Being part of the ‘Aquabeaders Online Group’ we have reviewed a number of Aquabeads sets throughout the past year or so, all of which we have greatly enjoyed using. Each set has provided us with templates and ideas to follow from which we have created countless creations over time. This month we were sent the ‘Cars 3 Aquabeads Playset‘ to review and to share with my readers.
What Are Aquabeads?
Aquabeads are small, coloured beads which when placed upon crafting boards and sprayed with water become tacky thus sticking together to create a range of designs. Whilst there are similar products available on the market most of these are either lower quality or require a hot iron to bond beads together which isn’t neither safe nor practical for young children.
Having used Aquabeads numerous times with my own children over the past year or so I am happy to say that Aquabeads are by far the most effective, safe and child-friendly option available.
Whats Included?
The Aquabeads Cars 3 Playset includes:
- Over 1000 polygon and jewel beads (ranging in 8 colours)
- 1 x Bead Palette
- 1 x Layout Tray
- 1 x Bead Peeler
- 1 x Sprayer
- 2 x Double-Sided Template Sheets
- 1 x Set of Instructions
The Cars 3 Aquabeads Playset includes a range of templates which any budding Cars fan will adore such as Lightning McQueen, Cruz Ramirez, Jackson Storm and Mack! Unlike smaller Aquabeads sets the Cars 3 set includes a layout tray which is particularly useful for storing Aquabeads or as a carry case for future Aquabeads sets.
Suitable for children aged four years and over (due to small parts), Aquabeads are the ideal tool for creative, imaginative craft work which will provide your children with hours of fun all whilst building motor skills, hand-eye coordination, dexterity, colour recognition skills, promoting patience and providing children with an outlet for imaginative, independent, craft based work.
Aquabeads can be used to create a huge range of crafts such as jewellery, key-rings, ornaments, decorations, door signs and much more.
Taking The Aquabeads Cars 3 Playset For A Road Test
Both J & E (my eight-year old son and four-year old daughter) take great pleasure in using Aquabeads and having received the Cars 3 Playset to put to the test they were all revved up and ready to give it a go.
We began by removing the beads from the individual bags and placing them into the sorter from which they children could then select the correct colour beads for their work. We then decided upon which designs the children wished to create, placing the selected template into a layout tray. Thankfully having used Aquabeads in the past I had a spare layout tray and beadpen so that both children were able to craft together.
J had decided upon using the Lightning McQueen template whereas E fancied putting together Cruz Ramirez, meanwhile I supervised the sprogs as they slowly and steadily placed the beads into the layout tray using the beadpens (or their hands from time to time) and templates for guidance.
Having completed their designs the children then filled the sprayer with water and began carefully spraying their work to bond the beads together, this took a little time and patience as the sprayer seemed to come apart when squeezed. However, we eventually managed to coat the designs with water and left them to one side to dry.
Once the designs were dry and the children had reorganised the layout tray to ensure that any misplaced beads were now back in their correct colour slots we made use of the ‘bead peeler’ to remove the designs from the trays.
This is the first time we had come across an Aquabeads bead peeler and at first we weren’t entirely sure how to use it. This fabulous little tool enables you to peel your creation straight from the tray without bending your design. Simply place the peeler on the tray, slide the teeth of the peeler underneath your design and peel away!
The children were really pleased with their finished work, all of which has now been blue tacked (along with their many other Aquabeads designs) to their bedroom doors.
Purchasing & Pricing Information
Retailing from £14.99 upwards, the Aquabeads Cars 3 Playset is available from a wide range of high street and online stores including Argos, Jacinabox and Amazon.
Our Final Thoughts
With Christmas just around the corner, Aquabeads make the ideal gift for girls or boys four years of age and upwards. There are a vast array of Aquabeads sets available to purchase ranging in size and style including basic starter sets, refill kits and larger Playsets featuring a huge range of characters to suit any taste.
Each set includes a number of templates from which children can craft a range of designs , alternatively they can also use their imagination to create their very own, unique designs.
Both J & E took great pleasure in sitting together around the table to craft their very own Cars 3 Aquabeads designs and we will no doubt be using the further templates in the near future to complete the full set of designs within this pack.
I would fully recommend Aquabeads to my family, friends and readers as an ideal arts and crafts gift for children this Christmas. For further information upon pricing, packs and where to buy Aquabeads visit www.aquabeadsart.com/uk
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Product Rating
Disclosure: We were sent the above product for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own.