A Review of Klutz Window Art Craft Kit for Kids
My Review
This is an honest and detailed review for the Klutz Window Art craft kit my seven-year-old daughter received for her birthday.
I typically am not a fan of craft kits, simply because most of them are hard to store, difficult for small hands, and require parental supervision. I'm not into toys that require me. Isn't the point of toys to give mothers and fathers a break?
Anyway, having worked at a toy store for years, I am fairly acquainted with Klutz products, and most of them are quality products. I was curious to see how the Window Art craft kit would stack up.
Packaging and storage
Klutz does a great job with this part of their design. Most of their books are easy to store and compact. The Window Art kit is no exception. It comes in a box with a storage compartment for the paint and the plastic sheets.
The only negative I see is that the plastic sheets must be folded in order to store them in the container. When you are tracing the patterns, a natural bend in the plastic from the folding can make it tricky when you trace. I would recommend putting the plastic sheets right in the book so they stay flat.
Klutz Window Art on Amazon
How well does it work?
As for the paint, it works exactly as the book says. The black paint is a bit thicker (to provide a border), and the colored paint is a bit more liquid and easier to spread. It is a good idea to have some toothpicks on hand for spreading paint to the edges.
The instructions say to wait 24 hours after painting before trying to peel the piece off the plastic. We followed the directions exactly and had no trouble. The piece is slightly fragile and bendy, but once I started the peel, the girls were able to do it with no problem.
We stuck them on a window that was colder than recommended but there were no problems. They continue to stick well and are brightly colored like stain glass in the sunlight. The girls couldn't wait to make more.
Age range and expectations
This product is rated for eight and up. My daughter has just turned seven and has fine motor skills that are above average. That being said, she still asked me to do the initial tracing with the black paint. While I think she could do it, it wouldn't look as perfect as the book shows, and many kids don't want theirs to come out funny looking.
My younger daughter (age 5) absolutely needed me to do the tracing. Once that was done, my older daughter could do all the painting by herself. She was able to quickly gauge how much paint to use and how to spread it so it didn't go over the edge.
Reusability and boredom
As with many craft projects, once it's done, there is nothing left but a project to display (and eventually throw away). The Window Art is not this way. There are endless possibilities for designs, patterns, and shapes to make pieces. All you need is the paint, which can be bought as a refill pack when you run out.
The plastic sheets fit nicely on the book, but I suppose if someone lost them, you could get a plastic paper sheet cover and that would do the trick just fine. The book itself has many great suggestions and I imagine it will take quite a while before my girls exhaust all the options available.
The only thing I would say negatively about the boredom factor is that there aren't that many colors. An older child could try some of the tye dye swirling patterns, but my daughters would not be able to do that without my help.
Considerations
I would highly recommend this craft kit and would easily buy it as a gift for another child. However, there are a few final considerations:
- Buy it for a child at the age it suggests.
- Do not get it for a kid who is a perfectionist. This will be frustrating for him or her.
- Do not get it for a child that has no parental supervision. Even though it is relatively simple, I still stood by to help if needed.
- It is a great product for kids living in a small home without a lot of storage space.
- It is a good project for a vacation because there are no materials you need outside of what's in the package (with the exception of a toothpick if you wish).
- It is not a good toy for the car (duh).
Overall
I would highly recommend this craft for boys and girls- ages 7+. It is inexpensive, easy to use, easy to store, and highly reusable.
It will make a great Christmas gift or grab bag option too!