A "Crafternoon" Party Featuring Beados, a New Arts and Craft Line from Moose Toys (Review)

Disclosure:  I was sent samples from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.

I was looking for something fun to do leading up to Savannah's 4th birthday recently, and through a review opportunity came up with a great idea -- have an afternoon of craf time with a few of Savannah's friends.  She has been so excited about her birthday party that every day I hear, "Is it today?"  And, when I tell her she still has a couple of weeks left, she gets all disappointed.  So, I thought that by having some of her friends over prior to her big day, that it would keep her mind off of the number of days left until cake, balloons, gifts, etc. 

Thanks to the kind folks at Moose Toys, they provided samples of their newly released Beados craft, as well as other goodies to make Savannah's "crafternoon" party a blast. :-)  

What is Beados you ask?  

"Beados, which just launched this month, allows kids to create their own designs with beads that stick together using just the spray of water. The line features several activity kits that include the tools that kids need to create their Beados creations, like beads, design templates, spray bottles, display stands and more. Plus, this activity requires no heat or glue, which is always a plus!"

Savannah is at the age that she feels that she is a "big girl" and can do anything."  Now that she can dress herself, goes potty like a big girl, and can help out with more chores around the house, she is eager to try more complex toys and activities.  So, when I heard about Beados, which is perfect for kids ages 4 yrs. old and up, I knew this would be perfect to do with her, as she loves arts and crafts, as do her friends.  Whenever it rains, her friends always end up at our house and they are at the kitchen table doing crafts, and showing off their creative side.

Moose Toys sent enough Beados samples and tools so that Savannah and five our her friends, as well as Bella and I were able to make cute bead art.  Included in the samples were craft mats and an alphabet design template, so that the girls could create their names in Beados form. 

Because Beados is new to the toy market, Savannah's friends had never seen it.  So, prior to beginning the beading fun, I demoed how to use the templates, create the designs and then use the special Beados Quick Dry Station along with water to magically hold their bead art together.  The girls thought this was the coolest thing, and couldn't get over how easy it was to do.  

They all thought it was definitely a big girl craft and one that they could handle. :-)  And, for the next few hours, the girls used the supplies Moose Toys sent us to create their names, initials (if they had long names like Savannah) and even made cute penguins, dogs and princesses.

Make, spray, display! That is all you have to do when you pick up the new Beados activity packs ($14.99), along with the Beados Quick Dry Station ($19.99).  

And, when you find yourself running low on supplies, you can pick up regular and themed refill packs for around $7.99, so that you can continue with the Beados fun.

The girls had such a blast creating fun bead art with the new Beados arts and craft line from Moose Toys, that Savannah asked if I could get additional theme refills so that we could this again for her birthday party.  

The only thing I would recommend is that if you have more than a few kids playing with the Beados craft that you consider picking up a few quick dry stations, as it takes a minimum of 15 minutes for each Beados creation to dry under the drying station.  

We only had one drying station, so it made turning out and displaying the girls' Beados creations a little slower. But, the girls were too busy thinking of fun things to create with the beads, or filling in the templates that came with the Beados Activity Pack and themed refill pack, that they didn't mind.

After seeing how much fun her and her friends had making Beados art, how can I say "No.?"  And, I have to admit, I had fun playing with the Beados craft line.  If only they had this around when I was younger, I would definitely have been asking for this for my birthday or Christmas.  

So, if you are looking for a great afternoon activity to do with your child (ages 4+), have a child with a birthday coming up and looking for a unique party activity, or just have a child(ren) who loves arts and crafts, then you will want to check out Moose Toys' new Beados arts and craft line, which is now available for purchase at Target, and will be in mass retailers starting in August.  And, like I said, this new toy line would make for a great holiday gift idea, in case you are like me and like to get a jump on your holiday shopping so you don't have to fight long lines or have to search high and low for popular kids' toys that are flying off the shelves.

To learn more about Beados from Moose Toys, including products available, learn handy tips and tricks and more, visit http://www.beadosbeads.com/.

Disclosure:  I was sent samples from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.