Editorial Review

Most painters have to clean up after they're done, but with this set of five bright finger-paintsoaps, you can paint and get clean at the same time.Squeeze a dab of each color into the enclosedhand-shaped artist's palette and you're all set to turn your tub into an impressionistic masterpiece.When it's toweltime, wipe the pigment away using the included fish-shaped sponge. Don't forget to wear a beret in the tubfor the right effect. Paints are orange, blue, yellow, green, and purple.They are not heavily scented, and thepigments are child friendly. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Not so good....
It smells really good, but as with the other reviews, the paint does not show up on the walls.My daughter still likes to smear it on herself, but the colors still don't show up very well.We bought colored shaving cream and she has a lot more fun with that!Also, if you buy the Crayola washable crayons, they write on skin really well if they are wet and wash right off!She has a lot more fun with those!I haven't tried them on the walls yet, it will be interesting to see how washable they are there.

A Real Winner!
Do you have trouble getting your little one to take a bath? If you do this product may well be your salvation. Once the
little one is in the tub and is given their paints the skies the
limit.How much fun is it for them to paint on the walls, on themselves and everything they see?We may never know, but
just try to stop them.This maybe a drawback as they seem to want
to use the colors up in one sitting they are having so much fun.
I agree with the others, the colors could be a little darker, but the children seem to see them fine, perhaps these old eyes are the problem. :0)
This is a winner.....recommended.

Finger Paint Failure
My son got this for his 3rd birthday and I was really disappointed with the finger paint soap.My son tried and tried to paint on the walls and the soap/paint wouldn't write well on the walls, although the box to the kit shows how "excellent" the paint shows up.I was very disappointed with this product. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts and Crafts    2. Painting    3. Finger-paints (Fingerpaints)    4. Bath Toys    5. Preschool    6. Activity   

Features

• Sturdy, waterproof portfolio with carrying handle
• Includes materials for drawing, painting, and collage
• Wide selection of art supplies
• Open-ended set promotes creativity

Reviews (2)

over priced
I bought this for my GrandSon, and was very disappointed at how very little was in it for $39.95. I could have bought the contents separately for a total of $10.00; and the case was cheaply made too. I buy many products through ToysRUs ,and this was the 1st disappointment.

Just wonderful!
This has to be one of the best possible art case available for the budding artist.The supplies and the case are of extremely high quality (no cheap vinyl here -- but that's why the price is, unfortunately, nearly forty dollars).The case is also very roomy and versatile. There's enough space to slip an additional book or two (or other small toys) inside at the last minute, so the contents always seem "fresh".We take this case with us everywhere (without the paints, of course), and it keeps our four-year-old daughter very contented while waiting in restaurants, airports, etc.

One problem, however, is the lack of a pencil sharpener to accompany the colored pencils.Granted, this is a minor fault, but, since Alex Toys has a reputation for creating excellent products, this omission seems somewhat inexplicable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Arts and Crafts    3. Art Supplies   

Editorial Review

For the sleuth in every kid. The Under Cover Detective Activity Kit is a great choice for curious youngsters. Watch as your kids build academic skills through observation, creative reasoning, and imaginative play. Amateur sleuths can use items such as rearview glasses, code wheels, and composite drawing materials in a variety of imaginary detective scenarios. A colorful Spy Guide provides easy-to-follow instructions for activities such as taking fingerprints, documenting "suspects'" moves, and deciphering coded messages. The kit also includes a magnifying glass, a small flashlight, an ink pad, fingerprint powder, secret marker pens, a red message filter, file cards, and a special agent I.D. card. "Don't forget," the Spy Guide urges, "observe everything, look for clues, put pieces together, go undercover, take a lot of notes, and have fun!" (Parents with low tolerance for black powdery messes may want to remove the fingerprint powder.) Flashlight requires two AAA batteries, not included. --Joan DeClaire ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Learning    3. Spy    4. Pretend Play    5. Gadgets   

Subjects:  1. Arts and Crafts    2. Painting    3. Sponge Painting    4. Activity   

Features

• Easy Assembly
• Customizable for right or left-handed children

Reviews (5)

My kids LOVE this desk!!
My father bought this desk for my son's 3rd birthday last year. He eats at it, colors on it, sits at it to watch tv, etc. It gets use every single day. My now almost 2 year old daughter uses it also for the same things. They've gotten to where they BOTH want it at the same time so we're going to have to get another one. It's great b/c it easily fits almost anywhere, is very sturdy, and very attractive. We get compliments on it everytime people come over. You can't go wrong with this desk!!!!

We Love This!
This table is fantastic!Words cannot describe how wonderful it is.Well worth the $ we spent on it.I bought it for both of my children who are 3 and 7 for use at their Grandmother's house.They love it.Of course, they fight over who will be able to use it.I may have to buy another! :)Very easy to assemble, very colorful, and very wonderful.You can even assemble it for right or left handers!My mother loved this so much, that she bought two for my brother and his 3 children...one is assembled for their left handed daughter, and the other for their other 2 right handed daughters.The storage spot underneath is great, and the kids love the little tray on the side for their crayons or colored pencils.It even has a cup for crayons, but my children use this as a drink holder.It's great.I would recommend this to all.

Love it! Even though paint chips easily
This chair is awesome. I was ready to get away from the shared picnic table seats for my 2 year old twins and provide something a little more independent of eachother. They LOVE these desks. The storage below is great and they are pretty sturdy for my still curious acrobats. After having it two weeks, I have noticed paint chipping off which I think is a bit premature, but other than that, it was easy for the hubby to put together and they love it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Furniture   

Editorial Review

There are a lot of dollhouses on the market, but most of themneed to be assembled, furnished, and outfitted with a doll family. Thishigh-quality dollhouse set offers a complete turnkey environment, witheverything included right down to the baby and the baby carriage. Afamily of five felt dolls is included, each with a colorful felt outfitand flexible wires inside its body so it can be positioned to sit orstand up. The three-story house is made of laminated interlockingfiberboard panels that fit together quickly, with one large room oneach floor and one side completely open for play. The inside andoutside walls and the floors are decorated in bright primary colors,with cheery yellow outside walls and open windows on each end. Thenicely made hardwood furniture includes 28 pieces, with items for theliving room, kitchen, parents' room, and the third-floor nursery. Thenatural wood furniture has accents of red and bright blue, and many ofthe pieces have working drawers or doors. A few accessories areincluded, too, such as lamps and a tiny wooden TV or computer. Anexcellent choice for a preschool girl's first dollhouse, and a handy,complete gift package that will be welcomed by busyparents. --Marcie Bovetz ... Read more

Features

• Easy Assembly
• Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award winner
• Includes doll house, furniture and dolls

Reviews (7)

not worth the money
I bought this for my daughter.She hardly ever played with it.The furniture fell apart without much use.The dolls were not fun (they didn't do anything & were ugly) & most other dolls will not fit in the house!My daughter now wants a new doll house that is more fun.

plastic plywood
This says it is a wooden dollhouse but is not worth the money - is cheesy looking and cheaply made!

Look but don't touch.
Within six months of owning this 50% of the furniture fell to pieces.Some wodd glue and a clamp will fix but for the price you should not have to make constant repairs.Save your money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dolls   

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Arts and Crafts    3. Art Supplies   

Reviews (3)

not worth it
Harder to get into than I first thought.The kids are anxious to get to "work" and fidget getting into this, the arms are a bit too tight.It seems bulky as well.Better off going old school - daddy's old shirt on backwards!

great for art class
I bought this for my daughter to use in her 1st grade art class 2x/week.We are very happy with this product.It is easy to slip into and out of.It is durable and protects her clothes from the paint.The sleeves have elastic around the cuff which stops her shirt from slipping out.

apron
I didnt care for this item to much, the sleeves were to tight, and they are plastic, which made it very uncomfortable for my 7 year old to wear. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts and Crafts    2. Painting    3. Activity    4. Easels   

Editorial Review

At last, your collection of hand puppets can get the home--or rather the workplace--it deserves. Sturdily constructed from wood, this traditional Punch and Judy puppet theatre requires no tools for assembly. You can write the time, or other relevant information, on the chalkboard panel just below the stage. The facade is held in a vertical position with simple red wooden feet. The theatre measures 58 inches high, 29 inches wide, and 15 inches deep. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Missing parts
I sent this theatre to my niece for her birthday.My sister said it arrived without the assembly kit (screws, etc.).Amazon was not able to ship the kit separately.My sister felt it was easier to buy the assembly parts from a hardware store than to pack up and return the theatre for another one.Amazon has offered to refund 20% of the price for the inconvenience, and my sister said that my niece (6 years old) and nephew (8 years old) love the theatre now that it's put together.Maybe the delayed gratification was good for them.

Not as Advertised
I am sort of shocked that this toy is still being described as a theatre with a clock and two puppets.Amazon had assured me that they would change the item's description.

I ordered this item and was surprised that the picture on the box was a different theatre than the one I had ordered, I opened it and found that it is a theatre with no clock and no puppets.I contacted amazon and they said that the description was wrong and that it would be changed immediateley.They sent me a returned merchandise authorization.But it was a day before my Daughter's 5th Birthday and she had been staring at the box for days and decided she wanted it.So we kept it.We found puppets elsewhere.

As for durabillity and fun, it has stayed together with 2 rough and rowdy kids.They rarely use it for puppets though, it's a fort and a lemonade stand and a store and the DMV (LOL)!

My daughter uses the little chalkboard to practice writing a lot and the tear away curtains delight my son.One word of caution, the little star toggles used to keep the curtains pulled back come off with minimal effort and do pose a choking hazard.My son is 2, so I pulled them off and hid them till he's older.

All in all it's a good theatre, and well made as all the Alex toys are, it gets used every day.

My daughter still says that she wishes it had come with a clock though. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pretend Play    2. Puppets   

Features

• Front and back curtains
• No tools needed for assembly
• Working door

Reviews (4)

Good idea - very poor quality
We were so excited to order this item. Sadly the quality is very poor. We have had it set up for less than a week and the front "counter" has broken off and one of the front panels has had a leg rip off. My kids love the idea of this item but it is extremely flimsy particle type board -it has basically disintergrated berfore our eyes . Even with general play it sways back and forth, a little scary if little ones are playing in it.I am going to call the maker - hopefully we can repair this (...)

Fun, Colorful and Durable!
I bought this last year for Christmas and my girls use it virtually every day.They have put on puppet productions, used it as a lemonade stand, a club house, a shop and a thousand other uses.As you can see, it is extemely colorful and surprizingly durable.This was money well spent.I highly recommend it.

Great imaginations at work!
This is a great puppet theater, sound stage, restaurant, play house, etc...My daughter was 4 when she received this from Santa.He only wished he had found it sooner!My daughter continues to love it, and will now be sharing it with her younger sister.Many hours of pretend have been spent inside and outside this theater.We especially love it because it is large enough inside for two or more children.All the others we researched were too small for our needs.The colors are so vibrant and fun, we get tons of compliments from all our company.All the kids gravitate towards it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Pretend Play    3. Furniture    4. Wood    5. Puppets    6. Stuffed Toys   

Editorial Review

This colorful plastic briefcase, packed with paper-craftsupplies, is perfect for the child who adores art projects. The case,which measures just over 9 by 12 inches, has tuck-in tab closures and apurple carrying handle. Open it up and you'll find a whole host ofmaterials, including colorful construction paper, shiny metallic paper,geometric-shaped tissue paper, dot stickers, doilies and doily hearts,pipe cleaners, color-and-cut cardboard animal masks, origami paper, andcreative origami folding instructions. The set also comes with an ideabooklet that will teach you how to make several different paperprojects, from doily tiaras to fancy paper fans to finger puppetfriends. There's enough here to keep the most ardent arts-and-craftsenthusiast busy, and it all stows neatly in the plastic case forconvenient cleanup and transport. --Elisabeth Fredrickson ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My kid loved this item
My 6 year old and I spent a great rainy afternoon making masks and then putting togeather little skits that we performed for his Mom.I liked that there were many options that helped my son bring out his creativity.Something different from the usual action figure stuff.He also liked the carrying case.

very disappointed
I bought this kit because i love to do paper crafts, but when i opened it I was very disappointed, it was not what i expected for the money i paid.The cut and color masks are a little scary for smaller children, there is only 2 in the package that is acceptable for young children the rest are scary dinosaur faces.I was expecting cute animal faces.I did get glue and scissors in the package which isn't stated in the picture and description.Overall the purchase was a big disappointment, I won't be purchasing it again.

Doesn't give good value for the money
We ordered two of these for christmas gifts and when we got them we turned around and sent them right back.Inside the vinyl holder was a very small pack of materials, it just looked like very little for [the money].We didn't open the small package of materials because we knew it was going back.When we spend [money] on a gift it has got to be more substantial than this. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts and Crafts    2. Paper Crafts    3. Activity    4. Craft Kits   

Reviews (3)

Garbage-Misleading packaging
It is rare for me to open up a toy and find it not living up to its packaging or advertising. So I was surprised to find that the painting kit in the "Creative Spirit" box was pure garbage. The paint was half dried-up and not nearly enough to paint half of the umbrella. The paintbrush was awful. My son and I have to go to the craft store to buy more fabric paint to finish our umbrella (which is by the way pretty lame-looking already). Hope the paint doesn't wash off in the rain.

Fun to make but not built to last
My 6 year old daughter had a great time painting this umbrella.

Unfortunately the paint is the kind that stays just sticky enough even weeks later that if the umbrella is folded up for any length of time and then reopened the paint pulls off.

We eventually threw it away. A shame really but it just became a big mess.

Girls love it!
My 8 year old was busy for 3 days with this fun rainy day project.

I bought 2 more!One for my 6 year olds birthday and her friend. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts and Crafts    2. Painting    3. Activity    4. Craft Kits   

Features

• All contained in black nylon bag
• Everything for the supersleuth
• Includes rearview spy glasses, binoculars, fingerprint powder, flashlight, and more

Reviews (2)

Nice set, wrong age
This case is a nice little set up.My 11 year old thought it was a bit to "young" for her though.We did not find the fingerprinting very easy to do, takes some practice I imagine.The case is cute and the idea is fun.

Pretty Cool
I liked the rearview glasses the most. However they aren't as durable as they should be. Spy University by Scholastic is more educational toward the field of espionage for kids. It's an 11 month program where you get a booklet and gadget every month.
~Anyway this toy is REALLY good at FINDING clues. THe binoculars and the magnifying glass worked well. THe finger print powder doesn't last long...but Spy University teaches you how to make your own in the booklets. Each booklet contains cool spy information, a mystery story, and cool spy activities. You have to go to scholastic's website to find out more.
~Yeah so while this toy does not offer the most advanced spy toys for kids, it will help you solve a mystery. Not too much fun when it comes to playing Spy Kids though..... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Wacky    2. Activity    3. Gadgets    4. Spy   

Reviews (1)

Worth the Money!
My 3 year old daughter loves art.She found this in a toy store and I did not want to buy it because it was a little pricey for art supplies. But she has really enjoyed this. It has a little bit of everything in it.She has used up almost everything in it.But she still uses it to organize her other arts and crafts stuff. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Arts and Crafts    3. Art Supplies   

Subjects:  1. Pretend Play    2. Puppets    3. Activity   

Editorial Review

It looks like a rectangular lunch box made of yellow nylon cloth, but rip open the sturdy Velcro fastener and this cleverly designed art pack rolls out flat and becomes four zippable, see-through compartments for 50 felt-tipped pens. The first two compartments contain 28 simple stick pens in colors that cover the basics, but also include pink, gray, and several different shades each of purple, brown, and orange. The third compartment has eight stubbier, thicker markers. Best of all, the fourth compartment has a dozen "brush tip" pens so flexible they can make a line vary from very fine to almost a quarter-inch thick. A lot of color for your money. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Features

• 4 different types of markers
• Nylon box with 4 compartments
• 48 markers

Reviews (2)

Markers dry out very quickly!
The case these markers come in is great!However, the markers themselves are of very poor quality, they dried out within a couple of weeks, and my daughters kept the caps on them.

Won't Wash off!
My daughter received this as a gift for her 3rd birthday.She loves it. There are thick markers and think markers. The variety is endless. However, the ink will not wash off of clothes.Be warned.I would love to find asimilar set that is washable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts and Crafts    2. Art Supplies    3. Markers    4. Coloring    5. Activity   

Editorial Review

Who's up for a Clay Party? If you want to keep up to a half-dozen little folks busy and entertained, look no further. Inside a fairly sturdy bucket you'll find five 7-ounce packages of bright, nontoxic modeling clay, 16 plastic clay cutters (shaped like stars, houses, and more), four dinosaur clay molds, a rolling pin, safe cutting and modeling tools, and a plastic mat to make cleanup a snap. The clay is easy for small fingers to work and the tools make it simple to turn out cool, colorful characters in minutes--then ball 'em up and start over! --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Fun!Fun!Fun!
I purchased this for my 9 year old grandson's birthday, and he loved it more than most of his other gifts.He comes over to my home some weekends, and brings it along in the bucket that the clay comes in.The only problem is that his sister wants to play too, so I am online to purchase another one.I recommend this for any child.

Keeps them busy!
I love this product!I purchased it for my 5 and 8 year olds, and it is a great way to keep them out of my hair while I get housework done.Highly recommended!The best part is that when they are done, everything can be thrown right into the bucket - easy clean up.

Too Difficult
The clay in this set is so incredibly hard to work with. My kids were very frustrated. The clay does not soften. The cookie cutters and molds with the set are great and we use them with Play Doh or Crayola modeling clay. I do not recommend spending your money on this at all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts and Crafts    2. Art Supplies    3. Clay    4. Activity   

Reviews (1)

Great Set of Crayons!HIGHLY Recommended!
This set of crayons is very durable & colorful!It comes in a cute organized pouch which has 4 zippered compartments that fold togehter and velcro shut.The crayons are EXCELLENT quality, comparable to Crayola.Young kids and adults will enjoy hours of fun with crayons.Create things to your hearts desire.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PRODUCT and Great for Travel Too!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not the same as pictured...
I ordered this set for my granddaughter because of the translucent colors - very subtle and pretty. That is not, however, what I got. The set I received is bright blues, yellows and reds and is not translucent at all. I don't understand why a substitution was made. The only reason I am not returning it is because it is still a very cute set with a lot of kitchen tools in it. Believe that this is not a a good practice for this company...switching things on customers.

Cute Kitchen
this is a cutie kitchen.the colors are bright nice.you should buy this because of all the kitchen tools.they are really great!

Completes the play kitchen!
I looked at many play kitchen accessories, and I purchased this set because of all the included items in the set.The set I purchased had all of the items listed above, but Bella's set also had a Pressure cooker pot!Talk about having everything for her little kitchen!

I wanted the translucent colors shown in the picture, which is not only more gender neutral but cooler, but opaque yellow, pink and aqua was the only option I had.Overall, I'm pleased with the purchase and so is my 19-mos. daughter. ... Read more