Description
I puchased these crafts from JoAnn Craft Store. I love this store for buying crafts for children. They have lots of supplies for Do-It-Yourself crafts and an entire aisle of pre-packaged crafts for children. They have a large selection of reasonably priced items ($5-$10).
These sand screations come with 2 sheets that have drawings which have numbered sections. You peel off a numbered section and underneath it is sticky. You then pour colored sand over the sticky area and shake off the excess. When you are done you have a sand picture.
1) How much fun it is to play?
I give this very high ratings for the Fun Factor. The children absolutely loved making these sand creations. The artwork is great for children - dolphins and unicorns and castles and whales. They also have ones that are glitter or glow in the dark.
2) The couch cushion ratio - How many pieces of the game can be lost down the Couch Cushion Black Hole and the game still be playable?
They give you just enough sand for 2 drawings. If you accidentally spill a sand packet you either have to use a different color or you are out of luck. There is also a high Cleanup Factor. If you go into it knowing you will need a vacuum cleaner when you are done then you will have a lot more fun. Don't expect the work area to be sand-free.
3) How much setup is required each time you play?
Minimal setup. Everything you need is included. You just need to open the sand packets. I recommend placing newspaper under the work area. Also, the sand packets are much easier to pour if you cut a small section off of the corner instead of opening an entire side of the little plastic bag.
4) How many directions need to be grok'ed before you can start play?
Minimal instructions. You probably don't even need to read the instructions, it's that easy.
5) Educational value.
From an artistic standpoint I give this a very high rating. The children come away feeling that they made a real art creation. Because of the way that you peel off the numbered sections, the artwork ends up being very neat. It's almost impossible for them not to come out looking great. This gives the children a sense of accomplishment. Also, they are size 5x7 and fit nicely in a frame - which is what we did. It made the children feel like they made real art - and they did!
6) How much setup is required the first time?
Again, minimal first time setup. If you just cut the corners of the sand packets then you can fold it over and tape it closed - making it easy to store for next time. We did one the first time, stored it, and then had another to do on another day.
Overall Rating: 8/10 I would give it a higher rating if it weren't for the amount of cleanup involved - lots of sand everywhere.
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