Crayola’s Animal Sidewalk Chalk Tears Those Wimpy Chalk Sticks To Pieces!
Written: Jul 31 '04 (Updated Nov 09 '04)
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Pros: Six great colors, six different animals, strong chalk, plastic storage case.
Cons: Hard to find …
The Bottom Line: Crayola gives sidewalk chalk a whole new look with great colors and cute chalk toppers!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Crayola Animal Sidewalk Chalk Set |
If you’ve read any of my arts and crafts reviews in the Kids & Family section, you’ll already know that my boys aren’t really into the whole “let’s sit down and color” type of thing. They never were and unless they are struck with some giant lightening bolt of creativity, I doubt they ever will. Even though I know that they are dead set against this kind of stuff, I can’t resist picking it up when it’s on sale … and when it’s on clearance I have to exercise great restraint and will power to not toss all of the items in the cart. Hey, you never know when there will be a chalk shortage and when that say comes, all of those that laughed and mocked me will be lining up to buy them off me. The first year that I picked up the Crayola Easter chalk the boys had some fun with it in the driveway but it was little Annabelle that really fell in love with them. She was just starting to walk around and discover things and when she saw the boys playing with the sidewalk chalk she let out a squeal that was so adorable I was kicking myself for not having my camcorder on to capture the moment.
Crayola Animal Sidewalk Chalk Set
These cute and utterly adorable revamped chalk sticks are sure to make little boys and girls bust out a grin that is truly worthy of a photo or two. With enchanting colors and detailed animals, you can’t help but plop down on the sidewalk or in the driveway and bust out a few drawings. For me, this is a great way to spend some quality time with my neighbors daughter Annabelle and see exactly what’s going on in that little mind of hers. Most of the time she draws stars and moons but lately she’s been getting more detailed with her sidewalk art and has incorporated other shapes as well as her name into the mix. Given that these colors are a little more vibrant and impacting than the standard Crayola Sidewalk Chalk she likes using them whenever she gets the chance. Since they are in the larger chunky stick format, she can grab a hold of them with her little hands without having to worry about them snapping when she goes into “art mode” as my boys call it. I’m sure you’ve seen it; the sit there oblivious to the rest of the world, feverishly licking their lips or sticking their tongues out and losing all track of the scale of the drawing. Kids, gotta love ‘em!
I hate to say this but most little boys will probably shy away from these due to the cute images of the animals that rest atop the chalk sticks – and the pretty colors don’t exactly help either. When Annabelle’s cousins came to visit the boys her age turned their noses up at these and went straight for the big box of Crayola Sidewalk Chalk Sticks instead. When you take a look at both products they are essentially the same except for the animals that are on top of the chalk sticks. I found these at Wal-Mart on sale for one dollar and picked up several of them knowing that someone would make use of them at some point in time. When I went back a few days later I saw the display was almost empty and they had been further reduced to .50 cents a container. The suggested retail price is about $1.50 for a set of six which isn’t that bad but if you can find them on sale, even better. A real perk to this product is that plastic case that they are packaged in, this makes it easier to store the pieces when kids are done with them and it’s a lot less frustrating than having to try and stuff them into the rectangular box the Crayola Sidewalk Chalk Sticks come in.
Clean up is pretty simple; use your garden hose to wash away the chalk or a few buckets of water. I’ve never had any trouble with there being any left over chalk unless she really went crazy and used several colors on top of each other. When this happened all that was needed was a few passes with a broom to loosen the wet chalk and it was gone in a flash. Since this is non-toxic it is safe for kids of all ages to use but Crayola suggests that this is best for kids ages five through seven. If you plan on letting younger kids play with this please supervise them since they could very easily bite the heads off one of these if left alone for a minute or two. There’s no chance of them getting sick from it however it could very easily get lodged in their throat or mouth. Cleaning this off clothing is pretty simple and in most cases it will come off if brushed away. If not, launder as your normally would but try to remove as much as possible before hand. I take an old hairbrush and give the material a few good whacks to loosen it then I shake it out and wash normally.
Things To Know
= There are several different assortment of Crayola Character Sidewalk Chalk on the market so don’t panic if you arrive at the store looking for these and find animals that are a little different from those featured in the photo. So far I’ve managed to track down two different sets; one featuring bears, kittens and puppies and the other mice / rodents, owls and bears. The colors also seem to differ from set to set with the most common colors being blue, pink, orange and mint green. In any event, the animals are cute, have a lot of detail to them and are a much needed break from the regular boring chalk sticks.
= These shouldn’t be confused with the seasonal Sidewalk Chalk Eggs & Chicks that Crayola distributes. These are usually the chick and egg assortment that are released right before Easter and while they are cute and easy for kids to use, they are a completely different product from this one. If you are looking for something a little less detailed or something neutral that both boys and girls can play with without fighting over a certain animal, check out the Crayola Crayon Shaped Sidewalk Chalk – basically the same thing without the animals at about the same price, $1.50.
The Bottom Line
I’m really happy that I decided to indulge my compulsive side and pick up a ton of these. They are great for younger kids to work with, have pretty colors and come with a sturdy plastic carrying case. Annabelle fell in love with these and uses them outside every chance she gets but if she keeps up the pace she’s have over the past few weeks, I am going to have to try and track these down soon before I run out of them! If you have a child that likes to use chalk and you are looking to add a few new colors to the line up – as well as those cute animals – this is a Crayola product that you will definitely want to check out!
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2004 Freak369
Other Crayola product reviews …
• Big MiniStampers • Doodle Pad • Watercolor Pencils • Art & Craft Brushes – 8 Count • Create-A-Kid • Collecting Keepsakes • Halloween Treat Pack • Halloween Boo Bucket • Washable Water Colors – 8 Color • Pencil Pouch • Crayola Crayons – 24 Count • Metallic Crayons • Superfine Markers – 5 Count • Gel FX Washable Markers • Tub of Fun • Crayola Sketch Pad • Point Tip Scissors • Sidewalk Chalk – Chicks & Eggs • Art & Craft Brushes – 4 Count • Twistables – 16 Count • Stack-N-Store Art Tower • Washable Water Colors – 24 Color • Sidewalk Chalk – Animal Assortment • Crayola Lap Desk • Click ‘Em On Washable Markers • Washable Markers – 16 Count • Alphabet & Number Pad • Blunt Tip Scissors • Spinning Desk Top Organizer • Crayola Online Store •
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): See Review
Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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