Reviews for Crafts & Hobbies
There’s something innate in girls that makes them want to play dress-up, accessorize and shop ’til they drop! It’s nice to see that paper dolls are still around to help fulfill these needs when girls are young — before they have the opportunity to do serious damage to your credit card! The nice thing about paper dolls is that they don’t just appeal to fashion bugs, but also those who enjoy crafts, and creating something with their imagination and a variety of simple supplies. This Fashion Angels Paper Dolls kit comes with 5 paper dolls (and a bonus boy doll! hmmm…), a pattern and design guide, fabric glitter, ribbon, sequins, colored glues, puffy stickers, buttons and more.
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One reason we like this kids chalkboard is because it’s lap-sized, so kids can draw on their lap or on a table, as they would naturally color or write. And mom & dad don’t need to clear space for a large easel-style board, or commit to a dedicated wall-unit. We also love the vibrantly colored chalk that comes with the collection, as opposed to typical pastels. The chalk also comes in different sizes — chunky duo-color, which is good for either indoor or outdoor use, and slimmer sticks for fine detailing. The eraser is made from traditional wool felt, and wipes the board clean. You can buy the chalk separately from the board and eraser, or all together as a collection (shown here).
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Brio Darling My First Train Set$33.63 at Amazon.com |
This Brio Darling My First Train Set is quite clever, as it combines various types of age-appropriate play (18 months-on) in one toy. In addition to pushing the trains along the track, boys and girls can pull the little foals around and use “Darling” (the mommy horse) as a bridge; or the babies can be attached to her belly for feeding time. What’s really nice is Darling has a zip-up pouch in her belly, where the foal trains can be stored, and carried around… to Grandma’s, for instance! All of the pieces are the perfect size for little fingers. It’s a good idea to introduce this starter train set early on, to see if a child takes interest, before moving on to what can become a pricey hobby. Furthermore, this set is compatible with Brio’s classic sets for older kids, so the tracks, etc., can be used throughout childhood.
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Do you have a mini entomologist in the family? Or a little girl or boy one who’s afraid a bugs? Now they each can have tons of fun with creepy crawlies. ExoBonz building toys (an edition of the Bonz collection) are silly, anatomically INcorrect parts of insect skeletons and exoskeletons. The hard plastic pieces fit together with pieces from other Bonz kits (for collectors), and vary in size. The joints, such as the “beez kneez,” pincers, antennae, and stinger, all “work” in their own wonderfully wacky way. Kids can use them to construct all sorts of familiar or imaginatively unfamiliar creatures. Other Bonz sets include GloBonz, DinogloBonz and SeaBonz.
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Most children (from ages 2-up) love doing art projects — from coloring, to watercolors, to cutting and pasting. Parents also enjoy seeing their kids engaged in creative endeavors — and they sure don’t mind the peace and quiet either! One problem we often find, though, is it’s difficult to manage all of the supplies, both for storage and use. This Alex Art to Go kids arts & crafts Supplies set is the nicest one we’ve seen for younger children, mostly because of how well it organizes and stores a variety of supplies. It’s a vinyl bucket/tote that wipes clean, with a zip top and eight storage pockets. It comes with 8 crayons, 3 giant pieces of chalk, 6 washable markers, kid-safe scissors, 3 poster paints, a sponge brush and 3 paint brushes. One or several kids can sit around a table and simply take what they want, then put it back where it belongs. Then the tote can simply be placed back on a shelf for storage. Your grandchild can easily carry it to your house or on other trips as well. And what really sets this product apart from the rest is that it presents quite nicely as a gift. All these qualities make a winning toy — this one earned the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio’s “Gold Seal” Award.
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These Alex finger crayons are for toddlers who really want to draw, but just can’t “grasp” the concept of traditional crayons yet. They can be held in the palms of chunky little hands, or with fingertips. Either way, they help 2 year-olds (and even some younger toddlers) get in on the coloring action without too much frustration. They’re stackable, so they won’t roll off of the table — and they’re not as tempting to bite!
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Whenever you find a handful of girls and boys fighting over a single toy, you know there’s something to it. In our case, it was this large pin art toy, usually sold in its smaller version as a desktop boredom fighter. Discovered at a friend’s house, this toy had our children totally “engaged,” and then, pleading for their very own for days. Why? Well, it IS strangely alluring, whatever your age. First, the cool (but not sharp) metal pins just “feel good” on your skin. And you really can be creative — with hands, feet, face, and other objects, as you instantly whip up a topographical image of those objects. We think this larger size model is helpful, so parents can also make silly creations with larger hands, etc. And we even noticed our daughter manage to get both little feet in the mix, something she wouldn’t be able to do with the smaller models. Whatever size you decide on, this toy is sure to stimulate.
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There are so many things that make these Hog Wild scrap metal sculptures great gifts for kids and adults. First, they’re a good, playful use of scrap metal. Next, they’re magnetic, and we all know how that can “draw” kids in! Movable parts allow you to make this “scrappy” little guy named “Gizmo” sit, lie down, etc. You can also get “Gadget” the cat and other models.
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Grandchildren ages 8 and up will appreciate this hands-on 3-D kids desktop solar system mobile — something that’s difficult to visualize otherwise. It’s motorized (batteries are not included), with the 9 planets rotating around the glowing sun. The desk or tabletop unit is designed and manufactured by National Geographic, and includes an educational solar system audio tour CD. Educational and entertaining all in one!
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Presidents of the United States Floor Puzzle$7.96 at Amazon.com |
Ever wish you had learned all of the U.S. Presidents… in order? Well here’s another opportunity to learn about all of them (by name and face) in a fun, interactive way—with your grandchild! This 2×3 ft. 100-piece Presidents of the United States floor jigsaw puzzle by Melissa & Doug. It has portraits of each president with their names and years they served.
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