Helpful suggestions from the package:
1. Test on small area first.
2. Do not apply to surfaces less than 6 months old.
3. Allow to dry for 30 minutes then wash off with a garden hose.
4. Shake paint bottles well before each use.
5. For best results, wash paint off surfaces within 24 hours.

You almost know how this review is going to go, don't you?

My review

I have always loved Crayola and its inventiveness when it comes to arts and crafts. There seems to be no bounds to the imagination of the people behind the crayon creators. So when I saw the Crayola Sidewalk Paint kit at our local arts and crafts store, I couldn't resist!

Wrapped in plastic, a purple hard plastic paint tray holds the three 8 ounce bottles of paints, a hard bristle brush, sponge roller on its own stick and three pieces of sidewalk chalk in place. I suggest reading the directions very carefully; on the bottom of the packaging, it states clearly that "Some surfaces may require brushing with broom or nylon brush". This would have been one of those great points to put in the section marked "Best Results" versus at the very bottom of the directions...more on this later.

Crayola Sidewalk Paint includes 3 easy to open and pour bottles of paint. These paints can be poured into the paint tray and then the enclosed roller or brush can be used to apply the paints to the surface. The paints are completely washable off clothing and little fingers so you can rest assured that the replacement paint can be any easy to wash paint versus the investment in more Crayola Sidewalk Paint...especially since the refill paint costs more than 1/2 the price of purchasing a new set.

The enclosed paint roller is your basic yellow sponge type roller on a blue plastic stick. It took about a week before the spongey material separated from the stick so I'd suggest investing in the real McCoy paint rollers from your local hardware store. Crayola does offer replacement parts but after shipping and handling, the $15 for the Crayola Sidewalk Paint set starts to be less affordable.

The paint brush enclosed is also kid-quality; the bristles are simply not strong enough to withstand the exerted pressures of a 4 year old and the surface of a sidewalk. Another item we ended up replacing after a week or so. I did note that the brush and its bristles were perfect for wood and the paint didn't clump on the brush. It still is a good idea to buy some replacement brushes at your local hardware store.

The sidewalk chalk enclosed are shaped like crayons; not surprising since the Crayola Sidewalk Paint set is made by the crayon people. Nothing really spectacular about the colors of the chalk; I found them to be less vibrant on the surface than the usual Crayola chalks. And since you're really buying this set for its painting feature, I'm a bit confused as to why the makers even added the chalk. The chalk itself doesn't perform well if mixed with the paint; no surprise there since it's dry chalk versus liquid paint.

The plastic painting tray leaves something to be desired. Unlike the hard plastic of other famous plastic toy makers, Crayola decided to use a more flimsy plastic not unlike the cheap black paint trays provided with cheaper paint brushes. In less than a week, the paint tray had already cracked and we resorted to using dollar store beach pails.

On the back of the directions, there are plenty of activities suggested for your artist to put this set to good use. Crayola suggests: Eye popping sign, sports/field courts, special occasions/events, games & activities and enormus drawings. With three colors to choose from included in the set, unless you invest in more colors or choose to mix the paints to create more colors (and that's if you remember your Art 101 class on mixing colors), you're really limited in your designs. Our 4 year old decided she would mix the colors to make black. I'm not sure she intended to make black, but that was her result after some messy mixing.

Clean-up of the Crayola Sidewalk Paint from your sidewalk should be a breeze. It says in big letters on the top of the package that "Washes off with water". So, after tons of water on our 4 year old sidewalk, I resorted to using the shop broom for the majority of the artwork and even had to break out the nylon brush for some on-the-knees cleaning...I did as instructed on the directions and tested the paint prior to letting our little Picasso loose. It came up after drying for 2 hours in the hot sun. But, after our little artist mixed the paints into a wonderfully bleak black design, it took elbow grease and some all purpose cleaner to remove the paint from its location on our sidewalk.

We did have successful clean-up of our daughter and her clothes. As a parent of three, I know that dad's old comfy shirts are perfect smocks and the dollar store tennis shoes are perfect for outside and arts and crafts play. Even still, this paint washed completely out of the cotton shirt and pants she wore for her painting excursions. It is, after all, made by Crayola.

The age stated on this product is 5+. After three children, I've come to understand that the cusp of 5 counts in this guideline. I was not afraid that our 4 year old would ingest the paint; nor was I concerned that she wouldn't know what to do with the paint brush and roller. The age guideline suggests that you may actually need to supervise your little Picasso so they don't try to change the color of your mailbox or minivan. Always a good idea to make sure that when paint is involved, you're present to keep it out of little mouths...and off surfaces it doesn't belong.

After our successful clean-up and subsequent backache, we've decided to remove the Crayola Sidewalk Paint from our arts and crafts list and replace it with good old sidewalk chalk. This paint is for use on concrete or asphalt sidewalks and driveways. But, unless you wish to spend hours scrubbing your sidewalks, I'd suggest investing in some water-based fingerpaints and a canvas. If scrubbing your sidewalk is desirable, then Crayola Sidewalk Paint is perfect for your budding artist!



Recommended:
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 15.00
Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: 6 to 8 Years