Editorial Review

The toy industry can be as fickle as fashion design. The hottest toy of one year's holiday season can often be found in the heavily discounted clearance section mere months later. But through all the fads and trends, Play-Doh remains just as popular as ever. This comprehensive set features six cans of the Doh itself along with plastic rolling pins, scissors, extruding tools, and cookie cutter molds. But perhaps the set's best feature is one that may go overlooked: it's all stored in an incredibly convenient big plastic barrel with a sealable lid. Play-Doh, for all its numerous virtues, does tend to dry out over time as those little plastic cans are often accidentally left open. But if young modelers can just get the goo back in the barrel and close the lid, it should stay moist and pliable enough for future use. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Our first play-doh set - everything you need
Perfect for play doh "purists" - it has everythign a starter set should have - rolling pin, cookie cutters, "scissors" safe enough for my 2 year old, and an extruder to make snakes and spaghetti.

I love it because it lets your imagination run wild. My 2 year old just loves it because it's play doh.

a ton of fun
as a mom of triplets Im always looking for toys my kids can share and will keep them playing for more then 4 minutes-this playdough barrel is the best more then enough items and dough for three even four kids to play with with out fighting over them--I love it and they love it

Fun with play doh!
Play doh is a perennial favorite among preschoolers, and my two year old is no exception. This set of six colors comes with a handy plastic jug that holds a variety of shapemakers to use with the play doh. When other preschoolers come over to play, this is usually one of the first toys they want to play with. The playdoh itself, like all playdoh, became dry and crumbly from overuse, but additional playdoh can be purchased just about anywhere for a reasonable price. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Great play table
I thought this looked great and wouldn't buy it for my son at Christmas because we simply do not have the space. But one of the relatives did buy it for him. He loves to do Playdoh and all sorts of messy crafts on this table. Marker cleans right off. The pencil holder is useless, everything falls out. The fun factory is always coming apart. We don't store playdoh on it, but the holes on the top for cans of playdoh are just right for a sippy cup. But no matter. It's just rhe right size for a three year old. He spends half his day at it even though it is right next to his wood desk and the kitchen table.

PLAY DOH TABLE
I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY SON FOR HIS SECOND BIRTHDAY AND ITS GREAT HE LOVES ALL THE ACCESSORIES THAT COMES WITH IT. PLAY DOH DOESN'T STICK TO THE TABLE SO HE CAN ROLL OUT THE DOH AND PICK IT UP EASILY. HE IS NOW TWO AND A HALF AND STILL PLAYS WITH IT. HE ALSO DRAWS AND PAINTS ON THIS TABLE THE ONLY THING IS WE WISH IT HAD COME WITH A CHAIR AND THE STORAGE UNDER THE TABLE SHOULD BE LARGER HIS HANDS CAN BARELY FIT UNDER THE TABLE.

Not even worth the $20 bucks!
I wish I had read the reviews before purchasing.
The playdough cans doesnt stay in the slots provided. Try having your child put back the playdough on the side rack. That ought otta get them frustrated. And trying opening one of those playdough cans. They made it both child proof for both child and parent. The carrousel for the markers/crayons, the holes are way to big and not deep enough. The two creases they made at each end of the table just gives you more work, trying to fish out the dough. They also should have made a chair for this table. Your better off just using a regular table and buying tubaware for storing the playdough and whatever accessories you have.

Playdoh Table
I have been looking for an arts & crafts table for my two year old daughter. I purchased this one on sale, as it seemed to have storage space available for various art supplies. It is an okay table, easy to assemble, and my daughter likes to use it for doodling. Unfortunately, the storage space it offers is only of limited use. The round holes for playdoh containers are quite shallow and the containers fall out. The holes for crayons and markers are also rather shallow; the crayons and markers stay in, but it would be more useful to have deeper holes that hold a larger number of supplies. The tiny shelves in the table legs can hold only very tiny items. The actual play surface is also small, and the 'storage area' under the desk holds only a few sheets of paper. Given the limited options for art tables for preschoolers, I think this was an okay purchase, but definitely one to get on sale.

play-doh table
Just wanted to say that this table is very nice and both my children love sitting for hours and playing with everything attached and then extra items we bought. They received this for a gift at the holidays and they play all the time with it. It is great for interactive play and making all kinds of shapes and coloring with makers and crayons. Thank you for making a great table and activity center for them to keep away from the television. ... Read more

Editorial Review

For endless creative fun, roll out the Play-Doh. This colorful bucket of funcontains more than 20 different accessories to help young modelers bring their modeling creations to life. With molds and a variety of cutting utensils, this compact set of Play-Doh fun is sure to inspire hours of creative fun.Dough does not stain hands or work surfaces and can be neatly stored in the provided lidded cups for reuse. --Kathryn Gustafson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

therapistmom
I initially bought this as a toy for work. Playdough is a great fine motor activity and can be used in a variety of ways during therapy sessions for kids of all ages. Of course, it found it's way into my 2 year olds hands and she loves it! Rolling out the dough and pressing out shapes..she could do this for hours. The plunger is a little difficult to use for little hands, and it may cause frustration if there is not and adult there to help. The little scissors are also a big hit and a great way to teach scissor skills. The bucket also keeps everything together. And if the playdough only gets put in the bucket and not their little containers..it still stays fresh. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Design colorful (and ever-changeable) planes, trains, and automobiles with this nifty Play-Doh suitcase full of fun! Mix and match 23 plastic parts (wheels, propellers, car grills, windshields, wings, etc.), and press them into shaped modeling clay to create fabulous vehicles. This is the perfect introduction to the wonders of Play-Doh. Children can mold the clay into any shape at all, and stick the accessories in or not, as they wish. The possibilities are endless. And almost as cool--the entire kit fits inside a handy, extra-sturdy plastic suitcase. Tomorrow's automotive engineer can start practicing today. Suitcase, four 5-ounce tubs of modeling clay, and 23 vehicle parts included. --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great fun for little ones
This is a wonderful way for little hands to create something before they have the coordination to shape playdough completely. My two year old can build a train, a plane and a helicopter (his favorite things) all on his own with this kit. He enjoys mixing and matching to create totally new inventions, too. The only thing that makes it a little awkward is that the playdoh is so soft some of creations fall apart too easily. However, if you use playdoh that is a little past it's prime -- it will stay together perfectly.

Highly recommend it for ages 2 and up.

Great set for ages 2+
I bought this last year for my 2 year old because I thought it was an easy way for him to "build" something with Playdoh. We had just started playing with Playdoh and he LOVES this suitcase full of parts to make choo-choo's, airplanes, etc. and he likes to make them all by himself. This is the best Playdoh set for the smaller kids!

Easy, easy, easy!
Though this toy is for 3 year olds and up, I put this toy on my wish list for my 2 year old boy. I'm glad I did because it makes it easy for him to create things without having to know how to shape the play-doh. Just stick the plastic figures in the dough to make all kinds of vehicals. Great toy! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This featherweight, pliable modeling material can be used to make almost anything--doll furniture, Christmas ornaments, jewelry. You can roll it, squeeze it, or mold it. Each of the four sealed pouches contains 8 ounces of nontoxic modeling material, each in a different color--red, yellow, blue, and white (colors may stain). Braid colors together, or combine them to form new colors. Try a marbled look. A chart on the back of the lidded plastic container shows how to mix colors. You can press objects into the soft material, either to leave decorative or textural imprints or to become a part of your creation. Objects usually air dry within 24 hours--and so does the leftover material, so be sure to put it in an airtight container for safekeeping. Once you've opened a package it's best to use it all on the same day. When your creations have "set," they can be painted and decorated. --Louise Carter ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Gets creativity flowing!
I bought this last year to make easy handprints of the children I cared for as a keepsake for the parents. I found I had two bags left over and gave it to my girls to play with. I have an 8 yr old and a 6 yr old. THEY LOVE IT! They've made *cookies* with it and animal sculptures in full detail. It get their creativity going, it's easy to use and doesn't crumble when it dries. I'm going to order another bucket at their request.

Better than Play Dough
My kids love this stuff. Its squishy like soft foam, molds easily, actually sticks to itself (unlike the new version of playdough), and best yet...it dries to become harder and more resiliant...great for making dollie cups, bowls, furniture, googly monsters, and much more. It works great with cookie cutters because the stuff doesn't stick to anything but itself. It is water soluble and washes out easily if it gets caught in a bunch of spilled water. Actually water is its big downfall...it will turn to mush if it contacts water...however you can use this to your advantage when it becomes somewhat dried out. Just wet it slightly under a faucet for a microsecond and then kneed it back and forth to regain its original fun consistency. Once its air dried, water doesn't affect it much. If you want to return something that has dried back to the original squishy state, simply leave out on a plate on the porch when it is raining or on an extra humid day for several hours. Cleanup is the best part of this stuff. It doesn't crumble like play dough and the kids seem to make a fraction of the overall mess.

The only downside is that it dries out after a couple hours of play and you either have to renew it with the water trick or trash it. If you mix all the colors together, you end up with a red/brown color.

Its been a great addition to the "art" supply stuff at home.

So Awesome!
I love this..It is so soft and easy to shape and it doesnt stick. My mom used to always buy it for us but she stopped because it was always rock hard when bought. I wish that she still bought it but i dont care because whenever i see it i dont want it anymore becase i know its for little kids..lol..anyways its great!

Better than playdough
This stuff feels light as air, and is easy to model and mold into just about anything. With the first package we bought, the Model Magic was hard as a rock (so it was obviously ancient). I emailed Crayola, who apologized profusely and offered me a coupon for a new package (their customer support system is prompt and professional- 5 stars for that!). It should be noted, then, that if you want your creation to be permanent, leave it out to air dry (about 24 hours). If you want to be able to keep playing with it, put it in an airtight container. I tried putting water on the rock hard stuff (as the website suggested trying), but it didn't do anything. More fun than playdough (and doesn't smell funny, either).

best present my child received
My child received this for christmas last year and loves it. I have had to buy more. We create animals, make letters, we made a volcano. She will sit and create on her own. My child likes doing crafts and creating things, so this may not be for every child. It feels different from play-doh and does not have a smell like play-doh. Other reviewers said they had to use the package up in one day. I rolled the package up to close it, clipped it with a clothes pin, put it back in the container and ours stayed fresh. We keep ours in the house. ... Read more

Editorial Review

For endless creative fun, roll out the Play-Doh. This colorful bucket of fun contains more than 20 different accessories to help young modelers bring their modeling creations to life. From donut molds and waffle irons, to spatulas, plates, and a variety of cutting utensils, this compact set of Play-Doh fun is sure to inspire hours of creative fun.Dough does not stain hands or work surfaces and can be neatly stored in the provided lidded cups for reuse. --Kathryn Gustafson ... Read more

Editorial Review

Why do paleontologists and archaeologists make molds of fossils and artifacts? You'll find out with this unusual Eyewitness Kit that explains the basics of molding and casting. The instruction and information booklet describes different kinds of molds, processes, and materials scientists use to create casts. The kit includes molding material to make a reusable seamless mold of a favorite item and enough casting medium for several creations. Adult supervision is recommended, as this is a somewhat complex and messy operation. Your child could create some unique gifts using this kit--what grandparent wouldn't love a cast of a grandchild's hand? --Marcie Bovetz ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good product, good customer support.
I bought this product for my 6-year-old daughter. When I first opened the box, I was a little disappointed. I thought it was a little over priced for 2 small bags of powder and some instructions.

On top of that, the "mixture" didn't harden (even after 5 days it still wouldn't harden). So we threw it away and called the company's customer support number on the instructions. They were friendly and helpful. They shipped a new bag via 2 day air to Hawaii for free.

We tried it again, only this time used about 1/3rd the amount of water listed on the instructions and it worked perfectly. My daughter loved it. She created the mold and painted it.

Overall, it's a good product. It allows children to follow instructions and create something rather than simply "play."

Great and fun!
Mold of hand turned out really well, could even see the fingerprints and fingernails. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

We Giggled A Lot!
My daughter and I truly enjoy watching Shrek (again and again and again)! And thanks to Nemo, she now fears dental visits. I needed her to understand that visiting the dentist isn't ever a bad thing, so I was excited to play this with her. It is a hilarious concept and was so much fun for all of us,(her daddy played, too!) Well, it didn't solve her fear of dentists, but we giggle so much whenever we play with Shrek's teeth!

boysmom
My 5 and 3 yr. old boys both loved this set. I have bought many play doh sets that they didn't enjoy but they sat and played with this for a long time. The teeth are fun to make and the tongue is hillarious. The Shrek head is easy to assemble and doesn't break easily. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Who's up for a Clay Party? If you want to keep up to a half-dozen little folks busy and entertained, look no further. Inside a fairly sturdy bucket you'll find five 7-ounce packages of bright, nontoxic modeling clay, 16 plastic clay cutters (shaped like stars, houses, and more), four dinosaur clay molds, a rolling pin, safe cutting and modeling tools, and a plastic mat to make cleanup a snap. The clay is easy for small fingers to work and the tools make it simple to turn out cool, colorful characters in minutes--then ball 'em up and start over! --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Fun! Fun! Fun!
I purchased this for my 9 year old grandson's birthday, and he loved it more than most of his other gifts. He comes over to my home some weekends, and brings it along in the bucket that the clay comes in. The only problem is that his sister wants to play too, so I am online to purchase another one. I recommend this for any child.

Keeps them busy!
I love this product! I purchased it for my 5 and 8 year olds, and it is a great way to keep them out of my hair while I get housework done. Highly recommended! The best part is that when they are done, everything can be thrown right into the bucket - easy clean up.

Too Difficult
The clay in this set is so incredibly hard to work with. My kids were very frustrated. The clay does not soften. The cookie cutters and molds with the set are great and we use them with Play Doh or Crayola modeling clay. I do not recommend spending your money on this at all.

Impossible to soften this clay!
The Amazon reviewer claimed this clay was easy for little fingers to work - not true for my nearly-four-year old, and not true for me! It was hard as a rock. You'd have to work tiny bits at a time to make it workable. My daughter quickly got bored and gave up and I can't say I blame her. A big disappointment ... Read more

Reviews (3)

HARD, HARD, HARD
I agree with the the other reviews. We were so disappointed with the extruder. The playdough was rock hard and we already threw it in the trash. Don't waste your money.

If I could only give this item 0 stars!!!!!
If I could give this item 0 stars I would. This is a total waste of money. I purchased it as a gift and my grandaughter was so disappointed that I went out and purchased her another gift. The opening for extruder is so small that she didn't want to play with it. In fact she put some dough in it, was trying to take it out and her finger got stuck in the opening. She's only 4, that should give an idea of how small the opening is. The molding tray is flimsy. The dough was dry and it took my daughter two hours to make it moist enough to play with. Please do not waste your money. I don't normally write reviews for items. But, this item is so bad, that I felt that I should warn others who may consider purchasing it.

Do not waste your money!
Stick to Play Dough!! Yes this is a cute idea, and my daugher was so excited to get this set. However, after about 10 minutes it is now in the trash. The dough was very nice girly colors and they are scented, but they are almost to hard to mold. They didn't stick together very well either, so that was no fun. The strawberry house is cute if only kids were strong enough to push the dough through. The molds that are included are also cute, but tiny, so little fingers end up tearing the completed mold up trying to get it out, which really frustrates young kids. This set just needs some major improving. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Ever since Play-Doh was first invented, children everywhere have enjoyed creating their own treats with the colorful modeling clay. Now young chefs can take their imaginative culinary play to another level with this George Foreman Grill. The battery-powered grill features simulated sizzling noises when you press down on the bottom side of the grill, and doubles as an easy-to-use mold for pressing miniature burgers, chops, chicken legs, and fish. Along with the authentic looking grill, the play set comes with three two-ounce cans and one five-ounce can of colored Play-Doh, two grill surfaces, a two-sided grease catcher and veggie mold, an extruder rail and one plate. Adult assembly is required, and although three AA batteries are included, you'll need a Phillips screwdriver to replace them. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Perfect for a 3 year old!
I sent this to my 3 year old nephew in NY, and my sister in law called to say it was absolutely adorable! My nephew was cooking burgers and dogs while the grill made the sizzling sound that he just could not get enough of. If you are a playdoe lover, as well as the kind of kid who likes to pretend to grill or cook, what an wonderful combination!! I highly recommend this toy! It has a great price too!

Good additon to my daughter' kitchen
This toy is a lot of fun, especially since coming from George Forman and we already have his grill (a real one). So now my daughter can do the same things her mother does on the same kind of grill. Basically it's the best play-doh toy we had (and we had quite a few).

Fun for hours!
Our 12 year old daughter bought this toy for her sister Michelle's 3rd birthday. Michelle couldn't wait to get at it and was more excited about the play-doh than the Powertouch I had bought her.

The sizzling sound that it makes is very realistic. I find myself pressing it down just to hear it. The molds are pretty cool and actually look like food. The mold that contains the chicken leg, steak, hamburger and fish is the flip side of the upper grill part. There's a mold on the bottom grill part too. The only problem I have with this toy so far is that the grill mold is hard to get on and off. So whenever my daughter needs to put the grill piece back on, she calls me in to do this. I suppose it will get easier with time, but it was very difficult for even me or my husband to put back on.

My 12 year old discovered the part that "extrudes" the french fries, etc. If you place play-doh in the hinge part of the grill, and you slide the spatula in a particular way on the back of the unit, then the fries come out. I would never have thought about this as it's not in the "instruction" sheet and certainly Michelle would not have figured it out. My other daughter looked at the box and saw how the spatula fit into the back of the griller. My advice would be to definitely look at the pictures on the box to see what else the toy can do. Oh, and it's sort of hard to clean the hinge part after extruding the play-doh.

Also, the top of the unit contains molds for hot dog buns and hamburger buns. Very similar to the real GF grills that warm buns. This part of the unit just sort of "hangs" there, there is no latch to connect it to the upper grill part. It's kind of hard to explain, but it's not that big of a problem. It just gets banged on the table quite a bit since 3 year-olds sometimes don't know the meaning of "gently." No worse for wear.

I gave 3 stars for durability, simply because we haven't had it long enough to determine its durability. I gave 1 star for educational value because I really don't know if it is educational. I suppose there's something kids could learn from it, but basically it's just a fun toy.

If your child likes play-doh and pretending to cook, he or she will absolutely love this item!

We love this toy!
My daughters played with this toy at a friend's house for two hours, literally! They had fun taking our dinner order and then "grilling" us our meals. I recommend this toy. ... Read more

Editorial Review

What preschooler could resist a Playdoh set complete with monsters, an erupting volcano and boulder bowling? This imaginative deserted island playset includes four 2-oz. cans of colorful Play-Doh compound, three plastic "customizable" Doh-Doh monster characters, a deserted island, a plastic volcano that oozes dough thanks to a lava plunger, a palm tree complete with a trunk that also doubles as a roller and even a tiki torch trimmer knife. Just imagine the adventures.--Deb Oroszlan ... Read more

Reviews (13)

toy and video are worth playing and watching
The toy was really great.Here's what it featured:
*3 characters -Mot(the yellow doh doh),Zlok (the blue doh doh) & Twango (the green doh doh)
*Doh Doh Island Tiki bowl set
* 3 2 oz play dohs
* MOld for tiki pins & bowl
* Bonus VHS Tape:Doh Doh Island Adventures Volume 1
If you like this playset,buy the Tiki Tu (Red doh doh) or Twiki(Pink doh doh) figures wich are sold seperately or the Doh doh Island:Skishketballplayset which was the more recent doh doh playset.I sure wish there would be a Flango character figure(the turquise doh doh).You know,Flango was actually a character from the video.I mentioned there was a bonus video.THe video featured 6 episodes:
*"Birthdoh Cake" wher MOt has a birthday and Twango and Zlok argue over who's making the cake.So the two bakers bring both of the cakes to the birthday and Mot ruins the cakes because he likes to jump so much.So everyone tastes the cakes and they like 'em together.
*"Happy Doh Lucky" where Flango finds a bad luck sign-the diamond dohstone so Mot and Zlok bring it back to the cave.But they lose it when they see a snake and Flango has the doh stone which was really a toy ducky.
*"Hip Hip hair-ay"where Twiki was starting to use Compound X instead of Doh Doh Hair Compound for Doh doh hair and uses them improperly.
*"Yo Ho Do" where Twango,Zlok and Mot are finding treausure and found it in Twiki's spetunias and it was Tiki Tu's treasure doh.
*"Video Doh Doh" where Flango is at the VIdeo arcade and is not very good at smashng Tikis.But when he sees a differnt point of himself he starts being good at it.
Well,I forgot the name of the lastepisode but in that episode,Mot wants to win the Tiki Bowl tournament but he can't hit the pins.So a splattasauras egg rolls by and Mot thinks its a bowling ball.Then he finds egg bowling ball and wins.
Great product for preschoolers.The video is worth watching and the playset is worth playing with.Too bad Doh Doh Island Adventures Volume 1 (2003) is not available on DVD.It's not even available in rental stores.THank You!

Doh Doh Island
What fun you will have playing with your little one at Doh Doh Island. The PlayDoh characters are so funny looking you can't help but burst out laughing. My only suggession would be to use some of the other playdoh you may have around, the more colors the more fun.

Doh Doh Island Is A Big Hit
My 6 year old son received this for a Christmas gift and he absolutely loves it. His came with the vidoe which he watches all of the time. I would recommend this for any playdough fan and my son is looking forward to the new Doh Doh Island set comming out on 2/15.

Excellent toy!!!!
My child has watched the video that came free with the playset over 50 times now! She sits there watching the movie and plays with the playdoh at the same time. I like how the Doh Doh's have big openings for easy cleaning. I recommend this toy highly for any child 3years and up!

Loving island living
My 5-year old son LOVES this toy more than anything else he received for the holidays. The monsters extrude hair, tongues, and various body parts - perfect for a boy interested in all things squishy. One of the best play doh sets ever; it has the hazards of any play doh activity - lots of little bits of gunk on the floor, but a low-priced afternoon (or month) of fun is well worth a lottle bit of vacuuming in my book. ... Read more