Amazon.com

The Aquadoodle isn't a pool or tub toy, but without water it's no fun at all. It's just a drawing mat after all, but kids will like the novelty of its disappearing colors. The 81 by 53-inch drawing mat is large enough for several kids to doodle on at a time, using the included magic marker pens that do not transfer color to other surfaces (to our knowledge …). Color from the pens appears when water touches the mat; it then fades out without a trace in 60 seconds or so. That's it: no ink, no paint, and no mess.Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Love it!
I bought this today at target for my 2 year old daughter. We absolutly love it! She can doodle and draw to her hearts content and never run out of paper.....or be told to be careful to not color on the table. It is just water.....no mess what so ever! The drawings took about 2 minutes to completly disappear. What a great invention! Highly recommend!

What a great idea!
I recently bought an Aqua Doodle for my 2 year old nephew, and it was a huge hit! He was immediately drawn to the mat, and understood how to use the pens right away. The best part was that his 3 year old cousin was able to sit with him and they both had a blast. This is a great toy, because there is absolutely no mess.

I would NOT recommend this toy
I am a frequent buyer/reviewer for toys online and I am generally quite happy with them. This toy has a great concept, but I really wasn't thrilled with it. As the other reviewers have stated, it is a great toy...that is, until it's all wet. I found that the manufacturer SAYS, "image disappears in approx. 20 seconds.". This is where they are wrong. My kids LOVED playing with it, until they ran out of room to write stuff. It took so long to dry to become clear again, that I had to bring it in and put my hairdryer to it for an additional FIVE minute to dry it in order to continue using it. And this toy wasn't even drenched, just regular use. The idea of this toy is great, but has a big inconvenience. Maybe when it's a hot day it'll be better....I hope! I bought two, one for my daughter and one for my niece. I'm returning the unopened one.

Happy Mom
This toy is awesome....Hats off to SpinMaster....I saw this toy online a month ago and went to Toys-R-Us to purchase it and they did not carry it yet...I was just there today and was so happy to see it on the shelf....My kids just opened it and they love it....They are 4 and 19 months old and this is something that they can play together and enjoy....My 4 year old loves to trace the alphabet...If anyone has preschool aged kids or younger this toy is a true winner!!!! Definitely worth the money....

Very Special Toy - Highly recommend
This is a WONDERFUL activity toy for children of all ages - even adults! Several kids can play together on the large size mat and it is very neat, easy to store,very educational,provides hours of fun. The unique technology allows for children to draw with water so you never have to clean up or replace any pens etc. The images disappear after a few minutes so you always have a new writing area. I highly recommend this toy to everyone!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Just like any great artist, your little one should be preparedfor that moment when creative inspiration arrives. Featuring a largechalkboard on one side and a blank pad of paper on the other, thisDouble Easel will ensure that your pintsize Van Gogh can capture amoment of inspiration before it passes. The Double Easel is made ofdurable plastic and comes with wide trays on both sides for storing artsupplies (not included), as well as a large piece of chalk and aneraser (included). A large plastic clamp on one side of the easel holdsdown a 50-sheet pad of paper (included), and the two storage trays areremovable for easy cleanup. Designed for use by one or two children ata time, the Double Easel folds together for compact storage. Measures43.5 inches tall. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A fun toy
Everyone knows that easels are a great toy for children, they encourage creativity and give them a reason to turn off the tv... My son has this easel, and it is really nice, I just wish that when they constructed it they would have bothered to put holes in the wide trays so when water or paint is spilled in them, it can drain out. As it is, I have to invert the entire easel to drain the trays. (Yes, this is an outdoor toy.) The only other major drawback to this easel is that the pad of paper that is provided is quickly used up, and I don't know where to find replacement pads. My son (who is a young 4) loves to draw on the plastic chalkboard side with his sidewalk chalks, and enjoys painting when I can find paper to use with it. Assembly was not as easy as we'd hoped, my husband is a real Mr. Fix-it and this gave him a little trouble. It was also missing a small part. BUT all these things aside, I would reccomend this to a friend, and I think your child would have fun with it also.

Most durable one out there - like new after 4 children!
This is just a great toy. Ours has gone through 4 children, 3 of them boys, and it's still like new. Little Tikes makes things that last forever and this is no exception. The trays snap off for easy cleanup, but stay on when needed by children. It's just so much fun for them to be able to draw on one side and paint on the other at the same time. We buy the finger paint sets and use the paper that is included in them and also, they make extra paper sets sold separately that provides the slippery side needed for finger painting. I love how easily this easel cleans up and requires very little maintenance. A great buy for a lot of fun!

Disappointment
How can you review something that is missing parts and you can't use? After trying to pick out the perfect easel for our grandson who just turned 3 - we picked this one because of the reviews it received. You cannot imagine how upset we were the evening before we were to travel to Richmond to give it to him, already put together when we were missing major parts. Too late to call the store to correct the mistake and we are leaving very early in the morning before the stores will be open again. You would think that when you purchase something that all the parts would be in place - especially something for a child. So, we head to Richmond tomorrow morning - with a new broken birthday present for our grandson. This is not acceptable - and will be last item I purchase from Little Tikes. I've called Little Tikes and left a message for them, but this won't fix the face that I will see in the morning when I tell him his birthday present isn't ready yet and he can't play with it. Come on people - if you have a job - at least do it right!

Great toy--even secondhand!!
I bought this easel used and it was still in perfect shape after being played with at a daycare. We are using it outdoors and plan to use it inside all winter. My 2 year-old loves to hide inbetween the easel for fun, paint, and use the chalkboard. I love the removeable trays. I do wish it was height-adjustable--or at least the paper clip was, but that's ok. We just use clothespins to pin 2 pieces of paper together to "lower" the paper.

BEWARE of chalkboard
I have brought home 4 different easels, and ALL of them have had broken chalkboards. As another review said, it is a very sharp plastic material and can be very dangerous for young children. I'm going back again today to see if I can find another one that is not broken. The manufacturer needs to be aware of this defect!!!! ... Read more

Teacher Review

With this well-designed, double-sided easel, preschoolers can enjoy the advantages of creative expression on an upright surface. The easel's frame is made from sturdy wood left in its natural state, with thick pressed board used as the bases for the art surfaces. One side of the easel has a 24-by-24-inch, green chalkboard, and the other side has a 24-by-24-inch, white dry-erase board.Two removable, washable trays are included to attach to the easel (one with molded spaces to hold paint jars and brushes). The easel requires simple assembly, but no tools are required and all bolts and plastic bolt covers are included. Some thoughtful design aspects include an adjustable height feature, a convenient, built-in paper towel holder, and two metal clips to attach paper for painting. Included in the set are some art supplies to get started: four large, no-spill paint jars, six small jars of poster paint, four paint brushes, a package of colored chalk, six dry-erase markers, a foam eraser. This set was a winner of the Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys Award, and it would be a winning addition to any playroom, family daycare home, or preschool. --Marcie Bovetz, mother and former children's librarian ... Read more

Features

• 48" tall
• Double-sided easel
• One side is a chalkboard, the other a dry-erase board
• Paint jars included

Reviews (9)

Great item, but a very pricey
I expected the item to arrive with more supplies and some paper for first time use. My husband and I both agree that the item is well made, durable and the kids love it. The price was just too high, at [$$$] for the item plus shipping, because the item was heavy,this was a [$$$] purchase. Assembly was easy enough, except that the holes on the chalkboard were a little off and it took brute force the line the holes up for the bolt. All in all if I could have returned it without paying another [$$$] I probably would have and spent my [$$$] on art supplies alone. I hope this easel will last through all my children, that way maybe I'll feel justified in the price I paid.

Very nice easel, but...
My sister purchased this item as a Christmas present for my 3 year old son. He was very excited while his dad was assembleing the easel, however he could not enjoy it right away because the 75 foot paper roll supposed to come with it was not included in the package. Another dissapointed fact was the blue poster color that my son accidentaly spotted the carpet did not come off easily and left parmanent stain on the carpet. We've tried every way to remove the stain (steam vac, detergent, etc.), but we could not get lid of it. I was very surprised the color was not water based considering it is a product for kids.

Worth every penny!
I purchased this easel for my four year old son. Not only am I pleased that it was so simple to assemble (on Christmas eve!) but it has become a great source of entertainment. The frame is sturdy and will last a long time in a busy house. The marker board wipes off easily and has not discolored at all. The trays help little hands to organize and use the chalk, paints and markers. It did not come with a roll of paper, but the paint jars, brushes, dry erase markers, chalk and eraser were included. Tiny paints were included but are used up quickly. I am highly pleased that I spent the extra money to buy this model.

a lemon
The easel arrived with two problems. One was that the tray had apparently broken in shipment. In part this was due to faulty packaging. However, upon breaking it apparently shatters into many sharp edged fragments.

The other problem, even more troubling, was that one of the legs had holes which were so improperly drilled that it was impossible to assemble.

I must say that Amazon.com was very prompt and courteous in their response to our complaint and quickly arranged for prepaid shipment back with refund.

Something missing
We purchased this item for Christmas for our 31/2year old and 61/2year old. They both loved the easel. It was missing, however, the paper roll that was supposed to come with it. That was very discouraging for our 31/2 year old as he wanted to paint right away. I am waiting for an answer via email about this problem. Some of the screw holes didn't line up properly so we had to really jam the bolts into the holes of the boards, doing a little bit of damage but not enough to go through the trouble of returning the easel. It looks great and the kids use it to play school etc... Hopefully the paper roll will turn up sometime soon. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Doesn't have to be just for easels...
Being a preschool teacher I use these all of the time. I have found that taking the sheets out individually clipping them to the easels clip to be the best way to work with them. Even if you don't have an easel these are wonderful for children of all ages. Large, unlined sheets of paper encourage children to be creative and to express themselves in a completely original way. For infants, toddlers, and preschoolers I will often tape the sheets to the table and let them color/paint/glue to their hearts delight.

Too Heavy
I bought this pad for my twins. They use it on their little tikes double easel. This pad is a little to heavy to stay underneath the clip. When they start drawing on it, it starts to slip down. However, easel pads are not easy to find in our area, so I will probably continue to buy these. They have lots of pages in each book and good quality paper for "little artists". ... 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

Book Description

Publish your own keepsake photo book!!

PhotoStory lets you publish your own book, but you can also include your favorite photos, stickers, stamps or other art material. Simply send in your decorated kit pages with the story or captions you want typeset, and in just weeks you'll receive back an archivalquality 7" by 9", laser reproduced 15 page hardback book. Numerous options allow you to create almost any type of book up to 50 pages in length, and for any number of additional book copies. The 168 Mrs. Grossman's stickers make it easy to be creative. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Product, Great Company
I used this product to create a book for my sister's baby shower. It was a big hit. The customer service of this company was amazing, they were always very quick to respond and very willing to work with me to create an amazing book. I have been telling all of my friends with children that they need to buy this product or one of the many others from Creations By You. You will not be disappointed with your purchase, the end product looks like a professionally produced book.

Buy this product!
My children did the Illustory kits for years but once they got a little older, they wanted a little bit more and this kit is perfect. You can still do drawings with your stories but this kit lets you use photos and stickers (some already come in the kit) and stamps and scrapbook and art materials--just about anything they want to jazz up the pages. We've made books for friends as a birthday gift, we did a travelogue of our last vacation and we've even used them to make an end-of-the-year yearbook for the teacher (everyone wanted a copy!). This kit is so cool and unique--there are hundreds of uses for it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

THESE COLORS ARE GREAT
I really loved receiving the 213 count coloring set for my birthday. The quality is excellent and the durability is better than most I've encountered. And i've encountered a lot of just plain crappy crayons/colored pencils. I reccommend this product to anyone who just loves to color! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Worked Very Well For Us
At first I thought the same of the reflective pieces, that they would not go in, however, on second a second attempt they infact do snap into and stay in place very, very well.

As for the "floating image" yes, at first I too thought, "Okay, this is 'floating' just a bit too high for tracing purposes," but when another light was turned on in the room, everything meshed perfectly.

My son LOVES this toy. We have not had any problems with the reflective plates coming out and all of his traced drawings with the Digidraw come out beautifully. I've noticed an increase in his attention detail and depth now when freehand drawing.

Piece Of Cr#p - does not work well
My son had wanted one of these for about 2 years, after seeing them on TV being advertised. I tried telling that things on TV NEVER work like they promise. But, he still wanted one.

Then Spiderman 2 came out and they released a Spiderman Digidraw and I finally relented and we went to the store for the sole purpose of buying a Spiderman 2 Digidraw. There were alot of pieces in the box so I made them wait until they got home to open the box.

When we got home, my 7 year old tried putting it together and got extremely frustrated, so I jumped in and tried. After many attempts we came the conclusion (a 31 yr old, a 7 yr old, and a 6 yr old) that this product is very poorly made. The plates do not snap into place and fall as soon as they are touched. The image reflected on the paper is very hard to see and trace. In the end the kids just wanted to keep the colorful images of spiderman, but they were all backwards so that they would reflect correctly.

We have decided to return the Digidraw and I consider it a well learned lesson the AS SEEN ON TV translates into PIECE OF CR#P!
Save your moeny and get a coloring book and tracing paper instead

It Works!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I saw the reviews Ithought this toy was junk. I thought I should try it. It was so easy. (...)This toy has MAGICAL markers.It's so easy to keep in place with the magnets.Even a 2 year old could use this toy.(...)

Don't waste your money!
I bought "2" of these, as we had a very long flight to Japan ahead of us and I needed something to occupy my 5 and 6 year olds. What a huge mistake! We got very frustrated trying to assemble them and even more frustrated trying to trace the images. If I could of opened the plane door, I would of thrown them out at 30,000 feet! What's really annoying is that I can't even return them as I bought them in L.A. and we live in Japan!

Disappointed in Maryland
My daughter saw this advertised on television quite sometime ago, and asked for it several times. We finally decided to buy it online, received it today (after much anticipation!), and she is completely disappointed. To begin with, the reflection plates don't actually snap in, as the directions say they do. Next, the reflection, while visible, is very difficult to trace. In fact, I had trouble, too! Last, after trying many different images (and thinking that the next one would be easier!), my daughter tried tracing an animated cartoon. I decided to line it up for her, thinking that would help get her started, and it was impossible to do! She is ten, and is quite artistic. This toy, however, has been nothing but a letdown! She feels taken advantage by the television advertisement, and doesn't want to try it again! We are sending it back tomorrow!!
I only wish I had been smart enough to read these online reviews before we purchased Digi Draw! ... Read more

Teacher Review

Set up an art station just like those found in preschools andkindergartens with this set of high-quality painting supplies to encouragecreative expression in young artists. The set includes seven colors of washabletempera paint in 8-ounce bottles, in black, white, red, blue, yellow, purple,and green. No-spill paint pots with color-coordinated lids are also included,and the lids snap tightly shut so unused paint won't dry out. Six bristlebrushes are included, as well as three foam brushes and two foam rollers.Everything stores away in a sturdy storage crate (which itself folds flat forstorage). Early-childhood educators praise the creative value of painting foryoung children, and this set provides all the necessary materials except paper.--Marcie Bovetz, mother and former children's librarian ... Read more

Features

• 7 8-ounce containers of tempera paints
• 7 no-spill paint pots with snap lids
• 6 bristle brushes, 3 foam brushes, 2 foam rollers
• Sturdy, fold-up storage crate
• High-quality supplies for school or home

Reviews (3)

Good quality for price
Good quality supplies made for heavy duty use. Nice big "brushy" brushes - heavy duty nylon bristles resist "flopping" and are easy to clean. Sponge applicators are easy to use and fun shapes - they don't fall apart and they wash clean. Paint is in worthwhile size containers - just need an inch or so in the cup at a time, bottle will last a long time. Lidded cups keep paint from drying out and have large brush wells. Crayons and chalk are standard issue - would be better if they were thicker, "pre-school" size. All in all - a very good basic supply. My grandson wants to "do painting" every time he visits.

Great item...
The item is great -- all the washable paints you need -- great brushes and sponges etc...

Very Nice
My kids are having fun painting and Im enjoying the less mess part :) I also thought the brushes were 'Are" very high quality!!
I would buy this again! And will for a gift very soon!! The crate is very nice also!
Thanks!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Like miniature cans of spray paint, the pens in this 50-pieceBlopens activity kit can be used to make a wide variety of colorfulstencil and airbrush pictures. The kit contains 15 pens, including fivecolor-changing ones, and 23 precut stencils. Each pen is filled withnontoxic, washable ink. By blowing into one end of the pen young artistscan create a colorful airbrush effect on paper. A sturdy cardboardworkstation that holds all of the pens has been included, along witheight sheets of paper, a carry case for the whole set, and aninstruction and idea booklet. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (23)

blopens are creative and a great leaning experience
My daughter received a blopen kit over a year ago. She has used it for many school projects and also just for fun. She and her friends love it and the teachers have commented on how original her projects are. They want to know how she did it. She did one project which had to do with space and planets. She used the blopens to make the background(Blue black and purple). It looked realistic and then she mounted her planets on top. They were also made using the blopens and the whole effect was very artistic. The only negative comment I have is that I have not been able to find replacement pens anywhere including on the internet. It would be nice to be able to buy replacement pens without having to buy the whole kit again.

Boo this toy sucks
It was hard to make the ink come out plus they ran dry to soon Take my advice dont buy them

not a (real) kid!
i am an artist; i make a lot of greeting cards. i have found blo-pens to be a lot of fun and i have been very creative with them. i found that i do better when i use my own stencils, and i have experimented a lot with the pens. my frustration is not being able to find just the pens, except for the "bold" colors, which i do not need. and i don't like the color change pens (the colors are blah, as far as i'm concerned). would love to know how to find an assortment of pens.

BloPens Rock
I loved playing with BlowPens. I used to hate arts and crafts. But when I got BlowPens, I had the best time of my life! Now my sister's an artist!

Be careful - the ink stains!
This ink runs through paper, so be sure and cover the surface your child is working on and make sure they wear old clothes. This ink stains, and some colors come out but others don't. Our kids enjoyed Blopens so much we couldn't keep them away from it, to our home's detriment. You'll be in for an unfortunate surprise if your child decides to sit on the floor over carpet or at a table with a tablecloth while using these pens. We were surprised that a company would make a child's toy like this with ink that won't easily wash out. Just something to consider before buying. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great for learning preschoolers!
All I must say is that these letters are soooo durable. The back of the letters are all magnetic where as the plastic ones only have a little piece of magnet to hold them to the refrigerator, so everytime the fridge closes one always seems to fall off, but NOT these they hold on and I really like that. The colors are very bright and they have helped my 2 year old learn her colors. I only wish they made more differnt colors than just 4. Another thing I love is that these come in upper case and lower case so you have more letters to make into words. They do cost more than the other ones but well worth it.

Every kid should have these
My kids have both kinds of magnets, these and the plastic letters with the little magnets in them. They love to play with all of them, but they get frustrated when the plastic ones just slide down the fridge, or when the magnets fall off. The plastic ones end up under the fridge; their thicker profile and poor magnets are a bad combination. This kind is MUCH better; they're lightweight and completely covered with magnetic material on the back. They don't fall apart and they stay put! Less frustration for the kids, less hassle for me: It's all good!

The best set of ABC magnets out there!
Like a lot of people, I grew up with those plastic alphabet letters on my fridge. So when my son was around 2 years old, I figured it was about time to get a set for our home. We were fortunate enough to get this set as a gift. I was truly impressed! This set is by far superior to any others I've seen on the market. They're large and colorful, and the entire back of the letter is a magnet. Not just one little square. They really stay put on the fridge! I also like that they're wood. Sure, bite marks would probably show up more on the wood than on plastic. But overall, I think the wood is far more sturdy and durable. All the letters come in a nice wood box with a sliding clear lid, making it easy to keep everything together. You really couldn't ask for more!

not pleased
My son got these when he was about 2. Right out of the box, some letters were de-magnatized. He enjoyed playing with them on the fridge for a while, but some of the affected letters were in his name - the first things kids usually spell. He has learned some of his letters, but I wish we had the old fashioned plastic letters.

CAN'T CLEAN THESE LETTERS IN WATER
The letters are large, the whole backside is magnetic, they are made of two pieces of wood stuck together. One piece is magnetic while the other has a piece of shiny paper stuck on it. Unfortunately, you can't wash them because the paper slowly detaches from the wood and they end up looking very ugly. I decided to remove the paper, and remained with the brown wood. If they were washable they would have been the best letters out there. My kid prefers the plastic letters because we get to clean them when they are dirty and still look attractive.
I am buying another set of letters and it won't be these ones. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Combination of Supplies for Creating Art for Kids
This is an excellent collection of easy-to-use art supplies for children. It includes the drawing "tools" my daughters like to use most. This collection empowers children to be creative.

I suggest you buy this Crayola set, a case of cheap paper, a couple rolls of invisible tape, a pencil sharpener, a bottle of Elmer's school glue, and a stapler (for sure). Then give your child frequent access to the supplies to draw pictures and design things. Your child's creativity will emerge on its own.

Highly recommended! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Rather than worrying about forming an increasingly complex, unbroken line of metallic dust with squeaky knobs for navigation, this sketcher is an easy schoolmate with lights, sounds, and flash cards--all designed as a 15-inch school bus. There are buttons on one side of the bus for drawing, quizzing, problem-solving, and repetition activities. There are also five, two-sided, interactive learning cards, stowed in a side compartment, used as visual aids. Logistically, a large, attached stylus with a magnetic tip allows small hands to draw big letters and words; a sliding eraser makes it easy to start over; and there are only a few loose pieces, so it's a good travel pick. Required: three AA batteries.Diane Beall ... Read more

Editorial Review

This magnetic calendar is undated, so it can be reusedmonth after month, year after year. Use the month magnets to identify themonth, and then stick the magnetic numbers on the appropriate days ofthe week. Hinged panels fold out for hanging--the top half is acalendar, the bottom half is a blank white magnetic surface for storingmonth and year magnets and the colorfully illustrated "reminder"pieces. There's one for every occasion you can think of, so you'llnever miss an important date or activity--Test Day, Mother's Day,Canada Day, Kwanzaa, Go To Dentist, and so on. Consisting of 139pieces, the calendar measures 15.5 by 23 inches unfolded. --AlisonGolder ... Read more

Reviews (9)

We're still using it!
When my son was in kindergarten, my sister purchased this for him for his birthday. He took a lot of pleasure in it. He is now almost twelve and he still likes changing the dates and putting in the special magnets for the special days. This was a great gift. It doesn't make a lot of noise, or sparkle when you play it, but it is the one thing that we all still use after all these years. I'm thinking of purchasing another one to update our old one.

Great teaching tool
This is a magnetic, wooden perpetual calendar for children. The set comes with more than 120 magnets with which to create a customized, plan-ahead monthly calendar. The child who manages the calendar can affix the correct year, season and month and then can go on to show holidays, play dates, library book due dates, etc.

We use this calendar to teach time concepts to our young son. The calendar is colorful and engaging and conveys the meanings of the words year, season, month, week and day far better than any dictionary, book or video.

This is an effective teaching tool, and we were thrilled with the results. However, ours warped severely within three days of purchase. The manufacturer must have used green wood to make a particular batch of calendars. Be careful of shoddy workmanship. The product otherwise is good.

This Calendar Is Actually Fun!
Purchased this calendar for my 10 yr old son and he and his brothers fight over who is going to put the magnets on the calendar for the new month. There are great magnets for appointments, holidays, sports and parties. It also helps them learn about the seasons, months and various state and national holidays. I'm an adult and I enjoy it too!

Great calender, only a couple complaints
My 5yo son picked this calender to spend his birthday money on. It's a great calender. We love how there are not just event magnets but weather magnets. My only complaints are the

1) the grid boxes could be a little bigger. If you have a holiday, a birthday, & an event (or some other combo that would require 3 magnets) all on the same day the magnets cross over into the other day.

2) I really hope the company comes out with an optional pack of more magnets to buy separately. The calender only comes with one magnet for each sport (soccer, football, dance, etc) but when my son was in soccer he had soccer once a week. It'd be nice to have 4 or 5 soccer magnets to put on the calender at the begining of the month rather than moving the one soccer magnet every week. The optional pack could also include a couple more 'dining out' & 'movie' magnets, a 'school event' magnet, a 'family outing' and just 'outing' for hard to classify events. I also agree with the poster who said a 'start vacation' & 'stop vacaton' would be better than just one vacation magnet. Also a stay with sitter magnet would be great.

I'd still buy the calender again though. My son loves putting the magnets on & is learning the concept of time quickly with this visual aide.

Great for teaching young children to use a calendar
My recently turned 5 year old has begun asking about days, weeks, "how many days until X" type of questions. We are homeschooling so no other person or school had yet introduced the teaching of days, months, etc. to him. Seeing he was curious and ready to learn, I quickly purchased this calendar to use as a perpetual calendar to help teach him the concepts. He loves the calendar.

It is more fun than a paper calendar because it has the magnets with the activity notations on them. If you are looking for a consumable version you could just use paper and buy stickers. I prefer this magnetic version. It is more functional than a wooden perpetual calendar that uses blocks for the dates because it allows customization of activities, holidays and events that take place on that day.

I give the manufacturer credit for coming up with many creative ideas for the activities. There are Christian and Jewish religious holiday magnets. There are American federal holidays such as Veteran's Day and the big kid holidays like Halloween. There is one for Canada Day and one for Victoria Day. There is one for Cinqo De Mayo. There are activity holidays such as the popular sports for young kids, dance, soccer, martial arts, etc. There are school related magnets such as "school play", etc.

If you take the extras that don't apply to your family, you can customize them by writing on paper and gluing it on top of the magnets you don't think you'll ever use.

There are magnets for the years 2002 through 2007 and season and month magnets. It would not be a big deal to continue to use it beyond those years and simply omit the year magnet.

To make more room to select the magnets on the extra magnet board side, I took away all the magnets that we would never use for our family such as sports my child does not play. I also took away the future year magnets for fear of them being lost. I put them away for future use.

I hope in the future the manufacturer makes a supplemental kit for us to custom design our own magnets, perhaps by giving us loads of pre-printed stickers with a smaller number of magnets and allowing us to choose which apply to our family. This kit could also be used to replace any that may have become lost over time. Some blank stickers in the proper shape to fit the magnets could be for us to truly make unique magnets for our family. I'd like to have "vacation start" and "vacation end" rather than just one "vacation".

The cons: this is quite heavy so make sure you use the proper hanging hook and anchor it well. The pieces are choking size, so it must be hung high enough so children under age 3 cannot reach it (including guests and visitors). Placing it that high does not allow for eye-level viewing by a five-year old. I would have preferred the folding go in the reverse manner, that is, when not being hung it would fold inward so the magnets are protected inside it rather than having them on the outside because as it is moved, the magnets fall off. If it folded inward we could keep it folded up and open it to use it and then put it away again, if we didn't want to hang it on the wall. Another idea would be that I could hang it low for our family but when I have babies and toddlers visiting I could quickly put it away while they are visiting. Lastly, the size of the day-grid cubes for each day are too small to fit both the date magnet and 2 other activity or holiday magnets. I think it should have been designed slightly bigger so that 2 magnets easily fit on the grid.

Despite my complaints I am giving this a high rating. It is a one-of-a-kind product so there are presently no brand alternatives. Lights, Camera, Interaction makes high quality durable and educational products and this one fits that bill. The good things about this calendar outweigh my complaints! ... Read more

Features

• Wide selection of art supplies
• Open-ended set promotes creativity
• Sturdy, waterproof portfolio with carrying handle
• Includes materials for drawing, painting, and collage

Reviews (1)

Just wonderful!
This has to be one of the best possible art case available for the budding artist. The supplies and the case are of extremely high quality (no cheap vinyl here -- but that's why the price is, unfortunately, nearly forty dollars). The case is also very roomy and versatile. There's enough space to slip an additional book or two (or other small toys) inside at the last minute, so the contents always seem "fresh". We take this case with us everywhere (without the paints, of course), and it keeps our four-year-old daughter very contented while waiting in restaurants, airports, etc.

One problem, however, is the lack of a pencil sharpener to accompany the colored pencils. Granted, this is a minor fault, but, since Alex Toys has a reputation for creating excellent products, this omission seems somewhat inexplicable. ... Read more

Editorial Review

If your budding artist has a tendency to leave paper, paints, markers, and other art supplies allover the place, this is a great way to encourage some organizational skills while letting your child knowyou support their creativity. The Art Master Activity Desk is made of super-sturdy molded plastic and has a white fiberboard drawing surface that measures 20 by 11 inches and hinges up to reveal three separatestorage spaces. There are molded-in compartments for crayons, markers, and paintbrushes, and two sidecompartments to hold books, pads of paper, and other art supplies. There's even a built-in overhead lampthat can be powered by batteries or plugged directly into the wall (using the included DC six-volt adapter).A bright red top tray holds markers, glue, and other craft items. Complete with its own extra-sturdy deskchair in bright red plastic, this desk is ready to transform any corner of the room into a full studio for artsand crafts projects.--John Longenbaugh ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Wonderful Learning Center
We bought this for our daughter for her third birthday. She will be five in a month and she is just as thrilled with the desk as she was when we first bought it. The desk is sturdy and very durable, as is the chair. One of the best features of the desk is that it is so easy to clean. And there is so much storage space for all of her art supplies. I do agree that the light could be a bit brighter, but with an overhead light on you really don't even need it.

This is definitely one of the best things that we have ever bought her and even thought it will be two years that she has had it, it doesn't seem that she will be outgrowing it anytime soon. She has grown so much in the past two years and still there is plenty of leg room for her.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a desk for their child. You can't go wrong with this desk.

Great First Desk
My daughter got this for her second birthday. It was fairly easy to put together. Lots of storage space. Everything is proportioned right for a smaller child to use. My daughter has spent hours playing with it. The side bins are wonderfull for keeping tablets of paper and the nook under the desk top is a great place to keep coloring books. I have to agree that the light could be better. This is one of few toys that is fun and has a great kid freindly design. It will also be something that she will still use for years to come!!!!

Good Sturdy Desk
This was purchased for my 3yo daughter. She loves it...so does her brother. They both have used this desk for over a year now, and it is still in new condition. If they draw on the desk or chair, it can easily be cleaned off. There is a lot of storage room for paper, coloring books, crayons, etc. They also love being able to turn the little desk light on by themselves. This is a great desk and well worth the money.

A Christmas winner!
Santa brought this for my 3 year old! She loves it. Now she has a place to color and paint when ever she likes. I love it because I don't have to deep clean the kitchen table(after she painted and colored on it), before every meal! I will say I concidered the more expensive ... desk thinking more was better however, I am glad I thought about it first. This one has just as much desk space yet isn't as deep. The crayon's and supplies are stored above not behind where they would be hard to reach. It is just the right size for my little one! It has plenty of storage and the chair is very sturdy! It was easy for my husband to assemble. My only wish was that the light was brighter, I will look into a different bulb.

Buy it, you won't be sorry!

Wonderful Desk!
I bought this desk for my 2 year old daughter for Christmas. She absolutely loves it. It has a huge amount of storage space and room to put all your child's crayons, markers, paints, and other art materials. The top of the desk lifts up to provide even more storage space. The chair appears to be very comfortable for my daughter. She just loves to sit and draw at the desk. The only complaint I have about the desk is the light. It provides an adequate amount of light, but it is loose even when properly installed. ... Read more

Teacher Review

With this well-designed, double-sided easel, preschoolers can enjoy theadvantages of creative expression on an upright surface. The easel's frame ismade from sturdy wood left in its natural state, with thick pressed board usedas the bases for the art surfaces. One side of the easel has a 24-by-24-inch,green chalkboard, and the other side has a 24-by-24-inch, white dry-erase board.Two removable, washable trays are included to attach to the easel (one withmolded spaces to hold paint jars and brushes). The easel requires simpleassembly, but no tools are required and all bolts and plastic bolt covers areincluded. Some thoughtful design aspects include an adjustable height feature, aconvenient, built-in paper roll dispenser (with paper), and two metal clips to attach paper forpainting. This set was a winner of the Dr. Toy Best Classic ToysAward, and it would be a winning addition to any playroom, family daycare home,or preschool. --Marcie Bovetz, mother and former children's librarian ... Read more

Reviews (4)

"Let's Play School"
We've had easels in our home for many years. First, with our 4 children, and now, we're replacing for grandchildren. The girls enjoy drawing pretty pictures for my fridge. Now that they are in school, that is ALL they want to play. IT'S MARVELOUS! As the school age children play, repeating their math questions and spelling words, the younger children ARE LISTENING and LEARNING.
I whole heartedly recommend this easel for ANYONE with children in the home. It is very beneficial to their learning...

we like it
My father bought this easel for my daughter's 5th birthday. It was easy to but together and works really well with a child who loves to draw,color,& paint. We only wish that it came with a roll of paper.

Highly Recommended!
I bought this easel for my then 2 year old daughter. It was surprisingly easy to put together..even with her helping me. It is very sturdy and looks like it will last for a long time. The paper roll is very handy. And the trays give a nice large area to store chalk/eraser/paints/etc. The easel has 2 heights, so it will grow with her. I highly recommend spending the little extra on this easel...you wont be disappointed!

Fun but frustrating
We purchased this toy as a Christmas present for our kids and didn't put it together until Christmas morning. The rod to hold the paper in the middle is too long so we have to tear pieces of paper to fit the easel for them to color on. This was one of the reasons that we chose this over other easels and it doesn't work. Also, the dry erase marker board doesn't clean off very well. I use them often at work and this board is by far the hardest to clean off of any of them I've used. The kids love it, other than trying to clean it off and have a great time playing school with it. As far as the enjoyment the kids will get out of it, I think it is great! I just wish for the price that it worked a little better. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Doodle Pro is not as challenging as its predecessor-sketcher, but it's just as intriguing for younger kids, who will ponder the mystery of the sketching surface just the same. Unlike with the trusty Etch-a-Sketch, kids who are just developing spatial and coordination skills don't have to worry about an increasingly complex, unbroken line of metallic dust, and there are no knobs to contend with. That's all too tricky: they just want to draw! To that end, there's a fat, easy-grip stylus with a magnetic tip, and four magnet stampers stored in a pull-out drawer. When the molded forms are pressed on the 10.5 by 7.5-inch doodling surface, shapes are created. And, instead of shaking (again, exertion), there's a sliding eraser for starting over instantly. Because there's no mess, and only a few loose pieces, it's also great for travel. Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The best toy we have for our 21 month old
My daughter played with the magnadoodle at my mother-in-law's house so much that we bought her one of her own. It was great for a plane trip, because the pen only writes on the board, not on paper, the chair, her leg, etc. Plus, she loves the stamps. (Note to the other reviewer: the magnets are stickers that you have to attach when you first get the box open.)

If I have one complaint, it is that you have to push the stamps down pretty hard to set them back into their drawer or the drawer won't close. On the other hand, it keeps them from falling out too easily.

We never had a problem with the hand pinching. I recommend the magnadoodle for anyone wanting a great gift for a toddler.

BADLY designed new model!!!
My 4 1/2 year old son had the older model of the magna doodle and LOVED it, he used it almost everyday for his "artwork" in bed rather than markers or crayons. Needless to say it got worn out as toys tend to do, I was satisfied with how long it lasted since he used it daily for over two years.

We decided to buy him a new one so he didn't have to work around the permanent star in the corner (from pressing to hard) When I went to the store to get him a new one I was VERY disapointed with the look of this new model and a little nervous about the "drawer" for the magnet shapes (which by the way work well IF you actually put the magnets on the shapes...they come in the box and you have to stick them on yourself.) But since he "needed" one I bought it and we gave it to him for the first time at the beginning of a 4 1/2 hour car trip. He was playing with it for a TOTAL of five minutes before he pinched his little finger in the drawer...and needless to say it was PINCHED, he couldn't get it out himself. Fisher Price will be getting a call about it, it just is NOT safe. The old model had I believe eight NOT FOUR stamper shapes, so it was a let down. The ONLY improvement on this is the pen is spring loaded so you can't press as hard. Although he is being VERY careful now with the drawer he is still getting stray fingers pinched...the only way we see to fix it is to cut apart the back of it! um, no!

If you can buy the old model I totally recommend this toy, but I have a feeling fisher price will be redoing this one soon! It's just an awful design! THe old design would have gotten 5 stars all across the board...but how can a toy that "hurts" be fun OR educational...and that drawer is bound to break off.

My 2 year old loves this
We bought this for my son's 2nd birthday recently and he really loves it. The only thing is, it comes with these "stamps" but we tried everything and they just don't work. I thought you just push down on the board with them like regular stamps but it does nothing. We could trace them but on the package it shows them as stamps, not traces. So if anyone knows how to use them, I'd appreciate some insight.

The board and pen are great though. It draws dark and nice and erases just as well, unlike a similiar toy he had. I definitely recommend this toy for kids that love drawing. It mess free, a big plus! We've only had it a few days but it seems durable. ... Read more