Crafts
Kwik Stix Solid Tempera Paint Sticks ($9.99 and up) Tempra paints should be a fundamental childhood accessory: They exercise creativity muscles, motor skills and even throw in a bit of science as kids learn to mix colors. Parents love that tempra paints wash off; kids love the bold colors. But sometimes there isn’t room for the setup and mess. Fortunately, modern science has created tempra paints in solid stick form that dry in 90 seconds and don’t require water or paint brushes.
Speaking of easels, here are two very different takes:
Hearthsong Blow-up Easel ($49.99) This is an inflatable easel meant primarily for outdoor use. It is big enough for two small kids to share. Rather than painting on paper, the idea here is to paint on the plastic “canvas” which then gets erased by spraying with a hose. The whole idea reminds me of the monks who make intricate mandalas out of sand and then brush them away when finished to echo the impermanence of the world. Not all kids will be so good natured about wiping out their art to make room for more. Although the materials say this is designed for indoor and outdoor play, I think this is really only suitable as an outdoor toy where you have ready access to a hose.
Speaking of outdoor play, sidewalk chalk is a really wonderful medium for creativity, and it doesn’t require batteries, computers, or screens. It will even get your gets a bit of fresh air! Free-form drawing can be fun, but our older testers loved the stencils that come in the Sidewalk Mandala Stencil Kit $19.99 (along with six colored chalks) !
Crate & Kids Wooden Easel ($199) This is something of an investment toy. It is built strong enough and has enough features and qualities to make it something that will be used for years, not just used once and then set aside. The sturdy frame two-sided easel has a built in roll paper dispenser, a tray for paints, a wipe clean dry-marker side and a chalk board. Paints, brushes and paper are sold separately. If you need something much smaller, try the Crayola Art-To-Go Table Easel ($20.99), with a dry-erase marker and chalk board surfaces, as well as clips to hold paper.
Run the Runway ($53.91) Young fashionistas of almost any age have a lot to be happy about this year: This kit lets them design and create doll-sized clothes on three supplied mannequins using a huge collection of fabrics and trims. Best of all, no sewing is required. Instead, the kit uses two sided tap. The set is designed to take kids from the designing and sketch phase (using supplied color pencils) to patterning, cutting, and assembly. The lavish collection of fabrics and trims will spark the imagination of kid-designers, but they may need some adult help in putting it all together. It is a kit that requires stick-to-itiveness, precision, and concentration, all good skills that will help when the school year begins again. 8+
