Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Rembrandt's in the Tub!
Written: May 19 '00 (Updated May 19 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Creative bathtub fun
Cons: The crayon size is misleading.
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| Home_Birther's Full Review: Rub A Dub Draw In the Tub by Alex Toys |
Somehow, without my quite knowing how it happened, I gave birth to a fish. While she looks very human on the outside, somewhere beneath that adorable little girl exterior lurks a true fish...with gills and fins. You see, my charming 4 year old daughter loves the water so much that she thinks nothing of spending several hours in the bathtub. She heads for dry land reluctantly and only after her skin has achieved the right degree of pruning.
I try not to discourage my daughter’s love of the water and rationalize that it is simply my Midwest fish-child’s version of a year round swimming pool. However, since she does spend an inordinate amount of time in the water, I do actively seek out toys and other products that will enhance her bath and tub time experience. Bath time purchases have included water color tints, bath foam, bath paint and most recently, Rub-A-Dub Draw in the Tub Bathtub Crayons by a manufacturer known for their crafts products, Alex.
What is it?:
Rub-A-Dub Draw in the Tub Bathtub Crayons is a packaged set of 6 specialized crayons. They are specifically formulated to be used in the tub...for drawing on the bathtub, tile or body. Colors included in the set are: red, yellow, blue, green, orange and pink. The crayons are filled inside of a plastic tube and you slide the “crayons” up the tube until it is empty.
Does it work?:
For the most part, yes. My daughter loves the crayons and so does Mom...to a degree. I am artistic and love drawing cartoon images on the tiles. My daughter loves to “improve” my drawings, or create her own. Our bathroom tub area quickly resembles our own version of the Sunday morning comics or Rembrandt’s masterpieces...depending on our mood. To erase our artwork and begin anew, we simply wet the adorable duck sponge and wipe.
Fun and creative.
What we don’t like:
The crayons work well on the bathtub, tile and even my daughter’s body, provided the surface is dry. Yep...dry. One would think that crayons that were designed to be used in the bathtub, would work on wet surfaces. They don’t. Once the surface is wet, the crayon skips over the surface and leaves barely an impression, let alone a drawing. Do not
even attempt to use these in the shower...it won’t work. Once the surface is wet, you will need to wipe it clean, then dry it with a towel before you can draw again.
Alex also wins my annual Mommy Prize for the most wasted and misleading packaging of a child’s product. The plastic tubes that hold the bath crayons measure a full 3” in length, yet only 1 1/2” of the tube is filled. Half of the tube is empty. What you see is not what you eventually get. Alex...do parents and our landfills a favor. Either reduce the size of the tubes and the subsequent packaging, or fill them appropriately. Do not mislead me into believing that I am getting 3 inches worth of crayons, when you are only giving me 1 1/2.
The included duck sponge does an admirable job of cleaning up the surface and it does not stain (I have a fiberglass tub). It does, however, take a bit more elbow grease to remove the crayons from the grout lines in between the tiles. Again, no staining, but it does require more effort than a simple swipe of the sponge.
Would I buy them again?:
Yes...with limitations. My fish, er...daughter, clearly loves them and has enjoyed many a happy hour creating beautiful, yet short lived masterpieces in our family bathtub. They are a creative outlet for her and have certainly enhanced her bathtub experience. However, I was not only disappointed, but angry at the size of the crayons included. I felt that the manufacturer was clearly misrepresenting the product...especially since the actual length of the crayon material was conveniently covered up by the package. Our crayons lasted less than 10 days. At a retail price of $5.99, it is a sizeable monthly investment to keep your home stocked with these crayons, especially when you consider that most children bathe each day and many, like my daughter, enjoy extended play time in the bathtub.
The bottom line is that this is a good product with only a few problems with performance. However, it is expensive considering you are not necessarily getting what you pay for. I will continue to purchase these crayons as an occasional treat and only until something better and more cost effective comes along.
Recommended:
Yes
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Home_Birther
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Location: Midwest
Reviews written: 76
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