Thin Stix Creativity Pack from The Pencil Grip, Inc. - A Review

I haven't been reviewing products for all that long (about to close out year 2), but I love getting to see a product develop and flourish over time.  The Pencil Grip, Inc. is back with more colors and a bigger collection in the form of the Thin Stix Creativity Pack.  Every time we review for The Pencil Grip, Inc. it's like we get a creativity shot in the arm.  The kids start doing one thing, but then end up with more ideas as time goes along.  This review is no different. Miss Z started with a picture of her dad putting her in a headlock with very colorful furniture and then suddenly we were all making Pilgrim hats and Squanto headbands!

This new creativity set we received includes 24 Thin Stix - 12 Classic colors, 6 Neon colors and 6 Metalix colors.  This collection of colors is a well-rounded assortment that facilitates just about anything you can think of.  And there is something about having a lot of color options that is exciting!  When this set came in the mail, I never once had to offer it up as a suggestion for something the kids could/should do.  It was a go-to activity all on its own for a couple of weeks.

The fantastic quality of this product that I first fell in love with is the tempera paint effect without a mess.  This makes parents happy! Of course my kids are a fan because they are allowed to run wild with it, so to speak.  With the introduction of the Thin Stix - that feel in the hand more like a marker or highlighter - adults are more comfortable using them.  One of my favorite creative activities besides writing is painting.  As a stress reliever, as a creativity enhancer, painting for process is very freeing to me.  I know I'm not skilled at actually creating life forms so it is 100% play.  And as we all know, play is far more important than we give it credit for - even in adults!  By now maybe you already own a set of Kwik Stix, but I'm thinking these would be a easy, cheap gift for your favorite college student, crafty adult, or stressed out friend in need of a stress-reliever!

Did I mention how much of a mess is NOT made when we use these?  One of the kids used a brown clipboard to hold their paper and when they were finished there was paint all over it.  The said child went and got a wet rag to clean it up.  With almost no scrubbing, the clipboard looked good as new!  This is mess-free painting at it's best! 

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The Thin Stix Creativity Pack, like all of their other Kwik Stix products, is so versatile that the possibilities of uses are endless.  Check out all the other projects these were used on through the link below:

Kwik Stix Now Available at BJ's!

One of my favorite companies has expanded their products and where you can buy them! The Pencil Grip, Inc's Kwik Stix are now available at BJ's Wholesale Clubs and Amazon. 

The Kwik Stix's original form was tempura paint in the form of glue stick containers.  Their new Thin Stix is the same paint but in pen or highlighter form.  We have tried both kinds and enjoy them both equally, depending on what kind of art work you are attempting.

In our house they fall close in line with playdough in how long they will occupy the kids.  Kwik Stix are better because of the mess they don't leave behind!  Every classroom - especially large groups in public school - should have a couple of sets of these!  They are reasonably priced and easier to get all the time.

Disclaimer
I will a FREE copy of this product in exchange for spreading the news of where to buy this product.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Kwik Stix Review: No-Mess Painting!

Get ready to add something new to your must-have list in every home, classroom, and kid art studio! The Pencil Grip, Inc. is known for line of grips and other educational therapeutic products and now they have added a product you will most certainly use in your home!  I am typically more of a low-key person when it comes to new things, but this is one of the coolest things I've ever used. Tempera painting is super fun for children and adults alike and a great part of any art curriculum.  The trouble is the mess.  Even as adults you just can't get around it sometimes.  Kwik Stix  Solid Tempera Paint from The Pencil Grip, Inc. is the perfect compromise.  

For this review The Pencil Grip, Inc. sent us a Kwik Stix 12 pk, but also generously threw in their signature product, a pencil grip and an extra dark blue kwik stick! At first glance the Kwik Stix simply look like colored glue sticks and work the same with a removable cap and twist-able bottom for more thickness of paint.  The magical part is how quickly they dry with a tempera paint-like finish. They look and feel slightly sticky going on in the way lipstick might feel on paper, but literally in seconds it is dry to the touch.  The label claims it is dry in 90 seconds, but for most pictures it didn't even require a third of that time.  Not only does that mean easy clean up and no messy hands, but you can stack or file all of the artwork almost immediately.

Our 12 pack has given us a great variety of colors and my family (including Mr. Butler) has used them a lot with no sign of running low, but they do come in packages of 6, 12, and a classroom pack of 96 with a neon or metallic set as well.  We found these paints to be a fantastic asset that both my 5 year old and 2 year old loved equally, along with several adults that tried them being highly intrigued.  I'm sure these could fall into the same category with adult coloring books as things we would all enjoy spending more time than we should with.  As much as I adore my kids being creative, every time painting is mentioned, I wince a little bit just because it requires so much supervision and clean up at their age.  With Kwik Stix - and I know  I'm going to sound like a commercial here but it's the truth - all I have to do is tell J to go get some paper and the sticks.  Supervision and clean up is minimal! I can focus on something else with no pang of concern!  

  

Kwik Stix are the perfect gift for birthdays and holidays because they are consumable.  They provide a creative experience with endless possibilities that continues each time they are engaged again.  The best kind of gift in my book!