Kwik Stix: Being Creative Doesn’t Have to Be Messy!
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What is the number one reason parents keep paints on the tippy-top shelf of the art closet? Paint is messy! As a matter of fact, that’s probably the number one reason for not making any art supplies readily available to young children.
(That #1 ranking is based on my extremely unscientific poll – you know, that kind where I pretty much just think that’s what most people say.)
If you’re a “paint is messy” kind of parent, you’re going to love Kwik Stix, a new mess-free paint product from The Pencil Grip Inc.
What Are Kwik Stix?
Kwik Stix are virtually mess-free tempera paint sticks that dry in 90 seconds. You just unscrew the cap and draw with them as you would crayons or markers. There are no water or paint cups to spill! No brushes. Just open and go.
Kwik Stix are AP Certified (non-toxic) and gluten-, egg-, and peanut-free. The create bright, vibrant colors on a variety of surfaces such as paper, poster board, wood, canvas – and Mylar balloons!
Yes, balloons. This past Sunday, I made a last-minute decision to repurpose Megan’s birthday balloons for an event at church. First, I tried using a permanent marker, but it would only write a couple of letters on the balloons before deciding it didn’t like that surface.
Then, I remembered my Kwik Stix paints set. I wasn’t sure they would write well on the balloons, but they worked perfectly!
Why Use Kwik Stix?
Um, hello? You saw that mess-free part, right?
Okay, besides that, they’re easy for young kids to use because they work like crayons or markers. Kids don’t have to worry about getting too much water on a brush or knocking over a cup of water or paint.
They don’t have to wear a smock – I mean, I guess they could decide to try Kwik Stix on their clothes, but unless they purposely wrote on their clothes, there’s no liquid paint to splash around.
And, my 16-year-old may or may not have walked in while my 3-year-old niece was creating with Kwik Stix, picked up a paint stick, and asked, “How do these work? Are they just supposed to write on the paper?” as she was moving to try them on my wooden table.
No! No, they do write on other surfaces! {grin}
Just to test my suspicions – and to prove how daring I am – I did make a mark on my table with one of the Kwik Stix. It wiped right off with a damp cloth. I wouldn’t have wanted to let it dry for long, but I felt safe in letting my niece draw with the sticks without my art tablecloth or newspapers covering her work area.
Who Are Kwik Stix For?
Kwik Stix are fun for anyone who enjoys drawing, painting, or coloring. Yes, that means I had fun playing with them, too. Why do you not see any of my artwork? Because I am so not an artist!
It’s cute when a 3-year-old draws like a 3-year-old. It’s kind of sad when an adult does it.
Okay, okay. Here’s one of mine. Read the message and be nice! {grin}
I’ve been trying to put my finger on exactly how to describe the consistency and texture of Kwik Stix, but I haven’t quite figured it out. They’re unique. They’re not wet, like paint, which makes them perfect for thinner weights of paper.
They’re nothing like markers, and they’re not gel. They remind me a little of a melted crayon, but that’s not quite it either. They’re tempera paint in solid form – something unique and fun for all ages.
You can find Kwik Stix on The Pencil Grip website or at retail stores like BJ’s, Wholesale and Michael’s.
Jolanthe from Homeschool Creations has a great video review if you’d like to see more about how Kwik Stix work.
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.