Gift Ideas: Crayola gifts, a Crayola giveaway and a sweepstakes

I was recently sent 3 wonderful Crayola products to review through My Blog Spark and Crayola. I have always enjoyed Crayola products and think that their crayons are the absolute best, so I was thrilled to receive Crayola Beginnings Color Me A Song, Crayola Glow Dome, and Crayola Glow Station.


We started by trying out Crayola Beginnings Color Me A Song
. This coloring center comes with batteries already installed, a few sheets of paper and 8 triangular crayons so it is ready to go right out of the box. As your child colors, the music tempo speeds up or slows down, according to how fast your child is coloring. There are 4 instruments: a piano, a drum, a trumpet, and a guitar, and your child can choose to have 1,2,3, or all 4 playing as they color. There are also 2 volume levels, but even on the highest level, it is still quiet enough for mom (or dad) to maintain their sanity;0) The crayons store in a little pull out drawer so this makes for a great travel activity. Another feature I like is that it is fairly easy to wipe down so if your little one gets a little crazy with a crayon, or if you are out of paper and they color directly on the pressure sensitive board, you can easily wipe it off with just a paper towel and a little elbow grease. The recommended age on this is 24+ months. My 18 month old shows mild interest in it and my 3 year old LOVES it. Even the 7- and 8-year olds have enjoyed playing with it.


Next, we tried out the Crayola Glow Dome. This was the top item on my 7-year olds Christmas wish list so she was so excited to open this. It comes with 6 special markers that you use to either trace a pattern (it comes with 2 and more are available online at the Crayola website) or draw freehand, onto the plastic. Be aware that the markers do not show up real well when the lights are on, but once you turn the lights off, they glow beautifully. The dome with the artwork on it also spins, allowing your child to draw fish that swim and rockets that soar. They can even control the speed and how the lights flash. It is recommended for ages 6-years and up so the little ones did not get to do any coloring with it, but loved watching the art come alive. Keep reading to find out how you can win one of these yourself.


The final product we reviewed was the Crayola Glow Station. This is a favorite at our house as my kids love anything that allows them to play in the dark. This is a poster-sized canvas that glows in the dark. There is a crystal-tipped wand that allows them to "draw" on the canvas creating fun pictures. The set includes stencils and texture sheets that can help if they are not comfortable drawing freehand. The pictures will eventually disappear or they can be "erased" simply by turning on the lights. There is also a diamond-shaped tip that can attach to the wand to create starburst effects when "stamped" on the canvas. A dry erase marker and clear plastic sheet is also included to allow your child to create a picture and then transfer it to the canvas. DO NOT USE THE DRY ERASE MARKER ON THE CANVAS ITSELF. You also want to avoid touching the canvas directly with the crystal as it can scratch the canvas. The canvas is designed to be hung on a wall, but can also be used on a flat surface. It rolls up for easy storage as well. The recommended age is 6-years and up. Our 18 month old had no interest anyway, the 3-year old enjoyed it, but did not understand about keeping the crystal off the canvas and the older kids (and the parents) had a fun time playing with this.

On top of the all the fun gifts Crayola is offering this year, they are also holding a Give the Gift of Creativity sweepstakes. The grand prize is a 7-night Caribbean cruise for a family of 4 on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. To enter, visit http://www.crayola.com/gifts/vacation and create a wish list for yourself or your child. You can earn an extra entry by sharing your wish list on facebook.

I do not know your odds of winning the cruise, but I do have a prize for you that you have a better chance of winning. My Blog Spark and Crayola are giving one of you the Crayola Glow Dome. To enter: tell me what your favorite Crayola product is. You can earn bonus entries by subscribing to my blog, following my blog, or blogging about this giveaway. Please leave an extra comment for each bonus entry. The winner will be chosen on December 14th and they will have 24 hours to get back to me or a new winner will be chosen. I am not sure what time I will choose the winner on the 14th, but entries will be accepted up until the drawing. Good luck!


***Disclaimer***- Crayola provided me with the free Beginnings Color Me A Song, Color Explosion Glow Dome, and Glow Station, in addition to the information, and Color Explosion Glow Dome to give away through MyBlogSpark™. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions remain my own and were in no way influenced by anyone else.