Last Minute Gift Ideas with Crayola (& Giveaway)

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It’s almost Christmas, but I bet most people are not quite done with their holiday shopping. If you still need a few presents for the kids in your life I have some wonderful ideas for you. Crayola has a ton of wonderful new toy products that kids just can’t get enough of. I recently tried out two of these toys and we absolutely love them!! Our family tried out Crayola’s Digital Light Designer and Crayola’s Marker Airbrush. My kids put them to the test and all the kids came away raving. If these toys can please kids ranging from 4 to 12 years old then they are definitely on my list of recommendations.

Crayola’s Digital Light Designer

With Crayola’s Digital Light Designer, kids can draw with lights to create, animate and play. On the Light Designer the kids can create with colored LEDs on a 360-degree domed drawing surface using a digital light stylus, and easy-to-follow instructions. There are three different modes that let kids create dynamic free-hand drawings, activate amazing animations and have hours of fun playing interactive drawing games.

The three different modes of play are Draw, Animate, and Play:

Draw – Using the digital light stylus, kids can select colors and line width to begin free-drawing anywhere on the domed surface, switching between eight different colors
Animate – Kids can activate their creations with amazing special effects, making them spin, change colors, melt, or even mix up the drawings
Play – With 8 different interactive games and activity apps, kids can spend hours creating or just doodling with Rainbow Draw, magically duplicate their creations with Mirror Draw, create funny animated faces, play interactive mazes, and more

My kids got this out with their cousins and they had a blast. The Light Designer is such a unique idea and I’ve been curious as to how exactly it worked. There is a line of LEDs inside that spin creating patterns as it goes. The kids use the stylus to color, select items, and change the settings. There is a learning curve with this toy since you need to figure out what each of the symbols means on the Light Designer. The older kids read the directions and learned how to do everything, then showed the younger ones. Once each of them figured out how to maneuver around they had a blast. They started out very basically with their designs but then got more complex as they got comfortable with it. Soon they were designing intricate items on the Light Designer. The only downfall I found is that my kids kept forgetting to turn it off after they were done playing and we’d run the batteries down – but that’s typical of our house! This is an amazing toy, especially for older kids. It brings out their creativity and gives them a unique way to exercise their artistic side.

Crayola’s Marker Airbrush

With Crayola’s new Marker Airbrush, kids can also feed their love for creating with markers, producing amazing airbrush effects on paper, fabrics, and windows. The Marker Airbrush is kid-powered (no batteries needed!), and works with a simple hand pump. The Marker Airbrush can be used with any of Crayola’s Classic Washable Broadline Markers, Washable Broadline Window Markers, or new Bright Fabric Broadline Markers. Simply attach the marker, pump it up, and spray away! The kids can use the Marker Airbrush to create free-hand airbrushed drawings or use the stencil sheets to create professional –looking masterpieces. The Marker Airbrush includes the Airbrush Sprayer, 8 washable markers, 4 bright fabric markers, 20 sheets of paper, and 4 stencil sheets.

My kids begged me for days to get this out! I was a little wary because I wasn’t sure just how messy we would get with a sprayer. But once I did get it out I was thrilled to see it made very little mess! The kids absolutely loved the Marker Airbrush. When the kids started playing I laid a large piece of paper underneath their drawings to catch any messes, and it worked wonderfully. The older kids preferred to use the included stencils to make intricate designs with the younger kids preferred to draw freehand. They even started using other markers to draw on the page and then use the Marker Sprayer to finish the drawing – it created a very neat effect. The kids loved pumping the container and soon one kid would pump while the other drew, and then switched. As I type this my kids are using the Marker Sprayer to make even more designs – thank goodness they have something to keep them busy during this snow day. We definitely have a keeper – and its perfect for such a wide range of ages.

The Digital Light Designer and Marker Sprayer are wonderful new toys from Crayola that make the perfect gift. Whether its for Christmas, birthdays, or just because, I would definitely recommend these for kids. Make sure you unwrap the gift of imagination with Crayola by visiting Crayola’s Holiday Gift Guide at www.crayola.com/gifts. There you can find the perfect gift to unleash your kids’ creativity. And don’t forget to “Like” Crayola on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter to keep up with the latest Crayola news and updates!

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win a Crayola Gift Pack! This pack will include:

One Crayola Digital Light Designer
One Crayola Marker Airbrush

To enter just complete any of the options on the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway will end at 11:59pm EST on January 2nd. It is open to US Residents. Good luck!!