Get Creative Without the Mess with the Thin Stix Creativity Pack {A TOS Review with a Giveaway}

It is absolutely no secret that we love doing crafts in our homeschool. It's also no secret that some of our favorite craft supplies are the Kwik Stix products from The Pencil Grip, Inc. Back in the spring we reviewed the 6 pk of Thin Stix in Classic Colors. The thing is, as wonderful as those were, we missed the extra colors that we had in the 12 pk of Kwik Stix we reviewed a couple of years ago. To top it off, as awesome as all those colors are, we were aware that these tempera paint sticks come in two other varieties as well: Neon and Metalix. That is why we were thrilled to be included in this current review with the Homeschool Review Crew. This time, we received the Thin Stix Creativity Pack which includes 24 (yes you read that right, 24) colors. 

We received this box of Thin Stix (and you may be the lucky winner of one, more details about that later):

All 12 of the Classic colors are included. 

As are the six Neon colors:

And the six Metalix colors.

In case you have never heard of Thin Stix or Kwik Stix before, let me share a bit of basic information. 

These art supplies are actually tempera paint in the form of a stick. Like a glue stick, you twist them up to apply the paint, and twist them back down to put them neatly away. The Thin Stix are thinner and taller than the original Kwik Stix, and they allow for children to make thinner lines while working on their art projects. 

One of the most helpful features of the Thin Stix is that the paint dries in 90 seconds or less . . . most of the time. If a child applies a lot of paint, it will take longer to dry (yes, we've experienced this on occasion). Usually, they use less and it dries fast though. This makes it so convenient for larger groups and younger children. No big paint splatters and spills. No arms and sleeves getting on still-wet paint. I know our children's librarian was quite intrigued when I was telling her about this aspect, as she felt they would work well for her story time. It truly is "mess free creativity." 

We love how smooth and creamy the Thin Stix are, and how simple they are to use. You can even get different-looking textures depending upon how hard you press down. 

Let's chat a bit about the specific set we received. First of all, I love the fact that the Thin Stix are all contained in a plastic two-piece tray. The top comes off and can be set aside, while the tray is set in the middle of the work area. 

When we are done using the Thin Stix, the lid goes right back on, snapping together in the little indentations, and slides back into the box. 

This creativity pack definitely has a wonderful assortment of colors. The children love all the different shades. In fact, when we were working on our Fall Paper Leaf Mobiles, two of the girls had a blast using different shades of the same color (Classic, Metalix, or Neon) on each of the same types of leaves. 

Personally, I'm a huge fan of the shimmery, shiny Metalix paint sticks. The children on the other hand don't seem to have a favorite. They just enjoy painting. 

Another project the co-op preschoolers made which incorporated the Thin Stix were Paper Plate Scarecrows. We used them to color the hats.

Some of the children filled in the entire hat, others just added a little color. Most used a variety of colors, though we have one girl that really likes her pinks.

Even my children got a chance to make some scarecrows. They love using the Thin Stix as well. My children are all older than the preschool group, so they got a bit more detailed with some of their designs. 

I confess, I was having a blast making these too. A couple of these may be mine. . .

At co-op, we even used them to paint the grass onto our Keepsake Hand and Fingerprint Autumn Trees. 

Sadly, I didn't realize until it was too late, but we could have used the Thin Stix to make the fingerprints as well. At first I didn't even think about using them. I'm so used to having the children dip their fingers into paint to make fingerprints. When I realized Thin Stix could be used, it was like a light bulb going off. I tried making my own fingerprints and it worked so well! And it even cleaned off easier than the acrylic paint! The only drawback I could see while working with young children, is that it takes a lot of one-on-one time to paint the children's fingertip after every 3 or 4 prints. With the paint, they can dip them in as often as they need to, with minimal supervision.

As you can see, we've been having a blast using our Thin Stix Creativity Pack. The majority of the time we use them on cardstock, construction paper, or printer paper. However, they can also be used on wood, canvas, cardboard, and other materials. We decided to do a little experiment. We wanted to know if they would work on rocks. 

Rock painting seems to be quite the rage right now. People are making rocks and hiding them around town, and we were wondering how Thin Stix would work. 

I think my favorite rock is Tabitha's pumpkin. It did take a lot of paint to get decent coverage though.

The other children didn't use a lot of paint, and their rocks didn't turn out as bright. But they are happy with their results, so that is all that matters. In the future, I think we will keep the Thin Stix for paper products as we know they produce lovely results.

What more can I say? The Thin Stix from The Pencil Grip, Inc. are a wonderful way to create bright, bold works of art. We love them! We love that they dry fast and don't make a huge mess to clean up. In fact, if you noticed in the pictures above, we didn't worry about covering our work surface as we have to with other paints. The paint from the Thin Stix that made it's way onto the table cleaned up quickly and thoroughly with paper towels and water. 

I would be remiss if I failed to mention how safe this product is, as that is a very big concern of parents and teachers these days. Not only are these AP Certified-Non-toxic, but they are egg, peanut, and gluten free. 

So, what do you think? Does this sound like something you would like for your home or classroom? Keep on reading to find the giveaway. 

If you would like to see more of the projects the children and I have made with Thin Stix and Kwik Stix, I would invite you to read my Thin Stix 6pk of Classic Colors review from May of this year, and my Kwik Stix review from two years ago.

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

If you would like to purchase the Thin Stix Creativity Pack, you can find it at BJ's Wholesale Club for only $19.99 (for a limited time). Regular price is $24.99

You can check out my fellow Crew Mates thoughts on the Thin Stix Creativity Pack by clicking on the banner below

Now for that giveaway! The people over at The Pencil Grip, Inc. have offered to send one winner their very own Thin Stix Creativity Pack. (It sure would make a wonderful present! Don't you think? Hint, hint.)

All you need to do is enter in the Rafflecopter form below. 

There are only 2 simple mandatory entries, with the remainder of the entries being optional. 

Remember, you do not have to do the extra entries, but they will increase your odds of winning. 

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and over. 

The giveaway runs November 7th through November 22nd.

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

 By entering the giveaway, you understand and agree that your contact information will be shared with the sponsor.

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