Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought this kit for my 2 granddaughters, ages 5 and 3. It is simple, clean and lots of fun for them. The final product is so cute and they love to play with their home made bugs! They are raising butterflies from caterpillars, so this fun little project intensified the enjoyment of their current interest in bugs.
Although the project is simple, they do need adult help and supervision. I do not mean that the adult had to do the project while the child watches - the kit has plenty of simple and rewarding tasks that a child can do for themselves while an adult instructs, but the adult caregiver needs to be completely involved. Count on a little bit of frustration and crying when attempting the first project. Our little ones experienced a learning curve, but after the first bug was completed, and they felt the satisfaction of having the final product, the other bugs went much smoother because they understood the process better and had a vision for the finished artwork. It has been a good patience building activity - they had to overcome some hurdles, but they experienced success in the end.
One BIG negative: The GLUE STICK has several problems:
The first con is that the adhesive is not strong enough, so the project keeps falling apart while in process. This could have been a disaster, and the tears were flowing freely until I got the idea to reinforce their glue jobs with a stapler. THE STAPLER SAVED THE DAY - DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS PROJECT WITHOUT A STAPLER AND PLENTY OF STAPLES! And liquid school glue won't hurt to have on hand either. When we did the ladybug, the legs were made of Popsicle sticks which were too heavy for the glue stick adhesive, and too thick for staples. We glued them with school glue and let it dry overnight.
The second con is that there is only ONE glue stick! If you are working with only one child, this is not a problem, but if there are two children, you can expect them to fight over the glue stick. THE GLUE STICK IS VITAL, AND IS NEEDED FOR EVERY STEP OF THE PROJECT. Just realize that before starting the project that you need an extra glue stick for each extra child.
ALSO: I do not recommend trying to do this project with more than two children, unless they are unusually gifted, or one of them is older than 6 years old OR you have two or more adults to help. Some people think this would make a good party activity, but I say that is asking for trouble unless you have at least one adult for every two children. The projects are simple, but an average child needs plenty of help - especially on the first time. You will be in over your head if you try this with more than two small children at a time. The ideal is one on one.
This is a wonderful and fun project if you are prepared for the few minor pitfalls. My granddaughters have made all the bugs in this kit and are begging for another kit. I am planning to get them the paper bag puppet kit next! Really REALLY glad I got this for them.
Click Here to see more reviews about:
Alex Toys Paper Plate Bugs, Alex Little Hands Art SeriesPaper Plate Bugs Crafts KitCreate 5 bugs out of paper plates! Just layer, stick, and glue! Includes lots of stickers, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, Popsicle sticks, pom poms, paper punch-outs, a chunky glue stick and easy picture instructions.Suitable for age: 3 year(s)
Get 19% OFF
Click here for more information about Alex Toys Paper Plate Bugs, Alex Little Hands Art Series
