When ‘Kiddie Cutters’ Are No Longer An Option Go For Crayola's Point Tip Scissors
Written: Mar 11 '03 (Updated Nov 09 '04)
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Pros: Perfect size for kid's hands, inexpensive, durable, assorted colors.
Cons: Adult supervision is a must when these are being used.
The Bottom Line: Have your kids outgrown their blunt tipped scissors? These allow your child to have a bit more creative freedom however parental supervision is a real necessity.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Crayola Point Tip Scissors |
It was only a matter of time before the boys asked for real scissors instead of the blunt tipped ones that had been using. There really isn’t much of a different between these and the Crayola Blunt Tip Scissors outside of the shape of the point. The boys don’t generally like to sit down and get creative but over the past few months they have shown a real interest in making large science and space scenes – most of which involved cutting out circles and squares inside a design. This meant that every time they wanted to punch a hole into the construction paper they would come to me and ask me to do it. At one point in time they got the bright idea to punch holes in the paper with pencils but the holes weren’t big enough to push the tip of the blunt [rounded] edge scissors though.
My kids are all eggheads and have a deep love of space, science and math – but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t sit them down and show them the real dangers of goofing around with scissors. I took a piece of meat, put it on the cutting board and stabbed a pair of these scissors into it – just to drive home what could happen if they started fooling around when handling these. Needless to say, they looked at me like I was some kind of complete babbling idiot – but they got the point I was trying to make. These have a sharp tip to them. If you run with them and fall they could inflict a deep wound, puncture your lung or even kill you. Sure that might sound extreme but I’d rather come off like some type of lunatic and have them realize the dangers than to have them in the emergency room – or worse.
Crayola Point Tip Scissors
Looking a lot like ‘grown up’ scissors, these are great for cutting a variety of paper, thin sheets of felt, poster board and thin non-corrugated pieces of cardboard. The size is just right for kids to use and these are for either ‘lefties’ or ‘righties’ so you won’t have to worry about either group being left out in the cold. These are a little more than five inches long, have a pointed tip, feature the larger and smaller sized handles and open and close without any hesitation. My only complaint [which has nothing to do with the scissors] is that when the boys are cutting pieces of tape the glue tends to build up on the bottom part of the blade and after a while it impedes the scissors ability to open and close smoothly. This can be remedied by wiping the blades off with an alcohol wipe and allowing it to dry completely with the blades of the scissor opened.
Using these was a snap for the boys since they already had the blunt tip style and the shape of the two are almost identical. The plastic handle is sturdy and will hold up to a lot of use and so far we haven’t had any trouble with the metal rivet that holds the two scissor sections together. The recommended age for use of these is six and older but you know your child better than any company so use discretion when purchasing these or allowing a child to use them. I strongly advise that parental supervision be exercised until the child demonstrates the ability to use these with caution.
Colors
These are available in a variety of colors so you can pick and choose from the ones that are available at your local stores. I’ve seen these in red, purple, green and blue however these colors might vary from area to area. When I picked these up there were only red and blue available so I kind of got stuck with those colors. If you are planning on picking these up during a post ‘back to school sale’ be prepared for a very limited selection of colors [mostly red]. These are packaged on a cardboard hangtag so you can see the different colors that are available. I’ve seen these at Wal-Mart, Target and several office supply stores so if you are looking for a specific colors, these are the best places to start your journey.
Price
These have a suggested retail price of $1.99 to $2.49 depending on your area. The best time to try and pick these up at a bargain price is during the back to school sale or just when the sale is coming to a close. This will mean that most of the cool colors are already taken, but if the color doesn’t matter – you can save some extra cash stocking up on items. Is this worth the price? From my point of view it is. I’ve grown to rely on the Crayola name for art supplies for my boys and so far these haven’t let me [or them] down in the least. Just like most of my other Crayola reviews, I picked these up at Wal-Mart when the ‘back to school’ sale was coming to a close and most of the items still on the shelves were reduced to get rid of them. If I remember correctly, these cost about .50 cents each and were only available in a few colors [the cool colors were already snatched up], so I took advantage of the reduced price and stocked up on the red and green ones that were still available.
The Bottom Line
Please make sure that these scissors have some type of protective case that they are kept in if kids will be taking these to school with them. When these aren’t in use I insist that a rubber band is twisted around the end of the blades to make sure they don’t come open accidentally. You can check craft stores for scissor sleeves that these can be placed in or make your own out of heavy felt. Additionally the tip also needs to be covered and I’ve found that a rectangular eraser with the mid section cut out works great. It is easy to slip over the end of the scissors but at the same time won’t dull the point.
I really have to question the age recommendation on these scissors. Is “six years and older” appropriate for something that could cause so much harm? With proper parental supervision these can be a great asset to your childs art supply allowing them to have a little but more creative control over their projects. These scissors have the usual Crayola standard of excellence and if taken care of will last a long time. If your child is using these to cut thick paper or cardboard the blades might get dull, but given the suggested retail price of $1.99 - $2.49 these can easily be replaced without costing an arm and a leg.
As always, thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Other Crayola product reviews …
• Big MiniStampers • Doodle Pad • Watercolor Pencils • Art & Craft Brushes – 8 Count • Create-A-Kid • Collecting Keepsakes • Halloween Treat Pack • Halloween Boo Bucket • Washable Water Colors – 8 Color • Pencil Pouch • Crayola Crayons – 24 Count • Metallic Crayons • Superfine Markers – 5 Count • Gel FX Washable Markers • Tub of Fun • Crayola Sketch Pad • Point Tip Scissors • Sidewalk Chalk – Chicks & Eggs • Art & Craft Brushes – 4 Count • Twistables – 16 Count • Stack-N-Store Art Tower • Washable Water Colors – 24 Color • Sidewalk Chalk – Animal Assortment • Crayola Lap Desk • Click ‘Em On Washable Markers • Washable Markers – 16 Count • Alphabet & Number Pad • Blunt Tip Scissors • Spinning Desk Top Organizer • Crayola Online Store •
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): See Review
Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: Kids to Teens
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