Super Beads from Zirrly: A TOS Crew Review

My girls absolutely love craft kits! They will all tell you their favorite part of Vacation Bible School is the crafting. I like for the kits my girls to use to be pretty self-sufficient. I'm happy to jump in and help with instructions, but the point is for them to create, not watch me create a kid craft for them! Zirrly sent us the Birds package from their Super Beads product line. The girls were super excited when they opened the mailed package that day and saw they would be creating these:
   These are a product similar to those little beads you iron after creating patterns, but as I said I like for the crafts to be self-sufficient. While my 12-year-old is at the point I would be okay with her using an iron, my younger two are definitely not there yet. The fun thing about these projects is that the beads only need water to adhere to one another. Give it a little drying time and, voila! You have a completed project that stands on its own. 

 This set comes with 2 clear, plastic grids and 3 different patterns which lay under them. The girls then placed the beads on the grid according the pattern. It is easy to see and easy to follow!

 

 It's a really good idea to make sure your kids hands are VERY dry, not damp from just washing or sweaty at all. Because these adhere together with liquid their hands can make them start to melt if they aren't completely dry.

You can see how small this is for little fingers. If your kids are younger than the recommended age, it may be a bit tedious and frustrating. There is a tool which can help to pick the beads back up and replace them if you put one down in error, but this can sometimes cause the other beads to come up too. 

We did have a bit of a learning curve after they had been sprayed. With our first attempt we sprayed too much water, so after waiting the initial 60 minutes they were falling apart and not coming off well at all! We waited quite a bit longer and then they came off okay. With the following one we sprayed much less, but they didn't adhere together very well. It seems that it was better to over-wet the product and just be patient enough for it to dry. Our best results getting them off the grids occurred after waiting overnight. We had 1 or 2 beads which came off in these attempts, but they were quite easy to fix with a little drop of water and setting the bead back in place.

 Overall, my girls enjoyed this craft kit. The issue with getting them off the grid was minor and didn't deter them from having fun or enjoying the final outcome.

 Aren't they adorable!?!?

One of the fun things about crafting is getting to hear the conversations my girls have while working. While they are doing the projects individually, they are still having together time. There is rarely any bickering because they focus on their own task, but still engage with one another. I often hear compliments of how nice another's project looks and sometimes just sweet little girl chatter. Conversation around the table is a beautiful thing to watch!
Check out what my Crewmates have to say!