Lead Paint Was Safe In The Seventies
Written: Mar 09 '01
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Pros: Looked attractive on the shelf, interesting concept
Cons: Industrial-strength chemical odor
The Bottom Line: If you would like to have the fine fragrance of pungent chemicals wafting around your child and through your house, this product will do the trick.
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| kludwig's Full Review: Crayola Color Wonder Markers and Paper |
I should've known that anything for sale with the word 'magically' in its self description would be more chemical-laden than most typically chemical-laden products. But the markers were so big, so bright, so nicely packaged sitting there on the shelf of the A&P. My then sixteen-month old was getting so restless, so bored; a prisoner of the shopping cart seat, unable to grab the preservative-laden breads and sugar-party cereals
I had seen the commercials promising mess-free artistic endeavors, and though I had found the concept interesting, I didn't plan on buying them for my very young and very talented artist. After all, I want to see every scribble, every line, every dot. I want him to learn cause and effect. While common sense tells me that any felt tipped markers are not meant for a 16 month old, I constantly supervise and thus sometimes go out of his age group. For this review, however, I scrutinized the front and back cover of the pad--which contains all info regarding the product-- for a recommended minimum age and found none. There is a handy 800 number for ordering Color Wonder Paper refill pads, and stamp pads with the Color Wonder ink are also available.
What I immediately wondered when I first heard of this product was why anyone would want to suggest to a young child (and the commercials are aimed at young children; who else is prone to coloring on the wall?) that a marker will mark according to desire and not actual placement? Why teach any child that there doesn't need to be a consequence for an action? No circle where one was drawn...no gentle reprimand for dragging a pen, pencil, crayon or magic marker across a couch?
But the markers were so colorful! They came in an adorable mesh bag that snaps to the thick pad of paper! My son could learn cause and effect another way! Couldn't he? Wouldn't he? This set had ME mesmerized, surely a 16 month old getting bored would fall prey to the colors and textures, if not the promise of magical drawings to come. I handed the package to my nature boy and he said 'oooh, coloring' as he settled down in his temporary chair to visually explore and also to touch and squeeze and whack this little cache of coloring supplies.
So once we got the pouch, pad and magic pencils home, he began creating his works with the plastic encased magic of each of the Color Wonders: hint of yellow, black void, kind of magenta, purple purple, grassy green and fairly royal blue (my names, as the markers didn't come with any preselected monikers). He enjoyed working in this medium, though seemed a bit perplexed by the delay between making the mark and seeing the mark on the paper.
I would've kept quiet about my "cause and effect being subverted" theory but the heinous odor emitted by these markers forces me to recommend no one buy these things. It's not necessary to actually sniff the little sticks, the odor permeates the air for a diameter of several feet. And it's not just an unpleasant odor, it's a completely chemical smell, which doesn't merely annoy me, but worries me. Sure, the package says "All products are safe and non-toxic." but like I sez before, lead paint was safe when it was being used for the painting of house interiors.
If you already have these things, or if you are so taken by the concept and must have them for your child, I would say to employ them only in large, well-ventilated areas and never ever while driving.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 7.99
Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: Other
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Epinions.com ID:
kludwig
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Member: katherine
Location: Hudson Valley
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 8 members
About Me:
No more blood to run S.U.V.'s
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