A Summer Fun Essential! Crayola Washable Water Colors
Written: Jul 20 '03 (Updated Nov 09 '04)
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Pros: Eight cool colors, comes with a size three brush, sturdy snap close case.
Cons: Might be a little messy.
The Bottom Line: Looking to add some color to your kids art kit? Pick up the Crayola Washable Water Colors paint kit! Safe, non-toxic, inexpensive and a whole lot of fun.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Crayola Washable Water Colors - 8 Pan |
With summer in full swing, I’m always looking for fun things to entertain the boys. Since they aren’t really into the whole arts and craft scene I try to pick up basic things that they can use when the urge strikes them. Poster board, markers and stencils are their favorite things to use but every once in a while they like to break out the paints. The Crayola Water Color kits were pretty popular with them and they started out with the eight count sets and them moved up to the sixteen [the same as this only two of each color] and twenty four count sets. This is a basic assortment that will surely entertain any child. The colors mix nicely, the paints are washable and the case snaps shut tightly and securely so you’ll never have to worry about losing the brush.
Crayola Washable Water Colors
If you are looking for a sturdy paint set, the Crayola Washable Water Color set is a great pick. This is the first in the series of paint sets, the others are the sixteen and twenty four count sets that offer more colors to choose from. This is a great alternative to poster paints that can get a little messy with younger kids and since it is washable, clean up in a breeze. The plastic case will stand up to a lot of use and the hinges are extremely strong. This is the perfect size for kids to take back and forth with them to school since it is long thin and flat. It doesn’t take up much room in a backpack or supply case and as I mentioned, the case snaps shut so there’s no chance of the paint tray or brush falling out and creating a mess.
Colors
Since this is a basic paint kit, you get basic colors. This set includes black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and brown. It may take a child a little bit of time to get used to mixing the colors and there are several sites that offer color mixing charts [yellow + blue = green etc]. If your child is going to mix colors, have them add the lightest color to the darkest color, this way there is less of a chance of the lighter color getting ruined. It’s also helpful to have a lot of paper towels on hand to wipe out the individual pans and remove excess water and other paint colors. The assortment in this set are vivid and will hold their brilliance providing they aren’t exposed to direct sunlight. The colors are in small recessed pans that are all interconnected, the plastic paint sleeve can be removed from the case for cleaning or if a child wants to have it a bit closer to them. I really like the fact that you can remove the paint tray / sleeve. You can wipe out the inside and make sure there aren’t any small pools of water lurking under the tray.
Brush
The brush that comes with this kit is pretty basic but will allow kids to create fine lines or thick lines. So far this one has held up nicely with only a few bristles falling out when cleaning it. The one that came with this kit is yellow, the same color as the case, but it can very from set to set. This is a great brush for kids of all ages to use and the rounded end on the brush means that there’s no real chance of a child getting hurt when using it. If you are looking for other Crayola brushes, I suggest the Crayola 4 Count Paint Brushes and the Crayola 8 Count Paint Brushes. These will give your child a little more variety and, of course, carry the Crayola seal of approval.
Price
I picked up a ton of these during the end of the ‘back to school’ sale at Target. They are normally priced at about $1.99 but I got them for .75 cents. You can find these in the school supply or art section of places like Wal-Mart, Target and K-Mart but office supply stores that have an education center also stock these. If you can’t find this in your local stores or in school supply sections, you can order it online through the Crayola Online Store. While you are these, you can sign up for their free newsletter that will give you advanced notification of sales, clearance items and new products. Also, be sure to check the Sunday coupon supplements when the ‘back to school’ sales start up. You can usually find coupons for .50 cents - $1.00 off all Crayola products. Since I got these on sale I wasn’t expecting much from them but I am really impressed with the colors, case and brush. Would I purchase these is they weren’t on sale? Probably not, the boys have moved on from this basic set to the larger ones – but if they were a little younger – I’d definitely pick this up for them.
Is It Really Washable?
Just like all other “washable” Crayola products, this one washes easily from most clothing. I’m not saying to dress your kids in their Sunday best and let them paint – because there are some fabrics that this paint will not come out of. There are instructions on the front of case for washing – but they are the same as all other “washable” product warnings and cleaning details. Wash as soon as possible, don’t use a strain treatment product, no bleach. Just because the product says that it is washable doesn’t mean that everything in comes in contact with can be cleaned. Prime example – the tiny handprint that mysteriously appeared on the bathroom wall. For some reason, no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get the hand print off the wall. Finally I gave up and slapped on a small coat of paint.
The Bottom Line
The boys really had a great time when they were using this paint kit but have outgrown it and moved on to the larger assortment of colors as well as the poster paints that Crayola sells. When they went through the first two or three kits I was a little worried that I might run out and was kicking myself for not really stocking up. I tossed out the first empty paint case then realized that it can be used to store paint brushes, small packs of lead, the mini colored pencils and other odds and ends. I won’t go so far as to say that the cases are indestructible, but they are pretty darn sturdy. This would make a great addition to any child art center or stock of supplies and since it’s non toxic and washable – it’s a product that your child can use without you hovering over them and wiping them down every five minutes.
As always, thanks for the visit!
^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 •
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): .75 cents
Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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