Raising four children I don't know how many Etch A Sketch's we had in our home, but there were many so of course that seemed like a very logical toy to have in my family daycare as well, especially since I care for children of various ages.
I don't remember what I paid for them ‘way back when' but this seems to be one toy that has managed to stay at reasonable price. I paid just $10.00 for our Etch A Sketch recently, which is really a bargain for all of the hours of enjoyment it provides.
The Etch A Sketch is a red framed 9" x 7" plastic framed drawing screen with a glass silver screen that measures approximately 6 ½" x 4 ½". There are two white knobs at the bottom that help you to draw pictures on the screen. The left knob, when turned will draw a left and right line, the right knob will draw an up and down line. You can turn both knobs at one time to create angles and curves. When you are done drawing your picture you simply turn the Etch A Sketch over and shake to erase the screen and it is ready to draw on again.
I've seen people who can draw amazing pictures with this simple toy and have no idea how they manage to create such things as pictures of Elvis or the Beatles and even fancy scenery or cartoon characters. The best I manage is some stairs or maybe an awkward circle now and then.
My daycare children have fun drawing and erasing and then drawing again and feel so successful as they create new things, whether they are an actual picture or a more abstract one. This is one toy I leave on the shelf year round and find that all of the children whether boy or girl from the youngest, who is 4 to the oldest who is 9, all enjoy equally. It is picked up and used many times a day and occasionally fought over, but definitely a toy that sees a lot of playtime.
My 27 year old son was thrilled when he noticed it and immediately went about writing one of the children's names on the screen. I'm amazed at how quickly it all came back to him. Hmmm maybe this would be a good ‘stocking stuffer' for him for Christmas, for even though my children are all adults I do like to give them at least one toy at Christmastime.
The only drawback I see with the Etch A Sketch is that you can't save your picture although with digital cameras now it is easy to take a picture of a masterpiece so that the children can show their parents when they go home.
One of the things I like about the Etch A Sketch is that there are no loose pieces. It is one self-contained piece, all by itself. Nothing to lose so it is a great toy to take along in the car or even into a restaurant to entertain a little one while waiting for their food.
I very highly recommend this toy for children over 3 years old, but caution that since the screen is glass it must be used with care.
Ohio Art, the maker of this toy, also make it in several different varieties. It is available as a key chain toy, pocket size, freestyle and many more.
This is an inexpensive toy that encourages creativity and dexterity so it is a toy that I very highly recommend!
I have put our Etch A Sketch in to this spot in the database and while there are 66 other reviews in another spot, it appears that spot is for an Etch A Sketch that comes with a book...ours didn't. I won't however be entering this submission into the First Review Sweepstakes, since it clearly is not the first review.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 10.00 Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
Etch A Sketch Classic Ages 6+ Find a wide variety of Household & Pet Products at drugstore.com, where you get 5% back and free shipping!More at drugstore.com
3 years & up. Helps children develop fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and imagination! This classic Etch-A-Sketch will provide hours of penci...More at Kaplan Toys
Twist your way to great looking pictures with the world classic Etch A Sketch! Just turn either the horizontal or vertical knobs and watch the magic s...More at Toys R Us
Sketching screen measures 7.5 inches (diagonal) Magic drawing screen Magical shake to erase Great for ages 3 years and up, Manufacturer: Ohio Art Co.More at Amazon Marketplace
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