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.

Alphabet Avalanche by Lauri Toys

I like the Alphabet Avalanche for a variety of reasons. The letters are bright a colorful, in the primary colors of red, yellow and blue. There is a fantastic selection of letters, both capital and lower case, so you are able to spell almost anything. The letters have an interesting tactile feel, with a smooth back and a bumpy, crepe front. And, finally, and I think most importantly, there are at least 500 letters in this "avalanche."

Having this many letters allows for a wide open amount of play and usability. If I want to spell things in mulitple colors or the same color, mulitple times, I can. If I am playing with my kids, if they are playing together, or if we are learning spelling or sounds - we never run out of letters.

One word of warning; the letters are small and are definitely not for little ones. As the package says, they are not for children under 3.

Head over to Town Square Toys and check them out. There is a lot more information about the avalanche and other Lauri and Smethport toys for you to read up on.