So, I have decided to review items we have bought or that were gifts. I am only going to review items we love, have concerns about, or I think other parents are going to consider buying.
Item 1: Tadoodles Scribble and Sing Art Station
AJU5 got this for Christmas from one of my aunts. It is a Crayola Beginnings product, designed for 18+ months. The concept is great - big markers that fit in the hand well that don't need caps and won't dry out. The station stores five of the markers (that come with it) and talks/plays music based on which marker is in the center location. The center also works with the Tadoodles paints, but it doesn't work with the crayons.
Problems: When the markers are upside down for any length of time and then pressure is applied to the tip, the flow is fairly quick. I ended up with a huge puddle on the paper after only a second. It was a big enough puddle that it soaked through the paper and was still puddling! Luckily they are washable, but it was a big mess! I have a feeling the same result will occur with the paints, as they work on the same principle as the markers.
I also wish the crayons worked with the station. The shape is the same, but the bottoms do not have the ridges in them to activate the machine (there are sensors on the bottom that tell it what color is being used). I think this may be because the crayons can be replaced (Crayon Beginnings triangular crayons fit if broken in half) so the color doesn't have to always be the same. But, the crayons aren't as messy!
I did report these issues to Crayola, and they are supposedly sending me a coupon. I plan on buying the Tadoodles crayons (we currently have the bath tub ones) and some of the replacement crayons (depending on the value of the coupon of course).
Grades:
Concept - B+
Design - D
Overall - C-
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In other news, AJU5 is doing better. We forced the saline and nose blowing a few times last night (she hates both more than whipping her nose). She eventually went to bed around 9:30. She woke quite a bit between then an 3 am (I think 3 times?). But, we forced her to cry it out around 3 because she had bitten me for the second time that night (and fourth time overall). So I was done nursing for at least 2 hours! Well, after she was done crying, she didn't wake until 7! So, there is hope for the CIO!
4 comments:
There are very few children's products that I HATE, and Tadoodles are one them. The markers are a disaster and the crayons SUCK and always fall out of the plastic things. Grrrr-- I get annoyed just thinking about them-- glad I am not the only one to make a mess with the "mess free" product :)
Ooh! I'm glad you got some rest! Yeah, we finally let Dean start CIO after our pediatrician recommended it. After 2 nights, he would whine a little, but as long as we told him he was ok and it was time to go to sleep, he was fine. Now he just lays right down and doesn't usually argue. He actually slept through the night last night. I popped awake at 6:45 this morning and went running to make sure he was ok! Soon AJU5 will figure it out and you'll be back to dreaming. (it is WEIRD to dream again after not sleeping well for so many months!)
I love Product Review Friday! Glad you wrote about these because I've been thinking of getting some. Sounds like they are not as great as they look on tv!
Product review- great idea!
Markers that don't need caps sound perfect! Guess they have a lil tweaking to do though....
I wasn't happy with the tadoodles either for the reasons you've mentioned. Charlie (and probably all kids) can color just fine with regular markers and it won't make a mess if you confine them to an appropriate area and set some ground rules.
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