Editorial Review

For kids who want to experience the magic of growing their own garden, this kit is a fun andinventive experience. It contains everything you need to grow a small terrarium complete with an entirecommunity of tiny fantastical inhabitants. Paint the special planter with the paints (three primary colorsincluded), fill with soil, and then plant the enclosed beans and grass seeds. Then it's time to arrange the tinyfairy cottage, use the green pebbles to make a tiny path, and decorate the garden with the rocks, shells, and plastic animals that come with the kit. As the beans sprout and grow, you can cut and shape them sothey look like miniature trees--and for variety, add pepper, lemon, cantaloupe, and tomato seeds and watchjust what comes up. --John Longenbaugh ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Best toy in the world!
I think that this toy allows fun and education into children. It gives them a craft to play with when they are bored, and is fun for anyone to play with. I defenitely recommend this one of a kind "Wee Enchanted Garden Kit." My child Jessica who is 10, just loves crafts! I also teach in a school and bring crafts for them to do all the time! They seem to really enjoy it a bunch! this is totally a five star kit!

"Awsome Fun!"
It was so cool!I loved it!I could design it anyway I wanted to.Thanks!

MOTHER OF 6 YEAR OLD
MY DAUGHTER LOVES FAIRIES SO I HAD TO ORDER THIS. IN 3 DAYS WE HAD 6 INCHES OF GRASS AND A FEW BEAN SPROUT TREES!!!! SHE LOVES TAKING CARE OF HER FAIRIES!!!!

Plants grew TALL
Had a wonderful couple hours putting this together with my 5-year old niece. And, because I live across country from her, she promised she would call me when the plants started growing. Just a few days later, I got an excited phone message from her that the garden was growing and the "plants were SO TALL." I called her back and told her to get the lawnmower out, which she quickly relayed to her father. The only thing I would change about this kit would be to have more realistic and fun animals and maybe an elf to go with the house. The kit includes a plastic frog and mouse that aren't even near scaled to the size of the house. An elf, a few deer, and a squirrel might be a better combination.

Takes awhile, but is still fun!
I got this for myself, actually. I like playing with stuff like this, even though I am no longer a kid! I had fun painting the pot and planting the seeds. A few days later, the grass started to grow. Unfortunately I haven't seen much of the beans - but hopefully soon. This is a fun kit to play with, but doesn't actually give you many hours of enjoyment. Once you paint the kit and plant the seeds (which doesn't take THAT long) you basically just check on it every so often to water it and see the plants. One other good thing about this kit, they give you extra seeds and tell you how to make them sprout using paper towels so you can see the entire process - very interesting! Would recommend, as the price is not too bad - but there are plenty of more eduacational toys out there that will occupy more of your time. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Great Toy For Active Kids
This was a great craft kit for my children. My 7-year-old daugther received one for her birthday. She loved it so much since she could paint the soccer ball with colors that she had mixed and chosen. I just bought one for my son also. Both my kids love sports and I prefer them doing something active and fun rather than watching television. I love this kit since both my son and daugther can use it and you get a real soccer ball that the kids can play with after the paint dries.

Cool Look, But won't Last
This seems like a lot of fun, but at the same time most people nowadays are looking for the new cool-looking Adidas or Nike. Plus it probably won't last very long because of the material.

Coming from a kid
Coming from a kid, I must say that this is a wonderful item to have. I got it for my birthday last year and I loved it. I played with all the time. I painted it my own way, and it tought me to be more creative. It looks still liked new, after a year of playing Traveling Soccer. I had my friends sign my soccer ball and now everyone wants to play with it! I love it and if your kid is sporty and has fun painting and stuff...getting this for your kid is a great idea. I loved getting this and so will you!

not so good
tHISTOY DID NOT SUIT FOR A FUN TOY. I BOUGHT IT FOR MY KID AND 1 DAY AFTER MY KID PAINTED IT , IT CAME OFF. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT

Soccer Madness
I think that the soccer ball is great but not that educational only because all you do is paint. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Re-create Mother Nature's beautiful designs on the wings of butterflies with this kit from Balitono. It includes 4-inch wooden butterflies that can be used as refrigerator magnets, hanging sculptures, window decorations, and toy treasures. The kit offers three butterflies, nontoxic acrylic paints in five colors, shiny varnish, and a paintbrush. Each figure also comes with a press-on magnet, hanging accessories, a suction cup (for window use), and a small gift tag. An easy-to-follow instruction sheet includes compelling facts about the nature of butterflies. Colorful illustrations on the box show a wide variety of butterflies young artists might like to paint. A coded diagram inside identifies each species by name. Children may want to give these items as gifts, use them to decorate their rooms, or simply use them in creative play. --Joan DeClaire ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Great Memory!!
My 8-year old daughter received this Paint the Wild Butterflies as a birthday gift, when we started the project together, I was surprised that my 5-year son got really into it too. We had a really wonderful time painting, imagining and laughing at the table while doing this project. I have never seen activity kits with actual handcrafted wood and the butterflies actually look life-like as opposed to be machined made. The paints are suprisingly good quality, it dried quickly and we were able to change colors and added stripes and spots. I did wish there was more than 1 paintbrush to do all 3 at the same time. My daughter made it into a eye-catching ornament with gift card for her dad and my son and I each made a magnet. It is most definitely a memorable project and it captured my kids' artistic expressions which I am sure will bring smiles years from now.

Awesome for family fun
I bought this for my daughter for christmas and we made it a family project, we each painted a butterfly and it was alot of fun, gave her a chance to use her imagination as to what she wanted HER butterfly to look like...She attached the magnets and we now have it displayed on our refridgerator. I would definately reccomend this for a child who loves to be creative.

Cheap wood pieces
This kit is a great idea, but the butterflies break apart pretty easily. Need to make them of more durable wood.

Easy craft project for kids
My son at age 7 enjoyed this kit. It comes with 3 wooden butterflies, paint, paintbrush, etc. There is a small pamphlet included with some information about butterflies. We added our own glitter glue and other items to make the butterflies more decorative.

KIDS LOVE BUTTERFLIES!
Ever since I read j.singh's The Butterfly to my kids they've been obsessed with caterpillars and butterflies and just about the entire insect kingdom. So, undoubtedly, I've been cajoled into buying pretty much every butterfly book on the market (i plan to bill Singh!). Now having read all these books I consider myself a sorta self-proclaimed authority whose mission is to save parents time and money. And so here are the winners according to me and my two wonderful children. The gold medal goes to GOOD NIGHT SWEET BUTTERFLIES (for the illustrations color and content); the silver medal to FROM BUTTERFLY TO CATERPILLAR (for content and pictures); and the bronze to WAITING FOR WINGS (for content). There are plenty of others but these are a good place to start. Hope I've been helpful. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Oh man... :o)
Imagine a plastic barrel full of markers, colored paper, googly eyes (different sizes yet), pipe cleaners, fuzzy balls, cut out shapes, glitter, sequins, popsicle sticks...okay, there is more, but we haven't reached the bottom of the barrel yet. Basically, it's full of cool stuff that kids LOVE to goof around with. It's messy, and you'll be picking up sequins and various "shiney" things for days, but the kids will be absorbed for at least an hour, if not more.

We're homeschoolers, and when we don't feel like doing "formal" art, it's so much fun to pull out the giant barrel and say, "Okay, get the glue!" :oD

This is great!
The kids can really be creative with this, and the adults can have fun, too! There are plenty of each item in the barrel, so you can complete many different crafts. This would be a great birthday or holiday present. Just get some glue, and you're ready to go! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Much better than expected!
I ordered the Deluxe Stamp Set as a stocking gift for Christmas and did not have high expectations, since it was relatively inexpensive. I was pleasantly surprised. The whole set is packaged in a sturdy, reusable, wooden crate. The stamps are very high quality, rendering clean, detailed pictures. The ink was also of good quality, and it was completely washable. The stamps were easy to clean after use. My only criticism is of the colored pencils. There weren't enough colors, they did not work well with the stamps, and they were hard to sharpen. We ended up coloring our pictures with magic markers instead. Overall, though, a great product! ... Read more

Editorial Review

What a great way to make an impression. This Kids' Step Stone Kit includes everything you need to make a wonderful stepping stone: StoneCraft mix (containing Portland Cement and silica sand),rainbow rocks, glass gems and glitter, and a craft stick for writing. Kids will love making pictures ofgardens and rainbows, or immortalize their very own handprint--just like the stars. A winner of the 1998 ParentsChoice Approval stamp. Adult supervision required. --Andrea Linsky ... Read more

Reviews (6)

These Stepping Stones are awesome!
My daughter, who's now 8 and I have made these using her hand print for every Grandma, Grandpa, aunt, uncle and of course, Mom and Dad, too. They are great gifts. Inexpensive, but priceless to those lucky enough to get them. My Daughter with the help of my Mom made one for me for Christmas one year. I can't tell you how much I LOVE my stepping stone with her little handprint in it. You can also take a toothpick or something and write the child's name, "I love you" or whatever to make it even more personal. None of the stones we've made have broken either and by last count, we've made 8. Oh, one other thing that we tried with the last two we made was painting them with some outdoor paint and that turned out real cute too. Give these as gifts and you can't go wrong!

Great for younger kids, too
I have used this with my 3 year old on 3 separate occasions and she absolutely loves it! It takes a lot of parental involvement and help with the actual mixing process (adding the ingredients), but she was able to stir it herself and LOVED putting the stones in. I supplemented with marbles, floral stones, and some stones specific to mosaics that I found at a craft store. All in all - a wonderful project that provides years of creative options and play, as well as great parental involvement. I gave a high educational value since creativity is one of the key foundations of education for preschoolers.

Great Toy For 'Grownups'
My housemates and I had fun making tiles for our garden! This kit is great. So is the other Mosaic Tile one. I know it's for kids, but it really adds something special to my little garden!

Stepping Stone Kit is a Winner
I knew as soon as my daughter opened this present it was a winner. She was so excited she could not wait. She designed a sun shape on the concrete and is so proud as we step on it in our garden. The only problem is that the kit did not contain enough glass stones of the color she wanted. We used complimentary colors and it turned out beautifully. I would highly recommend this toy.

Attention Grandparents !!
I just picked up 2 of these "Kids' Stone Kits" for my grandsons. They make a GREAT Sunday project and are going to have a blast making them. But the best part is that they will feel good about themselves doing this project. Afterwards they can give these as a Christmas gift to their Mother and be proud of the gift that they made themselves !! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Too many craft projects end up in the drawer; this paint-it-yourselfelectric bedside lamp kit can light up a room. Included are a small ceramiclamp, a plain white shade, and the basics for decorating them. There's a six-potset of mixable paints, and also a 20-inch strip of pink pompoms for the shade'sfringe, complete with glue. Obviously, these can be supplemented with othercraft materials of your choosing. The lamp and shade together are 10 inches highand a 15-watt candle-style bulb is already included. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Project!
I bought this lamp for my 7 year old daughter when her baby sister was born. She decorated the lamp for her sister and put it in her nursery. She was very proud of herself and it was a great way for her to be included in getting ready for the baby. Her sister is 2 now and her lamp is still on her dresser. She had a great time putting it together and it is very well made as well. A great project for girls!

looks cool!
I gave it 4 not 5 because I don`t have it yet. It looks really cool, and I bet it really is all the box shows! which is more then I can say for alot of toys these days,sadly. Well I will do another review if I get this.

TERRIFIC !! We buy this for gifts too. GREAT PRODUCT !
I can't say enough about this lamp. It's QUALITY, a good project for a child 6 years and up. We bought one for a gift for an 8 year old too and she loved it. My granddaughter has a lamp that we made together, for her bedroom. What a good feeling she had when it was complete. By the way, the ONLY thing I did with her was help with glueing on the ball fringe. The only thing I would recommend is that Imaginarium also include other color fringes, like white, black, blue.....or ?? With a PINK fringe, it's clearly earmarked as a girl's project and I think a boy would enjoy a lamp too. I could see a camo lamp with a black fringe too.
GREAT PRODUCTS COME FROM IMAGINARIUM. I HAVE MANY ON THE CRAFT SHELF!

Groovy and FUN too!
I bought this toy for my seven year old's birthday and she had the best time with it. It comes with paint to paint the base and other arts and crafts to decorate the lampshade...and it really works!! It's definately worth the money! ... Read more

Reviews (15)

No Sun No Solar System!
You can't very well have a solar system without a sun and this product does not have one. Ridiculous!

Vincent 's favorite Night time activitie
I purchased this for my son (He just turned 2) after he was totally taken with Baby Einstein's Baby Galileo's Dvd. It's a bit of a pain with the installation (fishing wire, and those very tiny star tac's ). But other than that its a great way for children to learn about the solar system.

A must have!!!!!!!!

I want one too
My daughter got one of these but never showed much interest, so we hung it in my 4-yo son's room. It was so cool, the planets glow really brightly and in different colors....Jupiter is kind of red and neptune is blueish. I take every opportunity to go in his room and watch these, I want my own set. Now all I need to do is convince my wife.
Very cool toy.

Educational Room Decorations
The educational value of having the planets hang from our son's room is great. At 4 years-old, he could name the nine planets thanks in large part to this "toy". So I give it the highest marks in educational value. A little tid-bit about each of the planets is provided on a panthlet in this set and I read it to our son as my husband hung the set. Our son actually memorized much of what I read to him and when the set was new he asked me to reread the panthlet to him several times to fill in the pieces of information that he had forgotten.

It's also fun in that our son enjoys showing it to our guests and telling them about the planets. However, I rate the set as 4 out of 5 stars in the fun category simply because it is more like decoration. This set hangs from the ceiling, so you never play with it or even touch it once it is hung. You simply enjoy looking at it and talking about it.

The downside of this set is that the stars are really small stickers so you will want to purchase some larger glow-in-the-dark stars. Also it is a pain to hang this set since you have to tie fishing line to each of the planets and then use tack-like objects to connect them to the ceiling. But once you have it all set up your child will probably be pleased.

The Case of the Missing Sun
I am currently considering purchasing this toy for my 7 year old nephew. From the reviews, it sounds pretty neat. However, for all those reviewers who were mourning the lack of a sun, allow me to point out that this set seems to be scientifically to scale. Since that is the case, a 3d model of the sun would be thousands of times larger than the model of the earth, hence you would have about a 6 foot wide sun model to hang from your ceiling! That might just be a little too awkward.

Still think I'm going to purchase it, though. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Monopoly's popularity is of epic proportions. Thisquintessential board game challenges wannabe capitalists of all ages toaccumulate as much wealth as possible by buying, selling, and tradingproperties; collecting rents; and various other windfalls. Keepingplayers engrossed for hours, Monopoly requires clever strategizing andsometimes ruthless business maneuvers. Numerous versions of thethoroughly satisfying game have appeared over the years, butMake-Your-Own Opoly could be even better--because players create it themselves!The game includes everything needed to hand-customize the game board,cards, play money--even the box. Whether using a computer and printeror simply a pen and scissors, anyone can manufacture the perfectindividualized "Smith-opoly," "Baldwin Middle School-opoly," or"Timbuktu-opoly." Contains CD-ROM, floppy disk, paper and label set,game board, six colored pawns, two dice, easy-to-follow publishingbooklet, and game instructions. For two to six players. --EmilieCoulter ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Could of been better
I really liked this game, but it is a big hassle. Sure, it is cool to make your own opoly, but it took to much time. Plus once you put something on the board you can't change it. I wish they made it better, just easier. It would be really cool if you could just send what you wnated to the factory, don't you think? So, if you're wondering whether to buy this or not, it is a very fun thing, but if you are really busy you might not enjoy it as much.

It's a lot of fun.
I like it because I was able to make it about my favorite spot where I like to go swimming,kayaking,waterskiing,kneeboarding,
tubing, and looking for moose and deer. It was lots of fun. Me and my family love to play it.You should get it!

Disappointing Alternative
If you are a true Monopoly lover then, you may be very disappointed in "Make-Your-Own-Opoly". There are some major differences in the board from the original Parker Brother's game such as the jail and free parking and "go to jail" have been all changed to loose a turn and roll again and things of that nature. Also, there are no hotels or houses so you were not able to increase land value by developing properties. All in all I found it too far from the concept of the original (or parker brother produced variations) monopoly game to be able to enjoy it as a "Monopoly" alternative.
Other deterrents include that there are only a couple of plain sheets of paper sent with it for your money and property cards to be printed on. One would need to use their own printer paper if they wanted much money at all.

Why???
I really like the concept of the game, however, in my opinion it has some big shortcomings. Every die hard Monopoly fans knows that there are 10 spaces from corner to corner - this game gives you nine. Why? I have no clue. I think it could have been a lot truer to the original format. There aren't transportation squares on each side, and only two places equivalent to chance/community chest. It's a good idea, just whoever designed it didn't do a good job of bringing it to life. Copyright issues? I don't know... it just think it's annoying.

The first step to personalized gaming! I love it!
I just bought one for my own family but it makes an AWESOME gift! I bought it for my sister's family 2 years ago and they still rave about it and play it at family gatherings like thanksgiving and christmas time. ... My sister doesn't have a computer so I knew that I was going to have to make it for her. I had to download a working copy of the program used to make the personalized stuff from the website that was printed on the instruction book - the cd and the floppy disk did not work for me but that was by no means detrimental - didn't take long and the program is so easy to use. I was able to put a picture of my niece on the $500 bill and a picture of my nephew on the $100 - it's anything goes and only limited by your imagination. A VERY creative and highly entertaining game. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

great birthday gift
My 7 year old girl got this as a birthday present. The butterflies that come in the kit are very pretty and basically all the children have to do is decorate them. There were 3 butterflies included and my 4 year old also easily decorated one. We hung them from the ceiling in their bedrooms and they look very attractive. This is a one time do it craft project but I think anyone will get nice results.

Highly recommended
Great art project with parental supervision. We decorated my 3 yr old daughter's bedroom in a butterfly theme and these mobiles are perfect. She loves to paint and use glitter glue so this was fun. Make sure you cover the surface you are using because the glitter paint does glop and drip through the mesh of the butterfly, and let it dry overnight before touching. It was not very educational for her and she can't play with them, but the butterflies look beautiful hanging from the ceiling. She loves pointing out which squiggle lines she did herself and in what color glitter paint. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Express yourself by designing your own temporary tattoos. Apply the enclosed tattoo outlinetransfers and color them in using the washable skin markers (and your imagination). Or use the markersalone and work freestyle to create your own body art masterpieces. Tattoos last one to three days. They can beremoved with rubbing alcohol or soap and water (and a little elbow grease), or peeled off using adhesivetape. This kit includes over 50 tattoos. Both markers and transfers are made from nontoxic, water-basedmaterials.--Alison Golder ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Tattoo with your child
Kids love tatoos and my daughter is no exception. Short of actually letting her go get tatooed, this is great. It's fun...you get the hang of it after realizing you can't put in too much water. Enjoy...even my husband was tatooed, so I think it's fun. They wash off in the bath.

No worth the Money
It doesn't come with enough tattous. They run out pretty fast. You are just buying 6 markers to draw and color your own designs.

Good
My mom bought this set for my four year old son last week. At first I thought it might be a little advanced for him, but he got the hang of it in no time. Now he is tattooing the whole family. They are pretty easy to rub off, but that's probably a good thing, since he covered my daughter's face with flowers right after she got out of the bath! For the price, this is a great toy.

My Son Adores This!
After reading one good and one bad review, I was torn whether to buy this for my son or not, but I'm glad I did! My only complaint is that the color-in markers take a while to dry. Other than that, the tatoos are easy to apply (my 6-year-old does it himself), fun to color and even better to show off! This is by far one of my better toy purchases!

A Big Disappointment!
Gave this to my granddaughter for her birthday -- she LOVES tattoos -- but this was a big disappointment. She quickly got on to how it worked, but when she colored in the outline and imprinted it on her hand, the tattoo was unrecognizable . . . AND to make matters worse, it rubbed off immediately. We read the directions carefully and tried using it a number of different ways, but always with the same result. A waste of money, in my opinion ... Read more

Editorial Review

This Star Explosion kit allows children to create a universe intheir own bedrooms. With over 500 glow-in-the-dark adhesive pieces tochoose from (including stars of all sizes, comets, asteroids, and spiralgalaxies), junior astronomers can create star displays, black-holeeffects, and, with the aid of the included star map, actualconstellations. There are 364 small (.25-inch to 1.5-inch) star stickersand about 200 larger (1.5-inch to 5.5-inch) plastic shapes that adhereto walls and ceilings with the putty that comes with the set (it's safeto use on most surfaces). The stickers and plastic shapes are made ofGlominite, a safety-tested product that stores light. Each time theGlominite shapes are exposed to light, they recharge--so that theglowing keeps on going. --Kathryn Gustafson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

WE TURNED THE BEDROOM INTO A GALAXY
I had a lot of fun with my granchildren transforming their bedroom into a glowing galaxy. There was more than enough stars to make a bunch of constellations on their ceiling. These are easy to use and weren't messy at all. The kids love staring at the stars and pointing out the names of constellation before they go to bed at night. I was surprised when they started pointing out the real ones once we were outside one evening.
The experience really turned them on to learning about the constellations. We even ended up buying a real telescope and book about stars. What a fun way to learn for all of us. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

PRO'S AND CONS TO THE ROCK GARDEN WATERFALL
THE PRO'S TO THIS TOY IS THAT IT'S FUN AND NOT SOMETHING YOU'RE GOING TO FIND AT MOST STORES DOWNTOWN. IT'S UNUSUAL. THAT'S A REAL PLUS TO A TYPICAL CRAFT LOVING KID. MY 12 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAD A BLAST CREATING A FOUNTAIN SHE DEEMED TO BE UNIQUE. THE PROBLEM (OR CONS) ARE THAT THE PAINTS THAT CAME WITH THE PROJECT WERE DRY AND HARD AS ROCKS. WE COULD'NT GET THEM TO THE PROPER LIQUID CONSISTENCY NO MATTER WHAT WE DID. EVEN HAD WE BEEN ABLE, THERE'S NO WAY THE TINY AMOUNT OF PAINT THAT COMES WITH THIS KIT IS ADEQUATE FOR THE JOB. WE HAD TO BUY PAINTS, AND IT WAS NO EASY TASK FINDING SOME THAT WERE SUITABLE TO THE TASK.
OTHER CONS WERE THAT THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH ROCKS IN THE KIT TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING EVEN CLOSE TO THE PICTURE ON THE BOX AND WHEN THE FOUNTAIN IS ALL PUT TOGEATHER, THERE'S MORE NOISE FROM THE PUMP THAN FROM THE WATER, WHICH DOES MORE TRICKLING THAN ACTUAL FLOWING...
THE IDEA IS AWESOME, BUT THE PRODUCT NEEDS A LITTLE WORK AND IMPROVEMENT. IF YOU DONT MIND BUYING PAINT AND A FEW EXTRAS, AND MAYBE EXPERIMENTING WITH THE PUMP, IT'S A FUN AND WORTHY PROJECT AND I THINK THAT MOST CRAFT LOVERS WILL ENJOY IT.

a disappointment unless you add your own rocks
I bought this for my niece at age 11. She was able to paint and assemble the kit by herself. She needed a tiny bit of help with one of the wires that connects the battery.

She enjoyed putting it together, but when we added the rocks, it looked very bare. There definitely were not enough rocks.

Luckily we have a collection of "finds" from the beach including beach class, stones, shells, etc, which we used to decorate it.

Unfortunately my sister, after a few months decided that she didn't want the water sitting in their living room where it was waiting to spill on their new leather furniture.

I'd have to say that if you like the idea, the kit alone isn't enough. I'd recommend a nature walk for pretty stones first.

Great fun but a few things you should know
This toy was great for me (an adult), but I'm not sure an 8 year old would have the patience for it.

A couple of tips: 1) Read the directions through before starting. 2) Don't confuse the white paint with the contact cement. 3) Save a little of the brown and black paint to reapply over the white paint if it gets too light.

A couple of flaws: 1) There aren't enough rocks to make the waterfall look like the pictures on the box. 2) The pump works fine, does not leak or anything, but the sound you hear when it is on is primarily the motor running, not gurgling water. (This is lessened when you take the cover off of the motor, so perhaps playing with the wire positioning, etc., would reduce the motor noise.)

However, I *LOVED* putting this together and am satisfied with the results. ... Read more

Features

• Paint 3 puppies
• Includes 3 wood puppies, 5 acrylic paints, varnish, paintbrush, 3 magnets, and more
• Winner of Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award

Reviews (6)

Fun Now and Later
I purchased three "Paint the Wild: Puppies" kits for my daughters, ages 5, 8, and 10. They very much enjoyed the process of painting the puppies to match their favorite breeds, as well as some newly created breeds straight from their imagination.

The puppies are a lightweight wood (likely balsa or soft pine) and are durable enough to play with after the paint has dried. There's plenty of paint included to complete your masterpieces.

Satisfaction with this product has inspired my decision to purchase other "Paint the Wild" kits. The horses were also a big hit with my children.

This is a good choice to fill a rainy afternoon. Also is an excellent gift item.

Not what I expected.
Was disappointed that the puppies were basically chunks of wood faintly resembling dogs...thought they might have more detail or finishing. Would probably pass had I known....

GREAT FUN KIT!
The kit was great I thought it was soo much fun to paint the puppies different colors! This toy is really cool because you can hang your puppies,put magginets on them or just play with them! This toy is pretty durable but if you slammed it really hard on a hard floor it would probally break.If you like craft kits you should deffinatly get this one.

Painting Puppies With Paint the Wild is FUN
I love this kit--the puppies are so cute and the project is really fun. I loved the finished craft and it gave my children the freedom to creat whatever they wanted. Would like to buy more of these to make a whole kennel and to give as birthday and holiday gifts. All we needed was in the box and the directions were so easy to follow.

Howling fun!
We got this puppy kit for my daughter's birthday party. She spent more time on it than any other toys she got (maybe 20 gifts). It is a good, classic toy and I was suprised how well she can paint (she's 7). The only thing I would like to have more is a couple additional paintbrushes so her brother can do it at the same time with the other 2 puppies. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Horse-lovers will enjoy painting three wooden horses, which can be used as refrigerator magnets, hanging sculptures, window decorations, and toy figurines. The kit includes three 5-inch handcarved horses, nontoxic acrylic paints in five colors, shiny varnish, and a paintbrush. Each horse comes with a press-on magnet, hanging accessories, a suction cup (for window use), and a small gift tag. An easy-to-follow instruction sheet includes compelling facts about the history and nature of horses. Colorful photos on the box show horses in their habitats, serving as the artist's guide to authentic renditions. Children may want to give these items as gifts, use them to decorate their rooms, or simply use them in creative play. --Joan DeClaire ... Read more

Editorial Review

In childhood, stepping stones symbolize the territory we cover, the measured leaps we take from one stage to the next. This Parent's Choice (1998) kit offers children a tangible stepping stone that can be placed in a living room or garden pathway. No matter where the location, it will remain a lasting tribute to a child's growth, achievement, or artistry. The sack of dry cement is mixed with water and poured into a square mold. Glitter and an assortment of colorful stones come with the kit and can be used for decoration. Children can also press their hand- or footprints into the stones or etch words, drawings, or designs into them. Footprints might celebrate a toddler's first step (obviously, parents will need to make the stone in this case); a handprint might honor a child's kindergarten graduation; or a baseball drawing could commemorate a kid's first home run. The possibilities are endless. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Create your own sun-catching works of art for gifts or for yourself with this activity kit.The set containsfour different items to decorate with colored translucent mosaic tiles and black outline paint: a 5-by-7-inch plasticframe, a 4-by-3-inch plastic box, and two 3.5-inch glass bottles.A squeezable paint bottle of nontoxic blackdimensional paint, nontoxic glue, a paintbrush, paper patterns, and a bag of colored mosaic shapes are included. Adultsupervision is useful in reducing the frustration level in handling small pieces, and necessary for opening the containersand reading the directions. Refills are available from the manufacturer. --S. J. Kurtz ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Cute activity, Cheap quality
This is a fun activity to do with a child, but honestly, it is cheap quality and not that asthetically pleasing. It is a great fine motor promoting activity - i actually bought it for my 12 yr old and realized that that it really was more appropriate for my 3 yr old. Rachael loves her "pretty things" and it is fun. Glue sticks well too.

fairly good.
the glass bottles hold up really well, and the glue works well also. the suncatcher is not vey durable at all, and the box is somewhere in the middle. it was a fun hour or so i spent with this kit, and i still have one of the bottles. i wouldn't recommend this to neat freaks (the little pieces go EVERYWHERE) but for anyone else it's pretty fun.

Makes a great gift
I had this sent to my granddaughter for her 11th birthday. She lives in another state so I haven't seen the crystal mosaics personally but Taylor tells me she LOVES it!

Great Value and Fun to Make
My seven year-old niece and eight year-old nephew decorated all of items in this kit today. They had fun planning their designs and decorating the vases and box. The quality of all of the included items is very good and there are more than enough plastic mosaic pieces to decorate everything. I just recommend having a bottle of Elmer's glue handy - we found that easier to use than the glue tub and paint brush included in the kit. This kit is a great value and the end products are really very nice!

Good project
My daughter loved this. She is really in to doing crafts and she made beautiful designs with this. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

My daughter loves this toy!
My 9 year old daughter saw this toy at a local store, and has has many hours of fun with it since. Sure, it doesn't come with a ton of cloth or trim, but we happen to have some substitutes: old magazines, newspapers, tissue (glue to backing for durability), and lots of colored pencils. Almost anything works, and if your child is reasonably creative, the enclosed materials will serve as a springboard for using household items for further designs. The patterns are simple enough for kids to cut out and to use over and over, and kids find the dolls very attractive.

These dolls are the best!
I got my Fashion Angels kit from a friend for my birthday, and I absolutely love it!If you don't know what to get your daughter,niece,or friend for her birthday, get her this. It is a must have for girls that want to be fashion designers!

These ANGELS make mom REJOICE!
My 7 year old daughter loves crafts (she gets that from her mom). I saw the Fashion Angels at the toy store and thought she'd love them, but did some research first. I was a little worried about the "warnings" that the toy might be misrepresented. I purchased it anyway. I was a little disappointed in the amount of fabric that came with the set, but this is easily remedied by a quick trip to the fabric store, OR BY USING YOUR DAUGHTHER'S OLD BLUE JEANS, play clothes, etc. to make more outfits. We spent one of our holidays with girls aged 6 - 13 NON-STOP making outfits for the angels. It held ALL of the girls' attention for hours on end. BRAVO to The Bead Shop for a toy that doesn't get pushed to the back of the closet. This will be something that my daughter and I enjoy together for many years to come!

great!
I am 14, and Love fashion angels. They are so much fun, and get me a chance to be creative. It comes with so much stuff, and yoou can build as many outfits as you want. I find it hard to believe, anyone could not like this toy.

LOVE IT!!
I love Fashion Angels! They provided hours of fun for my girls. You can dress them up in all different kinds of outfits. After they were finished they packed everything up in the portfolio that comes with it. Great toy! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Stationery will never be its plain, boring old self again when children begin writing on thespecial paper in this Super Stationery Scratch-Art Kit. The kit includes 25 sheets of black note paper and 25brightly colored envelopes. When the paper is scratched by the set's wooden drawing sticks, bright colorsare revealed in startling contrast to the black paper. Five sheets reveal gold, 5 reveal silver, 5 revealfluorescent, and 10 reveal multiple colors. Surprisingly beautiful designs and writing can be made by eventhe most untrained hand. The kit also has a set of stencils, so young artists can trace their favorite designsonto notes. Instructions are clear and to the point. This kit will transform writing thank-you notes orinvitations from a chore to a creative and enjoyable activity for children.--Lee Strucker ... Read more

Reviews (3)

better for the under 10 crowd
I recall enjoying this project as a child in school. My sister gave this item to my daughter for her birthday last week. She loved it. It is a bit different from the cheapos at the dollar tree (refer to last review). This comes with a variety of colorful envelopes, that the paper actually fits into when folded. The scratch off paper comes in different colors (beneath the black scratch off stuff too). There is gold, silver, flourescent, and rainbow. My Daughter just loved picking thru the colors and selecting a particular one for her creation. She also used the simple stencils that came with it. It was easy for her to use, it was a "blank canvas" for her to be creative, and we mailed the suckers away when she was done with them (so they aren't cluttering up my house :). She enjoyed sending mail to her friends, and there is a social studies aspect to these, and the educational value of learning how to address and send a letter. Also, fine motor skills and creativity.

The truth of scratch art
This toy is non-educational and most kids find it boring.When my art teacher brings out the scratch art all the kids groan.
Go to the Dollar Tree and buy it cheap if you really want it!

Great Gift for Year after Year
My daughter received a scratch art kit last year and she truly enjoyed it. Although it has no real "educational" value it allows any level of "artist" the flexibility to be creative. Even just a simple line or doodle looks majical after making the mark. I am again buying a kit for my daughter's birthday and an extra to save as a birthday gift to have on hand for the next birthday party we're invited too! You will NOT be dissappointed. ... Read more