Creativity With Kwik Stix (A Homeschool Coffee Break Review and Giveaway)

Once again, we had the chance to have some fun with mess-free paints from The Pencil Grip, Inc., and bring you a review. This time we received the Thin Stix Creativity Pack, with 24 fun colors. And The Pencil Grip, Inc. has generously allowed me to host a giveaway for a pack of Thin Stix, so keep reading for the details near the end of this review.

Although The Pencil Grip, Inc. is known for their signature product, the Pencil Grip, which comes in several different styles, they also provide other therapeutic products and toys, and the popular line of Kwik Stix paints. These are tempera paints that dry very quickly and are in a marker form, so they're very easy to use, and with little to no mess to clean up. 

Kwik Stix come in two sizes - regular Kwik Stix, and Thin Stix, which have a narrower barrel and create a slightly finer line - and in several different package sizes. The Thin Stix Creativity Pack contains 12 classic colors, 6 neon colors, and 6 Metalix colors. It's tempera paint, so it works on many different surfaces, and it dries very quickly. There's no water or paintbrushes needed either!

classic colors

Metalix colors

Neon colors

How did we use it? Well, my daughter is in high school, so I figured she could be trusted to be creative with these paints without my supervision! All she needed was a little spare time (very hard to come by these days!) and some ideas of what to create. Although the easy handling of the marker style paints and their no-mess features make these paints the perfect choice for young kids, I think they appeal just as much to teens and adults. After all, Kennady could take them to her room with no worries about spilling or smearing her carpet or desk or the cat knocking it over. Which, believe me, the cat would try to do if there was a cup of water.

Wolf by KAT, October 2017

 With this painting on paper, it was a challenge to blend the light colors for the fog, but she liked the definition in the blue circles.

In the past, we've used the paints on paper and canvas. This time she tried paper and wood. Following is a progression of a holiday decor project on a sheet of balsa wood. She had to work very quickly when she wanted to blend colors.

This project was completed using classic colors for all except the snowflakes and lettering, which are done in silver Metalix.  The eyes, smile, and buttons on the snowman were added using a fine point marker.

Snowplace Like Home by KAT, November 2017

Once again, these non-messy paints were a huge hit, and because they dry so quickly, the entire snowman project could be completed in an evening, without needing to wait for layers of paint of dry before moving on to the next color or add details.

What we liked best:

• no mess! In other words, next to no effort required to clean up afterwards!
• good coverage of colors and they go down evenly
• no wait time while paints dry

What we need to mention:

• blending colors can be difficult, since they dry so quickly
• if you're wondering why these are recommended for ages 3 and up, it's because of the choking hazard if the paints come apart. We used up all the black, and it did come apart making a bit of mess and I could see how it would be a choking hazard. Just be careful when you start running out of paint and don't try to take it apart! By the way, we used what seemed like a ton of black paint before realizing that maybe this marker was getting low.

Our bottom line: Although my student using these is an older teen, I highly recommend these paints for families with younger kids who want to be creative. Without a lot of time required for set-up or clean-up, these non-toxic bright colors would be perfect for quick art projects. They are even easy to pack up and take along, and even small hands should be able to manipulate the markers much more easily than paintbrushes.

And here's the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Would you like to try some mess-free creativity in your homeschool? Here's what you need to know:

Visit the website: http://www.ThePencilGrip.com/

Pricing: Kwik Stix and Thin Stix come in several different size packages, so visit The Pencil Grip website for more info. The Thin Stix Creativity Pack is available through BJ's for $19.99.

Age Recommendations: All ages, but due to small parts that pose a choking hazard, they are not suitable for children under 3 years old.

You can follow The Pencil Grip, Inc. on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

You may also want to see our previous review: Kwik Stix Solid Tempera Paints (A Schoolhouse Crew Review)

Visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog for more information and to read other reviews.

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I have done my best to provide accurate pricing and links at the time this post originally appeared. Please be aware that these may change.