Whether a kid has an inspiration to be the next Picasso, wants to build
a toy town, or decorate her bedroom with butterflies, arts and crafts
toys let a child’s imagination flourish.
Hipster CD Hanger
Kids ages 7 and up will light up with smiles using Candle Painting
($17.00) by ALEX (ToyFairPreview).
This candle-making kit comes with paint and candles in a variety of shapes,
from pillars to butterflies, allowing kids to create up to six colorful
candles. For children 8 and up looking for some cleaner fun, there’s
Super Soaps ($16.00), which lets kids mold their own
soaps and put mini shapes inside the soap. For kids already in the groove,
there’s the Hipster CD Hanger ($18.00), a pants-shaped
denim hanger designed to hold six CDs. Kids can decorate the faux jeans
with rhinestones, sequins and beaded feather trim for a striking original
design.
Mini Bijoux: Shrink Art Charms
A timeless favorite from literature, the ever-popular Madeline inspires
fun for kids 4 and up with the Mini Bijoux: Shrink Art Charms
($14.99). The little charms with Madeline’s likeness are manufactured
by Creativity for Kids (ToyDirectory)and
use the resurgent “shrinky dink” technique. For those who
like the silly over the small, there’s also the winner of a Scholastic
Parent & Child Top Toy award for the 2002 holidays, Make a
Silly Hat ($12.00), which is part of Creativity for Kids’
Dr. Seuss line of toys. The toy allows kids ages 4 and up to
create and decorate a set of fantastic hats. For kids 6 and up who want
to add some fun to their room, there’s also the Butterfly
Bedroom ($15.00), with pink, blue and yellow butterflies that
can be decorated and hung from a bedroom’s ceiling.
Kooky Krayon Machine
Kids ages 8 and up with a more artistic bent can make crayons in the
shape of anything from monsters to fire hydrants with Curiosity
Kits' Kooky Krayon Machine (ToyDirectory)
($24.99), which can be powered by both AC/DC or batteries. With markers
and mystery disks, kids 4 and up can also use Mystery SpinDoodles
($14.99) to create pictures that reveal themselves as the disks
turn. For kids ages 4 and up who want to wear their art, there’s
also the Iron Art Kit ($19.99) that lets kids create
their own art and iron it onto backpacks and T-shirts.
Rose Art (ToyDirectory)
has come out with a number of toys that let kids get colorful. With Teddy
& Me ($9.99), kids can make their own teddy bear and decorate
the outfits of their stuffed friend with washable markers. For kids who
want to color the fur of their stuffed bears or toy ponies, there’s
also Fuzzy Bop ‘N Teddies and Fuzzy Bop
‘N Ponies (both $9.99), bobble head animals whose fur can
be decorated with markers and paints. Rose Art also offers Stained
Glass Art and Glitter & Glass Art (both
$9.99), two deluxe art sets that allow kids to create glass creations
with glittery glass paints.
