Charlotte, my four year old daughter, loves a good craft or art project. Her creations cover our refrigerator and she enthusiastically experiments with all kinds of colors, mediums, and supplies. While I do what I can to encourage her creativity, the one thing that always gives me pause is THE MESS. When Charlotte paints, the colors decorate not only her paper, but also her clothes, her workspace, and the floor. When she draws rainbows with sidewalk chalk on the patio, inevitably one or more pieces crumble and then cover her legs, arms, and clothes with chalk dust. And even crayons peel and break, and end up in couch cushions or in the baby’s mouth.
As Charlotte gets older, I’m realizing the importance of purchasing quality art supplies for her to use, as well as supplies that won’t create a huge mess {and tons more work for me at cleanup time}. So when I read about Laura’s experience with Kwik Stix, I was intrigued and had to try them out for myself. And let me tell you… They did not disappoint! Charlotte loves their vibrant colors and how easy they are to use {uncap, twist, and paint!}, and I love that they dry in just 90 seconds, don’t require water, and are non-toxic / gluten, egg, and peanut free. They also work on a variety of surfaces such as wood, canvas, poster, aluminum, and even windows — but not sure I want Charlotte to know that.
While planning and executing Pinterest-type crafts is fun every so often, my style is usually to give simple supplies and little direction, and let the kids create their own masterpieces. So here’s a few ways that I’ve been fostering art independence since Kwik Stix came in my life…
1} Head outside.
We had a weekend play date planned at Charlotte’s cousin’s house, and we decided to head outside to get crafty for the day. Since it was such a beautiful spring day, we spread the supplies out on the patio and let the preschoolers dive right in. They had a blast, and there was no clean-up at the end. A win-win.
2} Always have easy to use products on hand.
Kwik Stix come in colorful, inviting packages, and the actual paint is in sticks very similar to glue sticks. The kids could easily open the sticks and twist the bottom to bring the solid paint to the top. They were able to try out traditional colors in Thin Stix {with smaller tips} as well as Neon and Metallic colors. Charlotte and Theo loved the way the paint glided across their paper, and they spent a good while experimenting with the colors. When they were finished, they were so proud to show off their creations.
3} Let your child choose the project.
The next day, we made a quick trip to the craft store before a scheduled play date. Luckily, we found chipboard on sale, so we got a few boards and letters for the kids to make name plates for their rooms. The girls wanted to decorate their art with “jewels” {rhinestone stickers} so it was really helpful that the paint dried so quickly and they were able to embellish their boards right away.
4} RELAX!
I’m always on the hunt for activities that my preschooler can do with minimal supervision, but will also allow her to maximize her creativity. Simply put, I love watching her imagination soar while I can sit back and delight in her joy.
Ready for your budding artist to start creating their very own masterpieces? If so, don’t miss the below offer from Kwik Stix with four great options…
- Purchase all 4 Kwik Stix packs at Toys R Us or on ToysRUs.com, and Kwik Stix will ship a gift worth $20.
- Purchase 3 Kwik Stix packs at Toys R Us or on ToysRUs.com, and Kwik Stix will ship a gift worth $15.
- Purchase 2 Kwik Stix packs at Toys R Us or on ToysRUs.com, and Kwik Stix will ship a gift worth $10.
- And lastly, purchase 1 Kwik Stix pack at Toys R Us or on ToysRUs.com, and Kwik Stix will ship a gift worth $5.
To redeem your gift, all you have to do is email Kwik Stix {shannon @ thepencilgrip.com or kendal @ thepencilgrip.com} a photo of your receipt as well as someone using the Kwik Stix. Easy, peasy! {And moms down in Webster, you can now find Kwik Stix at your local ToysRUs store too!}