Please or to access all these features

SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

TOMY AQUADRAW.........LOOKS BRILLIANT!

38 replies

mrsforgetful · 04/09/2004 16:54

Just saw this advertised on t.v.......it's a larch 'drrawing mat' which you use special water filled pens or just wet hands- to make pictures- then magically (!) they disapear as the mat dries- i will get 1 as alex is always wanting to paint- and i cannot stand the planning i have to do to do such a simple thing spontaneously!!!!! Also all 3 of mine still love Megasketchers- so this seems a similar thing!

www.toysrus.co.uk/Product.aspx/TruOrFindUsing/TruAZOfBrands/TruLearningTomy/287628

OP posts:
pixiefish · 04/09/2004 17:22

looks excellent. hope you don't mind i've put the link in
here

Yorkiegirl · 04/09/2004 17:24

Message withdrawn

Lowryn · 04/09/2004 17:42

DD has one and loves it. She loves to paint her feet and walk on it too!
Excellent toy for taking on holiday/to relatives

twogorgeousboys · 04/09/2004 17:53

Oooh yes - it is brill, I'm hoping they bring out a supersize one next. It's a great toy as its so portable - me and ds1 (3) had great fun with it on a train journey recently. Cannot recommend it enough.

mrsforgetful · 04/09/2004 19:08

TWOGORGEOUSBOYS- it was your thread u read to get the link that pixie has done for me! (i cannot do 'links' to save my life!)

found it in ARGOS PAGE 1166- ITEM 354/3519 - £16.99

i reckon they should make carpet size ones (and wallpaper too) then i would have a truly 'safe' home!

Another great 'arty' thing i have bought is similar to the 'RainbowArt' gadet advertised on t.v- but it's only £10 in ELC- its basically a tray with 5 or 6 paint blocks fitted permanently on their side-which you simply wipe with the spnge 'brushes' they supply and then drag over paper to make rainbow stripes- great fun ....and like the AquadRAW IT'S EXCELLENT FOR OUR sPECIAL nEEDS 'OLDER' KIDS....not just the tots that the adverts often show!.You know....The ones who have 'ideas' but whos bodies restrict them (either through physical disability- or as with my autistic son....he has poor drawing/pencil/brush skills - so something like these things means he can produce a 'work of art' unassisted for a change- good for the self esteem!)

Two of my other favourites are - Geomag/MAGNETIX
as this needs little effort to make very complex structures (my sons find k'nex,lego and meccanno very fidly and usually give up before they have made what they visioned in their mind)
Another is something called LOGIBLOCS- WHICH ARE SMALL PLASTIC BLOCKS WHICH HAVE ELECTRIC CIRCUITS RUNNING THOUGH THEM (LOW POWER!!) and they simply clip together to make circuits- probably best for over 7/8 yr olds....my son's favourite model was a door alarm- and a voice recording device- excellent! We had prior to logiblocs bought him a Cambridge Electrical set- a circuit board and light bulbs to connect up- and though it is great- he found stripping the fine wires to expose the copper needed to make the connections too fiddly- so we had to do that- where as the loggiblocs he can mannage alone

OP posts:
twogorgeousboys · 04/09/2004 19:14

Like the sound of the Rainbow Art thing - thanks Mrs F - will look out for that.

Chocol8 · 04/09/2004 22:15

The Drawing mat and the Logiblocs sound just perfect for my ds's 7th birthday in a fortnight - thank you so much!

Do you know how much the Logiblocs cost MrsF?

Thank you thank you thank you. x

blossomhill · 05/09/2004 08:57

dd still has some birthday money left so I am definitely going to buy an aqua draw.

blossomhill · 05/09/2004 17:49

I bought one today. It's brilliant. We have all had lots of fun

mrsforgetful · 07/09/2004 12:51

CHOCOL8*!!!!
How wonderful you got the DLA just in time for his birthday!!

Here's LOGIBLOCS website

www.logiblocs.com/

Priced around £20....and there's bigger sets to!

Great to 'share the knowledge'....we know that if we get 'THE RIGHT TOY' then our kids are happy!
Happy child...happy MUM!!!

OP posts:
treacletart · 07/09/2004 12:57

got one yesterday for ds 14m. he loves it! I'd thought it might be a bit pricey but cost per use and all that... he'll get years out of it. It'll be great for long train journeys too. I'm going to get some extra pens from the tomy website though.

mrsforgetful · 10/09/2004 20:45

Bought it today ! and it's fantastic!

Though i would advise that if you decided (as i did) to do foot prints all over it that you have clean feet!!! I managed to leave slight marks when it dried!!!!

(And i had cleaned the kitchen floor & hoovered!!!!!!!!)

OP posts:
misdee · 10/09/2004 20:46

thinking about getting ones to try and deter my 2 from scribbling on the walls when i cant find paper.

mrsforgetful · 10/09/2004 21:00

the pens supplied feel lovely as you draw and the texture of the mat is quite like paper.

and i will be a great one to say how robust they are as alex is quite rough and is likely to test this in the garden tomorrow!

OP posts:
Chocol8 · 10/09/2004 23:05

I got one on Monday - we had great fun in the office playing - I mean testing it out...ahem!

I can definitely say that anyone from the ages of about 26 - 42 really enjoyed it.

Thanks for the Logiblocs info MrsF - I will take a look at those!

mrsforgetful · 11/09/2004 12:21

Unfortunately- Thomas discovered it's good to spit on too.....he reckons it goes a different colour...for those who don't know me and my boys...He has Asperger's Syndrome ...and i guess this is yet another display of behaviour that is NOT appropriate.

OP posts:
fairyfly · 11/09/2004 12:30

thanks missf, i think you probably deserve a little commission now, buying one too. Puts an end to the... no we can't get paint out now, i really can't be bothered with the mess..days

tinyganghq · 11/09/2004 13:43

Quick question - is the aquadraw big enough to share with another child or would you really need one each? Twins birthdays coming up and I've been wanting to get them this as part of their presents. They're quite good at sharing, but arguments can break out if something isn't big enough iykwim (they're only 3)The megasketcher they've got gets pulled in all directions!

auntyquated · 11/09/2004 13:46

plus -- would they be OK for an 8 year old

polly28 · 11/09/2004 14:33

my ds got one today for his birthday,he's two.It is a 90cm square so probably big enough for two.

polly28 · 11/09/2004 14:34

oh yeh,8 yr old cousin loved it this morning

Jimjams · 11/09/2004 21:58

Was going to get one to use in ABA sessions. Will have to take a trip to toysrus.

Chocol8 · 11/09/2004 23:52

Jimjams - I got mine at Argos...just incase it's closer for you than toysrus. x

mrsforgetful · 13/09/2004 10:55

All three of my boys are using it....5,7 and 10 years old!!
My only thoughts on buying it specifically for an older child is that due to it having been marketed at toddlers etc it is illustrated around the edge with the alphabet etc.....which may not apeal to older kids....in my case as i have the 5 year old i knew that buying it for him was a good disguise for my eldest to sneakiliy use it too!! (infact he has probably used it most!)

It is big enough for 2 to use....if they like playing together!!!!!!!

JJ....Brilliant for ABA ....also any kids with co-ordination difficulties/pencil control-as it is so easy for the child to 'make their mark'. (i LOVE the feel of the pen drawing on the mat....feels like a really inky felt tip pen on top quality textured paper.

OP posts:
Twiglett · 13/09/2004 10:57

message withdrawn