My First Painting Set by Alex Toys

I never thought that I would get excited about paint cups and paint brushes. But, Alex did a great job in creating this paint set. Several things stand out which make this a favorite around our house.

First, the brushes are an appealing color and shape. They are easy for little hands to grab, hold, and paint with. I have cleaned them several times, after several painting episodes, and they clean easily. The best part about their design is that they have a fat, heavy end that is flattened. If your artist needs to set the brush down for a moment, he or she can just balance the brush on the end. When you are cleaning the brushes, you can also leave them on the end to dry; they dry faster standing up, I have found.

Second, the cups are just swell. The design is such that if you put a modest amount of paint in a cup, and snap the lid on tight, you will not have to worry too much at all about spills. The funnel shaped lids not only hold the paint in, but they help to guide the brush in for more paint and make sure that there is not too much paint on the brush. The cups and lids clean up easier than the brushes.

Third, I like the colors. You have your basic primary colors; you can make any color you want from here. Yes, I know, most little artists eventually come up with their own magical color of brown by mixing all the paints together, but you can pre mix for them if you want. Anyway, I really like the fact that you have each primary color in paint, brush and cup lid.

Throw in a handy carry case that also is great for storage and you have an awesome first painting set indeed. Be sure that the cups and brushes are dry before you put them away. And while you are in the artisting mood, check out a few more bits of information regarding the My First Painting Set, as well as tons of other art and craft items, over at Town Square Toys.

Smencils and Snifty Pens - check them out!

Smencils are scented pencils made from 100% recycled material. Each smencil comes in an individual freshness tube. Sheets of newspaper are rolled tightly around the #2 graphite writing cores until pencils of typical thickness are formed. Each one is put into its own corn-based biodegradable Freshness Tube. Smencils maintain their scent for 2 years! If you are looking for a cool, innovative and environmentally friendly product, then look no further than Smencils.

Snifty writing pens are a colorful and wonderfully scented way to work! The ink of the pen is black and the scent of each pen comes from the tip and clip. They write wonderfully smooth and smell even better! There are 4 scents to choose from, choose your favorite scent from the dropdown menu above or better yet - choose them all! Great for work, school or home use. Made from non-toxic materials and recommended for ages 3+.

Lots of cool smells to choose from!

Reach for the Stars and Then Take a Bath

The Star Crayon by Alex Toys is a pretty cool toy. It is a plastic star, with 6 different colored crayons built into the tips. Our daughter has one that she uses regularly during bathtime. She makes the most beautiful and colorful pictures you can imagine. (Of course, I may be biased.) The drawings easily wash down the drain whenever bath time is over. But, if you are like us, we tend to leave the art up for extended periods of time.

Now, earlier this year, we had a princess party at our house. All of the princesses had lovely parting gifts to take home with them. Amongst the gifts, was a Star Crayon. They are perfectly sized for gift bags and baskets. If you are having a party in the near future, for boys or for girls, be sure to grab some of these. They would be a wonderful and colorful addition, to be sure!

You can always count on quality when you purchase any toy by Alex. We love carrying their line of toys here at Town Square Toys. Try them out; you won't be disappointed.

-Brian