Crayola Presto Dots to the Max

()The recommended age on this Model Magic is 5 and up, which I think is accurate. My daughter is 3 1/2 and, while I knew she would love the characters pictured, I wasn't sure if she'd be able to create them. She couldn't. But that's OK... we had fun trying anyway, and she made her own creature without using the tools.

I found that the "dots" work as described-you press down on the clay with a tool, give a little twist, and it picks up a small piece that you can then press onto your figure. About half the time, it took two or three tries instead of one to pick it up, but it was still easy enough to do it. The kit leaves room for creativity, and the clay is fun to work with. It does have a consistency sort of like pulled marshmallows, but it doesn't leave sticky residue on your hands. The finished products can be set out to display or given to proud grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc.

BUT-here's the big negative.

On the bottom of the box is this warning: "Crayola Model Magic contains colorants which may stain."

Uh, yeah.

A small piece of clay got stuck to a stuffed animal, and despite how valiantly I tried to pick it out with my nails, or wash it out, it didn't work. I had to cut the fur off the stuffed animal to get it out. And my daughter also left a damp washcloth on top of a piece of clay. It stained and will not come out.

It's a big enough pain getting play dough out of carpets and socks and clothing; this is worse. This is a nightmare. So that's another reason why I strongly suggest either buying this only for older kids who can be trusted not to get it stuck in bad spots, or supervising VERY closely and keeping all fabric/stuffed toys/etc. away from the play table.

()Crayola Model Magic Presto Dots to the Max is a toy designed to stimulate the imagination and creativity. This toy includes claylike material and several different molds and other tools to create different creatures complete with eyes and dots, to make them look as silly as possible.

My girls love PlayDoh, so I was confident they would enjoy the Crayola Model Magic Presto Dots to the Max when it was introduced into my household just a short time ago. From our experience so far, my prediction has held truemy kids do like this toy. The claylike material is fluffier than PlayDoh and there is almost no smell. It molds easily and is less sticky than other, similar products and is thus a little easier to clean up. My kids like it because they like making things with molds and they enjoy the creative experience.

Creativity is certainly the most valuable aspect of Crayola Model Magic Presto Dots to the Max and there is no denying that this toy offers a good deal of entertainment value, but there are some drawbacks to this toy. First, there are too many pieces and they will likely get lost over time. Second, the material is difficult to separate. Once you touch one color to another, you will find that some of the material will be inseparable. But the worst item in the package is the rolling pin. Ordinary rolling pins work the way they do because the handles are situated on the sides, sticking out, so that the rolling surface of the pin touches the surface beneath itthe surface that needs to be rolled. The rolling pin included in this set has handles that don't stick outthey actually extend beyond the roller, above and below, perpendicular to the surface beneathsimilar to the wheels on a toy car. Because of this, you cannot roll the pin directly over the material. The handles themselves are what touches the surface beneathnot the roller. This is a major oversight on the part of the manufacturer.

Another small issue I have with this toy is that it requires too much attention to detail. Take a good look at the completed creatures on the package and you will know what I am talking about. The creatures are covered with the small dots and look very artistic. I realize that the packaging is intended, in part, to help sell the product but youngsters may get frustrated because it will take far too much effort to get the finished product to look like this. Older children will be able to mimic the creatures on the box, but younger kids will grow frustrated quickly.

Crayola makes many fun toys for kids and its Model Magic Presto Dots to the Max is an acceptable toy with some good reasons to buy it, but also some bad points that make it less worthy of purchasing. Since my kids like it and it does encourage creativity, I will go ahead and give it a modest recommendation. However, it is far from the perfect molding toy and it will annoy some parents and kids alike.

Buy Crayola Presto Dots to the Max Now

()Yes indeed, I'm of a mixed mind about this product and it all has to do with price.But before I get onto that, let me tell you what this product is and what you get.

First, this product is made out of a "non-toxic" plastic.In color it looks bright and cheerful like playdough, and in feel, it feels sort of like sticky marshmallows.There's not much of a smell.

The box comes with instructions for the creation of 6 critters as well as body parts, tools to make patterns, a roller, and a plasticized mat.The idea is that you pop together the bodies, and use the Model Magic to coat them and add arms and legs, eyes and whatnot.My children, of course, said pooh to that and played with the Model Magic like they would playdough.Daughter made a big cake, and son made a mushroom person (Toad) from Mario.

As far as playing with it, it's much like playdough except that the end results can be much more detailed.Honestly, my kids have made some absolutely adorable things with this product.My daughter made a 3-inch high girl for example, and it came out amazing. (It's now drying so it can join my collection of lumpy-but-brilliant fired-glazed dinosaurs and dragons and pinch-pots :) If you mix colors you can't unmix them.And after about 72-hours (or so the instructions say) the product will dry.I should note that I've got no idea at this point how durable these wonderful creations are after they dry.

MY THOUGHTS:::

OVERALL, this is a play item that I would Definitely buy for a birthday gift for a child who likes to make things.It's not a product I would buy for my own kids because it's just too darn expensive when compared to playdough.

Concerns: It's plastic and I don't care how non-toxic it is claimed to be, I wouldn't want my children eating it.Parents of toddlers and preschoolers and any other child likely to sample the Model Magic should be monitored.

I'm not thrilled that there is a chance this product can stain clothes.We have had no problems, but I would suggest you stay away from white shirts, at the least.

Star Rating Explanation:

This is a fun creative product that exercises those fine motor skills, and in that sense it's educational.And it's because of these attributes, and because it would make a nice birthday present, that I'm giving this Crayola product 4-Stars.

The negatives are present however.You have to monitor young children (in my opinion), and you have to use the plasticized mat because it's so sticky.

Again, this is a product I'd definitely buy for other children for special occassions, but for my own children, I much prefer playdough.

Pam T~

mom/blogger

Read Best Reviews of Crayola Presto Dots to the Max Here

()This toy is similar to Play-Doh. In addition to the 'clay', it comes with plastic 'bodies' on to which you can mould the clay and build different characters. There are small tools of different shapes (circle, square, triangle, star etc) with which you can pick 'buttons' to decorate your character. The finished characters look nice and most of the tools work alright.

The clay given is not enough to complete all character moulds provided in the kit. You need to purchase additional clay

Some of the tools are messier to clean-up, for e.g the clay often gets stuck in the 'star' and big dot tool

The kids to need quite a bit of patience to complete these characters

Want Crayola Presto Dots to the Max Discount?

()The photo of this product is deceiving. The tubs are large. There is as much, if not more, Presto material in each container as Play Doh includes in the standard cans. I love the containers. They are clear and are more like small bowls. It's easy to get the material in and out of the containers. The lids are secure yet easy to ues for little hands.Also included in the package is many molds and items to use to create artistic masterpieces with.

The Presto material is fluffier than Play Doh.It's lighter and more foamy. I personally think it's easier to work with than Play Doh. The colors are bright and inviting.My kids mixed colors and it took some effort but I was able to get the colors apart on most of the material.

The dot tools that came with the kit are pretty cool and fun to use.It's not necessary to use the dots to make things. You can use the material just as you do Play Doh.

I gave the kit to my 5yo son and he had a blast.At first he did use the dots. He really like the rolling pin.My 3yo like it as well.

I think the price point is decent, especially since you get six tubs of material AND two packages of molding accessories.

My favorite part is no offensive odor!!!There's not crumbs of doh laying around.I do prefer Crayola Presto Dots to Play Doh and this will be what I buy in the future.

Save 60% Off