ESSENSON Air dry clay - Clay

Buy ESSENSON Modeling Clay Kit - 62 Colors Air Dry Magic Clay, Best Gift for Boys & Girls Age 3-12 Year Old, DIY Molding Kids, with Sculpting Tools, Decoration Accessories, Kids Art Crafts: Clay - desertcart.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases Review: FUN and multipurpose - I like to discover new modeling mediums for my mixed-media crafting AND for the grandkids. After reading some reviews about this foam clay, I took a chance. It arrived as described, except there were only 30 sealable bags to transfer 62 colors of opened clay into. Contact with seller resolved the issue easily. PROS: DRIES FAST: while drying, finished artwork benefits from being turned over to allow underside to dry. Most pieces were dry the next day. NON-STICKY: the ONLY time I had trouble getting clay from packaging was quickly resolved by using the product itself to grab what little amounts did not want to come away from the corners in the bags. Warmer clay seemed to be more stuck; cooler clay was easier to remove. Same method resolves any little bits that get stuck in the sealable bags where they press together to close - just take some of the clay and press into what you want removed and it comes away just fine. DOESN'T STICK TO SMOOTH SURFACES: we have played with this clay on the table and a laptop desk. It doesn't have a problem being lifted away, even after being rolled. EASILY BLENDS: rolling out multiple colored snakes of clay and then joining them to make streaked colors works well. STICKS TO ITSELF: when adding pieces, the product sticks to itself. The only caveat is that you have to be quick. It dries quickly. A little PVA or good quality craft glue will work to adhere pieces that need to attach. We like to make our projects in several stages since it is so soft. A good example is the photos in the book that is included for inspiration: it is very difficult to maintain the shapes while adding additional elements (such as the Pikachu or gifts in the book), so allowing base parts to dry and then doing another layer is the best way to avoid disappointment. DOES NOT SHRINK: all pieces remained intact and added parts did not separate or pull away when dry. EASILY EMBOSSED: I have rolled out small pieces and placed in my dry embossing folders and pressed lightly (NOT run through my embossing machine!). Releases from folders without any trouble and takes impressions beautifully. SUPER LIGHT: this stuff is insanely light! FLEXIBLE: thin pieces are flexible. After dried, they can be gently manipulated and shaped. LOTS OF COLORS: never a squabble about who has what color; there's enough to go around. Blends well to create new colors. Did you know that rainbows can be brown? According to a four year-old boy I know who loves to blend colors, they can be. NO OFFENSIVE SMELL. CONS: DRIES FAST: it is difficult to adhere parts after the clay has been out for more than 10-15 minutes. Very small cracks have appeared during the shaping phase but not during the drying phase. Because some people (especially littles) can take their time with their masterpieces, this can work against them. Glue helps. There's no rule that says you can't use it. :) CRUSHABLE: items created and then transported to school in the backpack of a third-grader may be crushed even though the ziplock bag was carefully placed on top of other items. Allegedly. TIPS: * When removing the amount you want from the storage bag, pull quickly to snap the amount off instead of pulling slowly (which results in a thin, stringy trail). * Teach kids to close the bag immediately to avoid unused clay drying out, or to hand the bag to you so you can close it. * Have a marble or other similar orb? Make snails! Snails are fascinating creatures. Did you know they have thousands of teeth and chew squares out of the paper when eating? Read the book Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey for a multitude of amazing facts about snails and how they are important in a healthy ecosystem. (Note: not a children's book, although my kiddos loved hearing what I read to them. Not affiliated.) * Always make a big deal over their creations. Always. * Enjoy! Review: Great option! - This is my 3rd purchase of these middle magic packs. I use them in a church’s room at an Episcopal Chruch. The children at 2.5-13 and all ages live them. Their packed size is nice for what I need and I love the color variety.