics — yet it’s completely non-toxic! This assortment set includes patties of five colors and scents, each in one-pound buckets. Those are the facts — you and your grandchild can take it from there!
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We know you love it already, but it’s possible to make cooking with your grandchild even more fun, as well as a perfect teaching moment. Just as you feel comfortable cooking with your own set of kitchen tools, so will your grandchild with this kid-tailored set. Included are 5 age-appropriate laminated recipe cards, an overall guide to teaching children how to cook, and pint-sized dishwasher-safe utensils (whisk, spoon, spatula, pastry brush, mixing bowl, timer, baking pan, safety scissors, measuring cups and spoons color-coded to match each recipe), as well as a denim tool belt apron and a vinyl backpack on which you grandchild can write his or her name. Of course, this experience wouldn’t be complete without a recipe featuring our favorite ingredient… chocolate! You and your grandchild will indulge in baking — and eating — delicious “Chocolate Mountain Lava Cakes!” The kit is appropriate for 3 - 10 year olds, and when they’re not using the kit “professionally,” younger grandkids can use it to whip up fabulous imaginary meals. It’s called the Playful Chef Kids Cooking Kit, but it takes intergenerational cooking time seriously. Some great lessons, such as nutrition, food safety, measuring, and following directions, are built into the set, not to mention the obvious — priceless time together creating delicious treats and lasting memories.
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Our young mechanically inclined son has been aching to learn more about electronics and how things work. Snap Circuits Jr. are a perfect fit for him and other children like him, who enjoy building, creating, and learning. Snap Circuits electronics kits have been a huge hit with kids and parents since they were introduced a few years ago. Although the recommended age is 8-12, younger children (like our son) still love the projects but need some assistance from an adult. What makes Snap Circuits so accessible and fun for most children is that the electronic components are neatly packaged within Lego-like blocks that are easy to manipulate and seem more like “play” and less like “learning.” Yet learn they do! Children can configure the 30 Snap Circuit pieces to build a.m. radios, burglar alarms, doorbells, and other electronic gizmos. Most importantly, the kit is safe, powered only by 2 AA batteries. And who can resist the price? It’s a wonderful value considering the hours of delightful learning it provides. We weren’t surprised to find that the kit has won several awards, including the National Parenting Seal of Approval and Dr. Toy’s Best Children and Educational Products awards. Larger kits that enable more projects are also available.
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This art kit by Ooz and Oz is an outstanding gift, and a winner of 16 National Toy Awards. It re-introduces a 500-year-old art form called Anamorphoscopes — yup, that’s what it’s called! The kit inspires 5 to 14 year-olds (and grown-ups, too) to create art, and explore science and magic. Curved mirror decoders transform secret squiggles and swirls into astonishing reflections. The kit comes with 48 optical antics including: morphed pictures, “finding” games, a maze, and a “4-Dot Challenge.” It also comes with 2 child-safe mirror decoders, crayons, and instructions, all in a portable “desk”. Of course, this is perfect for children interested in art or magic, but most anyone, even you, won’t be able to stop making these fun and educational crafts!
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This is a gift that keeps giving… all year if you wish! Different craft kits are mailed to your grandchild each month, based on the child’s age, gender, and interests. You can choose from standard or deluxe kits, and purchase 3-, 6-, or 12-months worth. The first shipment is sent 1-3 days after an order is placed (unless it is a holiday advance order) and subsequent shipments are made around the 1st or 14th of each month, depending upon when the initial shipment is sent. You can choose the kits yourself, have ChildCrafter select the kits based on information that you provide, or include a survey in your grandchild’s first shipment. Examples of kits include soap-making, candy-making, sewing, needlepoint, painting, coloring, jewelry-making, decorating, and more. Kit manufacturers include ALEX, Curiosity Kits, Quincrafts, and Dimensions, all reputable and kid-tested companies. Shipping cost is additional. Recommended for kids ages 4+.
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Eyeclops Bionic Eye is a great educational toy for kids 6-12, or younger, with supervision, who will never look at their everyday surroundings in the same way again. Objects become 200 times their size when viewed through the fun hand-held device, and then projected using LED lights onto a TV screen. An observation dish and clear tube are included to allow kids to view things like liquids and insects more easily. It’s more powerful than a magnifying glass and unlike a microscope, there’s no fuss — it hooks up directly into any television and the imaging is great. Mom and Dad will love joining in the fun, and also appreciate the educational value in this perfect gift.
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Melissa & Doug Victorian Doll House$94.48 at Amazon.com |
This dollhouse by Melissa & Doug is all about the details. Modeled after an authentic Victorian home, it boasts many of the dainty accents one might find in Victorian construction and interior design. It begins with the high quality wooden construction we’ve come to know and love from Melissa & Doug toys. You’ll also find two mahogony finished staircases, scalloped, peaked roofs, molded windows, and lots of tasteful floral and striped accents. The furniture and other accessories are sold separately, and can be found on Amazon.com by searching under “Melissa & Doug Doll House Furniture.” The house measures 26.5 x 28 x 18 when assembled.
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You don’t have to be middle-aged (and male) to appreciate a nice sports car. And you don’t have to be all grown up to appreciate a beautifully-crafted wooden toy car. This sportster is just one of many modern Automoblox model do-it-yourself car kits, including coupe, SUV, and compact for eco-concious kids. Every component in the Automoblox system is interchangeable: wheels, tires, roofs and wooden bodies, so the possibilities are endless. A great toy!
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Thomas & Friends - A Day at the Works Set$150.00 at Amazon.com |
There are plenty of other fine wooden train sets available, but Thomas & Friends seems to be the favorite for the 3 to 5 year-old set, mostly because of the characters, like Thomas the Train, Sir Topham Hat, and others on the Island of Sodor. Kids (especially those who know the Thomas books and movies) essentially engage in two types of imaginary play with Thomas sets — the world of trains and locomotion, as well as the imaginary world that Thomas and his friends live in. Yes, these sets are expensive, but you can easily find generic wooden track that is compatible with the Thomas track, when the time comes to “add on” to your grandchild’s train set. This one comes with Thomas, Culdee, SC Ruffey and Tugboat, as well as Sir Topham Hat and the Engineer. It also includes “The Works” engine repair shop, a gristmill and waterwheel, Span of Sodor Bay Bridge, different pieces of straight and curved track, a track adaptor, engine shed switch track, 2 ascending track pieces and risers, road signs, trees, and a cloth play mat. You can also choose from plenty of other Thomas sets, engines, trains, train tables, and accessories by clicking on “Click Here” and searching under “Thomas Wooden Railway.”
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