Best Craft Kits
Since it was first introduced in 1965, Spirograph has made it possible for aspiring artists of all ages to create beautifully intricate designs, originally developed as a drafting tool, by a mechanical engineer named Denys Fisher, the distinctive wheels and rings of the Spirograph cleverly combine, the principles of art and mathematics in a way that has inspired and delighted generations. 45-piece deluxe set includes 19 wheels, 2 rings, 1 rack, spiro-putty, 3 pens, 14-page guide book, design paper and carry-along storage case.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"i bought Felt tip pens with the design set, and works great, you can try it too."
"I bought a pack of multiple colors and am having so much fun experimenting with the endless number of patterns. I tried gel pens on navy blue paper and the ink smeared due to the rotating spirograph wheels."
"It went from dozens of companies making gel pens and black paper to only a handful. This generation of gel pens has made a great comeback and we see a lot of companies getting back in to the business of making gel pens and black paper. For gel pens on black paper the best are the Sakura 38176 10-Piece Gelly Roll Assorted Colors Blister Card Moonlight Gel Ink Pen Set and the ink glows in the dark but if you really want to add to your Spirograph fun I recommend also getting what I call "The Castle", the TEKwriterUSA Gelwriter Gel Pen Set with Pop-up Case, 100-Count (27104-D), it has every kind of gel pen you could imagine and great for every shade of paper from black to white but the ink does not glow in the dark like the Sakura pens. For black paper I recommend getting both the Wausau Astrobrights Heavy Duty Paper, 24 lb, 8.5 x 11 Inches, Eclipse Black, 500 Sheets (22321) and the Black Page Journal, Black Cover, 36 Qty/case, you get three sizes, 12 each, I'm guessing around 5, 6 and 8 inch size with about 50 pages each, a fantastic value at less than a dollar a notebook."
"I cut the strip into 6 equal pieces (we needed a couple to first adhere one of the 20 included 8 1/2" x 11" pieces of white paper to the plastic, built-in work surface... the paper fits relatively securely horizontally, but the work surface is 9 1/2" vertically rather than 8 1/2", so the paper would move up and down if it wasn't secured with a piece of putty at the top 2 corners.). I attached the other 4 strips underneath one of the rings and secured it to the paper, then placed one of the wheels on the inside of the ring to begin going around... but the wheel slid right underneath the ring, since the putty raised the ring up too high. Since there were no instructions, I had to go back and read through some of the Amazon reviews - which I hadn't taken time to read when ordering - finally finding one that talked about using only very small pieces of putty so as not to elevate the ring too high for the wheel. Once I'd spent 10-15 minutes reading reviews and got the ring secured, I tried to explain how he needed to keep pressure against the inside of the ring as he went around with the wheel, but whether it was because I wasn't explaining myself well enough or he just didn't understand what he needed to do, he started getting frustrated and said, "Can we please just do something else, Grandma?" Not having instructions isn't a good thing, and in reading through reviews, it sounds like many people have received packages with missing items (we had everything intact except instructions.)."
"My youngest loves being creative so with the addition of gel pens this allows her to expand her creative side!"
"Also, you have to use sticky tack to hold the outside stencil down and I wish it came with a piece that actually holds it in place like the ones when I was a kid."
"My son and daughter love making tons of creations with this and I love when they are being creative so it's a win win!"
Creative kids can jot notes, etch doodles, and make their own exciting masterpieces with Mini Scratch Art Notes. Bright colors hide beneath the matte coating -- use the wooden stylus to reveal them with a simple scratch.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My only complaint is that the colors aren't as varied as shown in the picture."
"The wooden stylus is nice but isn't the best tool if you're trying to make neat, thin lines because the black that you scratch off sticks to the tip so you have to constantly take it off."
"My daughter had these packaged as bookmarks for her Birthday party goody-bag and LOVED that Santa brought her these in her stocking since she's been out of the bookmarks for a while now."
"I love how easy it is to make these cute notes."
"Super fun way to make little quick drawings or notes."
"My niece was really excited to get these in her stocking for Christmas."
"Got 3 of these to give to 2 grandaughters and my neice.."
"Somewhat disappointing."
Press, squish, roll, squeeze, and shape – with Play-Doh modeling compound, the only limit is your imagination. 24-PACK: Case of Colors has plenty of non-toxic Play-Doh modeling compound for the whole family to shape and create.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The only thing I dislike about them is some cans the play-doh is super soft and then other cans the play-doh is very firm, it like a mixed box of new and old cans of play-doh."
"Our play doh was fresh and soft. Sometime I make my own but actual play doh colors can’t be beat."
"Love seeing the variety of colors and with two kids in the preschool class not being allowed sugar, play doh is The perfect "treat"."
"I bought these to put in gift bags for the kids in my classroom at work."
"My nephew liked this set but enjoyed the sculpt more."
"They are not the big tubs but these are for my three year old so they are a good size."
"They are of great quality, as expected, and there are so many great things you can do with the Play-doh, including using it for educational purposes for spelling and phonics lessons!"
"It appeared that there was mold on the top of the product, the consistency was sticky mush, and smelled of something rotten."
Best Kids' Paint By Number Kits
For the white paint and other light color paint part, the figures left on the canvas may be seen, you can double use the paint and try to cover with the thick paint. the match the number of the paint and the figure on the canvas to fill in the paint. for the large part, you can use the larger brush to paint, and for the small part, you can use the smaller brush to paint. Please cover the lid of paint well when you do not use it, in case the paint gets dry. 3 size high quality painting brushes.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You do need to have a lot of patience as there are a ton of small areas to paint in various different colors (take a close look at the leaves). The numbers are clearly printed on the canvas and depending on what color you are using, they are usually covered up by the first coat of paint. The paint can get a bit tacky at times but like another reviewer said, just add a touch of water and you are good to go."
"Finished it in a week."
"The finished product/painting is very pretty and I’ve had a ton of compliments. Comes with a map- if you accidentally paint in the wrong spot(you can refer to the paper map). 4. (I had to use a make shift frame and it didn’t stretch enough to get the creases out)."
"while the colors were not exactly what was picture it was so much fun to do and took FOREVER seriously its been 4 days and i'm still not done. the picture which im almost finished came out really nice despite the few color differences."
"I recommend buying the frame, no frame is annoying and if you fold the canvas too much it starts to wear."
"THIS IS ACRYLIC, not oil paint."
"The FIRST thing you should know is that the canvas does not come fastened to a frame. I am a little disappointed I can't get the creases out of my canvas, but heavy objects sitting on the canvas have helped reduce how noticeable the creases are."
"They include a reference photo and I've taken a side-by-side picture of the difference."
Best Kids' Felt Craft Kits
When looking for an arts and crafts project that will engage your kids, build their skills. and provide hours of fun, look no further than this Woodland Animals Sewing Kit. ★ MEANINGFUL PLAY - At last, an adorable arts & crafts sewing kit that compels kids to drop their electronic games to learn the timeless craft of hand sewing and creative play. ★ THE ULTIMATE ARTS AND CRAFTS PROJECT KIT - Each Woodland Friends sewing kit includes: 5 pre-cut animal sewing projects, 6 colors of embroidery thread, 5 sewing needles, 40 straight pins, pin cushion, scissors, non-toxic fabric glue, stuffing, easy-to-follow instructions and a cute portable carry case for travel and playdates. ★ HOST THE PERFECT CRAFT PARTY - Your next playdate or birthday party will be a huge hit when you break out the Woodland Animals arts and crafts sewing kit.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Including in the sewing kit is 5 Woodland Animals (red fox, chickadee, bunny, tubby bear, and wise owl), a pack of stuffing, tube of fabric glue, 5 things of thread in various colors, small scissors, tomato pin cusion, a round pack of straight pins, 2 needle threader, 5 larger, blue, plastic needles, and one metal regular sewing needle. Each animal comes with its on set of instructions that tell you how to complete them, and which color threads to use, and which type of stitch to use on the different areas. I received this product at a free or discounted cost in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion."
"I would highly recommend this to a young person who likes to craft and isn't extremely advanced in their sewing skills. Now we are moving on to an actual machine, but these were so fun for her to make."
"*Please note: That I received a modest discount on this product in exchange for my honest and un-biased review."
"The pre-punched holes, the plastic needle and needle threader (which she learned to use quickly, the detailed felt - well done!"
"This kit walked the line perfect with real pins but plastic needles and prepunched animals."
"Sweet little case to hold all sewing items...thread, scissors, stuffing, pins, needles, and a pin cushion."
"I bought this kit for my 7 year old daughter."
"I'm using this with the fourth-grade students I work with in an after-school program."
Best Kids' Flower Press Kits
The Max 9" (23 centimeters) Microfleur microwave flower press is Microfleur's most wanted press. Clips very firmly compress the press and plant materials to prevent puckering of flowers and leaves while drying.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"After a couple months of waiting for my telephone book pressed flowers to completely dry out, I only then learned what you can and can't press from the plant world. By that time, all the flowers and plants that actually turned out OK were no longer available to press more of them that year. Much more efficient to make a sandwich out of two ribbed pieces of plastic and two thick pieces of wool and instead of peanut butter, put your plant specimens inside and nuke it in the microwave. I now start with a 2 minute zap in the Microwave, and if everything looks OK, I will follow up with another 2 minute zap. If there is still moisture accumulating on the inside of the plastic frame of the device, I may give a third 2 minute zap, but most likely one minute zaps from this point on. If I only have a few specimens that I am drying out, and I've never dried them before, I will be conservative and only go with one minute zaps. The same thing will happen with this device on your plant items. Even when you evenly fill the entire surface of the frame with plant items, as I do, it seems that the center items will still get the most concentrated microwaving. I wipe the moisture off the two plastic pieces and allow the wool and drying plant pieces to cool down a bit. In my case I just place the wool pads on my granite counter top and while I am repositioning the plant items on the cotton sheets slightly, the wool cools down quickly on that granite surface. Not always but usually I reposition the plant items after the first zap because that repositioning of the item loosens it from the cotton sheet. With the exception of leaves and other thicker items,you will find that most of your plant pieces will stick to the cotton sheet, some more than others, after the first time you nuke it, and sometimes it is very difficult to release it without destroying the piece. Colors from flowers or other plant pieces will sink into the cotton sheets, and this can make releasing, new items you are drying, harder to do. I've found that for some items it only takes two 2 minute zaps to dry the item sufficiently. If you are only putting in a couple small items at a time, that's way too much time, and you will most likely burn them. I dried out those same flowers again a week later, and took more time with them. I now always allow everything to cool down between each zap in the Microwave.I also now make certain that the dried plant items are all cooled down before putting them into any zip lock bags. Before buying this device, I tried microwaving some flowers by just placing them in a paperback book and microwaving it that way. Generally you end up ruining the paperback, so you probably want to read the darn thing before you use it this way, because after a few times in the microwave, the glue holding the pages to the spine of the book eventually can't handle it anymore, and now you have a paperback book of loose pages. The paperback procedure will do an OK job on some flower petals, and if you want to see what kind of flowers work best in the microwave, and how the colors will change, this is a cheep way to find out."
"Love, love, love this Microfleur!!"
"I had a class project that required the pressing of lawn weeds. It took several weeks for the weeds to dry in a traditional flower press."
"I recommend microwaving it in intervals like the box says but then letting them sit out for a bit (like a few days) to let them dry a little more naturally so they don't burn."
"Microfleur is the best way to press flowers."
"A botanist friend gifted me a professional botanical press which I find tedious and time consuming, with wing nuts to be tightened and time to wait...and wait...this Microfleur is just crazy!"
"I'm using my new flower press to press flowers from my daughter's wedding bouquet."
"This works very well for drying small plants:flowers."
Best Kids' Glass Art & Suncatcher Kits
From classic wooden toys to crafts, pretend play, and games, Melissa & Doug products provide a launch pad to ignite imagination and a sense of wonder in all children so they can discover themselves, their passions, and their purpose. Peel and press stickers onto grooved frame to create luminous art.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"All the pieces on this one are in order like on the design."
"She was very focused on getting the pieces in the right place."
"I would suggest putting a piece of white page underneath the frame if worked on a dark surface."
"My five year old granddaughter did it for her parents for Christmas."
"It's my fault for not reading the description closer and I'm sure she'll still like it but I am a bit bummed she won't be able to get more creative with it like she would by painting it."
"A fun project and looks great on display."
"I gave my granddaughter several of these for Christmas...she enjoyed them."
"A great way for children to create "stained glass" pieces."
Best Kids' Jewelry Making Kits
Kit includes a rainbow array of satin headbands, rhinestones, flowers, feathers, a butterfly, yards of ribbon and more! See your child embrace their creative side with a craft kit that is not only fun, but builds small motor skills, color awareness and construction concepts.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"However, often the art sets can be a bit too complicated for a child to understand the instructions or to do with little fingers and require a significant amount of parental help to complete. There are enough headbands in this kit that you could easily buy this and it would make it a great birthday party activity."
"Bought this as a Christmas gift for a friend's daughter."
"My daughter is 5 1/2 she loved this!!"
"We used a hot glue gun instead of the glue that came with it so the ribbon would dry faster and stick better."
"I got this as a gift for my friend's daughter who is 7.. She really liked it .. And showed to some headbands she made with this kit.."
"Plenty that my 4 girls all made a few,birthday girl made the rest, & we still have supplies left.Has everything you need except scissors to cut the ribbon."
"I ordered this for my grand daughter and she loves it."
"Thankfully she didn't care too much but felt horrible giving her a gift that was broken."
Best Kids' Mosaic Kits
Contains 700+ colorful sticky foam and jewel pieces. Contains 700+ colorful sticky foam and jewel pieces. Contains 700+ colorful sticky foam and jewel pieces. Contains 700+ colorful sticky foam and jewel pieces.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"very cute and my 3 yr. old granddaughter loves it."
"Middle girl completed patterns with help."
"MY daughter loves these!"
"My 4 year old daughter thinks these are pretty and ok for a few minutes; however, she has trouble removing the stickers and placing them correctly which causes her to get frustrated."
"I did have one issue with one set that I bought -- the box came with 2 of the same color (blue) and was missing the purple."
"This is a wonderful way to spend time with your child and get a good laugh if you are lucky."
"Very good quality...happy with the purchase."
"My three year old twins love this!"
Best Kids' Paper Craft Kits
Get creative and make paper bag puppets.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He actually made the puppets himself, with just a bit assistance from Grandma to make sure he applied enough glue and then pushed each piece down -- "push, push, push!""
"I liked this product lots and my daughter had great fun making the puppets. However for the cost I think they should have extra bags and or sheets of stickers with eyes and mouths etc."
"I ordered this to donate to my local Blue Santa Toy Drive, a program that our police officers started years ago."
"Good product, good quality for the money."
"Kids loved making these."
"The bright colors are great for kids & my nieces, age 2-8 yrs old, loved them!"
"I wanted crafts items for grandma's bag for my trip to see my 2 1/2 yr. old granddaughter. I will buy this again for another Grandma's fun bag for my next visit and maybe for many visits to come."
"A huge hit with my 3 year old."
Best Kids' Sand Art Kits
Size: 2 lb |. Color: Blue |. Number of Items: 1. of Cool Sand in a variety of colors for even more fun building possibilities! Cool Sand stimulates creativity in children and adults alike with a variety of colors. Surprisingly stress relieving; you have to feel it to understand why everyone loves Cool Sand. Cool Sand is for ages 3 and up because the plastic mold pieces pose a choking hazard.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When I looked at the reviews for the original Kinetic sand I saw some of the same complaints as for this it is half the price so I figured if the complaints are about the same for both products why not go with the one that costs less."
"I have always been a fan of kinetic sand, but it would dry out if we accidentally left it out overnight (which happens a lot with two boy toddlers!). We've left it out two days in a row on accident and it still feels great and springs back to life after playing with it for a bit!"
"The sand is too "hard" to really press clear shapes into so you have to pack the sand into the mold and then dump it out. He's too young to really be into that and the sand doesn't hold together enough to be able to handle anything you make with a mold. We have several silicone teething toys for our younger son (8 months) as well as silicone cooking utensils and several times the older as taken the younger's toy into the sand and it sticks like crazy."
"The bucket is perfect for storing the sand when you're not using it and the inflatable sand box definitely helps the kiddos keep the sand where it belongs."
"He moves 'loads' around with his truck and I play with sculpture and its unique properties."
"And more importantly Mom approves too."
"My kids love this sand."
"My kids love the glitter in it and they play with it for hours, from ages 2years old to my 9year old."
Best Kids' Scrapbooking Kits
Life Can Be Crazy Busy And. We Want To Help You Save Time. Where We Can By Packing Our Products In Gift Bags Or Boxes That Can Be Gifted Without Wrapping. UNLIKE MANY OTHER THIN SCRAPBOOK SETS WITH VERY FEW EMBELLISHMENTS, this set includes the following: 9" x 7" 60 Page scented secret scrapbook with passcode lock, 1 sheet 3D stickers, 2 sheets of scented stickers, 24 pieces of self adhesive jewels,1 feather pen,1 roll of craft tape and 1 pencil pouch.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Or at least our version of paper dolls for this day and age."
"This is Birthday present for my 7 year old niece who loves horses."
"Looks beautiful and one of a kind."
"This is adorable and I’m sure my Granddaughter will love it for Christmas."
"Arrived on time and I'm waiting to give this as a gift for Christmas."
"Very cute and great for a creative kid that loves horses."
"Can't wait to see my granddaughter craft w/ this kit."
"Ordered for Christmas gift."
Best Kids' Scratchboard Art Kits
Creative kids can jot notes, etch doodles, and make their own exciting masterpieces with Mini Scratch Art Notes. Bright colors hide beneath the matte coating -- use the wooden stylus to reveal them with a simple scratch.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"These are fun for making sketches with random rainbow colors poking through, and or little notes."
"The wooden stylus is nice but isn't the best tool if you're trying to make neat, thin lines because the black that you scratch off sticks to the tip so you have to constantly take it off."
"My daughter had these packaged as bookmarks for her Birthday party goody-bag and LOVED that Santa brought her these in her stocking since she's been out of the bookmarks for a while now."
"I love how easy it is to make these cute notes."
"Super fun way to make little quick drawings or notes."
"I like the product, and bought it as a gift."
"My niece was really excited to get these in her stocking for Christmas."
"Somewhat disappointing."
Best Kids' Sewing Kits
The Alex Toys My First Sewing Kit will introduce children to the creative world of sewing. 28 felt shapes, embroidery floss, stuffing, fabric, ric rac, scissors, measuring tape, pins, needles, thimble, pin cushion, 6 buttons, pom pom strip.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Although I do not sew as a hobby, this was a good place for my grand daughter to start exploring the sewing world and I think shes hooked!"
"So we separated the 6 strands into 3 strands and then were able to thread the 3 through the needle. It would be better if the thickness of the thread is able to go through the needle as is, without having to separate it."
"The cat, of course. The needles are a bit annoying to thread, since it's embroidery thread instead of normal thread, but it's easier for her to see with the larger needles and thicker thread."
"This was an especially nice first sewing kit."
"Great kit at a great price."
"I bought one for my 13 year old last year and she loved it."
"We already had this and we liked it so much we got one as a gift for someone."
"This is a very cute little kit and comes with everything it says it will but the our little suitcase/carrier came with a broken latch before it was even opened."
Best Kids' Tie-Dye & Fashion Craft Kits
Style Name: Tulip One Step 18-Color Tie-Dye Kit. Features 18 easy-squeeze bottles of highly-concentrated nontoxic One-Step dyes in popular colors – just add water to activate.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I recommend watching a bunch of YouTube videos before starting to figure out the best way to twist up your material to get the desired effect."
"Three of grand kids were able to dye, 6 pairs of socks, 10 t-shirts and 5 boxer briefs."
"I soaked the fabric in soda ash and added urea to dye water as several people suggested."
"These colors are on-point and the bottles make application easy."
"This was such a great kit for my daughter's 9th birthday party."
"I admit she worked on this project with her dad, so I don't know first hand if there was a big mess or not."
"of mixing with water so I actually wasn't able to use all the dye since I just had one thing to dye, but the colors are really nice, even after washing, and they don't bleed after washing (like onto your clothes when carrying a bag!)."
"It comes with plenty of rubber bands but i would buy differant gloves as these ones are not very snug fitting."
Best Kids' Paint With Water Kits
These exciting paint-with-water coloring books include four reusable pages and a refillable water pen. The chunky-sized water pen is easy for kids to hold and stores neatly right in the front cover, so Water WOW books make ideal travel activity books and travel toys for kids! Reusable white pages feature simple line drawings when dry; filled with color when wet.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"She's showing interest in numbers and letters, enjoys drawing/coloring/painting, and loves to play in water! I will note, my 5.5yo tends to be a little rough and did manage to scrape one of the pages so it doesn't color correctly, so be careful/mindful of that being able to happen."
"However, I have found that giving him a glass with water and a paint brush actually lets him take his time and he plays with them longer."
"We take these out to dinner or any sort of event where our little guy has to sit still for a while and they keep him occupied for a good 15 minutes which is a life time for us!"
"My only critique is that the case for the paint brush sticks out of the front so you can't really stack them. After a while, the pages start to warp but my daughter also "paints" in it multiple times a day."
"I'd love to see larger versions."
"I think it took quite a while because the pen they give with it put out a lot of water and the pages were pretty wet."
"This way, any “run off” is easy to clean up and doesn’t ruin clothes, carpets, or anything else for that matter."
"So no worries if your child doesn't like art if they are learning letters give it a chance."
Best Kids' Wood Craft Kits
your satisfaction is our priority; In the unlikely event that Wowood doesn't meet all of your needs, we'll refund you full price *No Questions Asked*. ===> Add 5 3D Puzzle Dinosaurs from Wowood to your cart, then apply coupon code WOW4FREE during checkout to get the 5th one free! Constructing this sound-controlled wooden dinosaur is great, family fun. This crafts kit has clearly labeled pieces that fit together without needing any extra tools or glue, just build-it-yourself. ✅ THE ORIGINAL WALKING WOODEN T-REX DINOSAUR: When buying the Wowood brand we guarantee quality and authenticity. It is SOUND-ACTIVATED and WALKS & ROARS when your kids clap their hands in laughter and amazement to make the T-Rex come to life! Recommended for Boy or Girl 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 year old and up.✅ AN EDUCATIONAL TOY THAT'S ACTUALLY COOL: Who doesn't love a ROBOTIC DINOSAUR! This Dinobot Trex is produced with the strictest QUALITY control & safety standards.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Bought this for my 8 year old boy toys, this 3d dinosaur puzzle robot was a big hit with the kids. I attached a video I made of the dinobot which has been getting all the love these days :) I was very impressed with the quality of the wood. Oh no, our kids are still playing with this Trex robot puzzle long after it is built. We already recommended this toy to our friends for their own kids, and I just placed an order for several more of these to give as Christmas gifts."
"At first, after it was assembled, it would fall down when walking; however, with a little adult assistance, it was discovered that the pieces on the feet had not been pushed all the way in."
"My niece and I had a blast putting these types of puzzles together."
"However, it was too difficult for him to construct alone."
"The music box is adorable and plays well, just very difficult for a young one to put together."
"Good for children in the spectrum who enjoy building and music."
"The fact that the finished animal walks and roars when finished made my daughter's eyes pop out."
"I bought this for my 10 year old granddaughter."