We're Doin' Our Rain Dance with the Splash 'N Sparkle Umbrella Kit
Written: Nov 18 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Simple but fun project, Beautiful Results
Cons: Paint can get tacky and sticky even after recommended drying time
The Bottom Line: For a fun, affordable craft project you may want to consider the Alex Splash 'N Sparkle Umbrella Painting Kit.
|
|
|
| willeftk's Full Review: Alex Splash 'N Sparkle Umbrella Painting Kit |
The Alex Splash and Sparkle Umbrella Kit was probably the favorite gift my daughter received for her seventh birthday. I found it at etoys.com and bought it on impulse thinking it looked like a fun project for her. I would recommend this kit for any little girl from about 5 years to 9 years old.
The kit cost me $14.95 and it comes complete with child-size umbrella, glitter paints and paint brush. The paints come in the all-in-one plastic row with lids that practically have to be opened all at once. The paint is not washable, so wearing a smock and putting down newspaper is recommended!
The umbrella is a VERY nice quality. It has four solid panels of orange, green, pink, and yellow. The other four panels have outlines for the children to paint in, much like a coloring book. The “themes” for each panel are suns, rain clouds, daisies and clouds with rainbows. The handle is a traditional hook umbrella handle and is lime green. It is not an automatic umbrella, so you may need to teach your child how to open and close an umbrella if this is a new skill. The piece that slides up to open and close the umbrella is plastic and has, so far, not pinched any fingers. The tie that keeps the umbrella wrapped when not in use is held tight by a Velcro closure. The metal pieces that hold the umbrella together have not bent even though it has already been opened and closed several times.
This was a craft project that my daughter could hardly wait to begin. We set her up with her paints, a smock, newspaper on the table, a cup of rinse water, a paper towel and the umbrella. The instructions recommend the child start from the top of the panel and work down toward the bottom. You may even want to tape the handle to the table to keep it from slipping as your child paints.
Our daughter adored the beautiful vibrant colors of the paint. They compliment the solid panel colors very nicely and it was a fairly quick project for her. She completed a little more than half of the umbrella in a single, one hour sitting. When she went back to finish it about a week later, we were dismayed to find the paints had nearly dried up! They were revived with some water mixed in, but we could not get the bit of yellow to return. Not to be swayed from her task, she decided that yellow was not essential to the completion of the project and trudged on.
When the project is complete, it is recommended the umbrella stay open for 24-48 hours to allow the paint to dry completely. We followed these directions and yet, on the first hot, rainy day my daughter opened it, the paint stuck and came up in a few places. This was a bit of a set back after all the work she had put in to the kit. Once she calmed down, we decided it was still a beautiful umbrella and was definitely a one-of-a-kind that no one else could own! Just be warned that in hot, humid weather, it might be wise to leave the umbrella loosely closed instead of using the Velcro to hold it closed.
This project is geared for girls because the colors are in pastels. I'm not saying a boy shouldn't dabble in these colors, but most won't.
I must say this was a gift worth every penny (except for the dried up paint and "sticky" issue) and we have purchased a couple more kits for her friends for birthday gifts. They make excellent gifts for young girls. The finished umbrella is a masterpiece, I must say.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 14.99
Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: 6 to 8 Years
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
willeftk
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Member: Kelly
Location: Chaos Central
Reviews written: 171
Trusted by: 163 members
About Me:
Mother of 4 seeking quiet and solace...
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.