Creativity and messy play are an essential part of a child’s development having numerous benefits including sensory exploration, cognitive development and fine motor skills as well as helping to encourage imagination and self-expression. But messy play can be, well … extremely messy. Now you can forget the crayon marks on the walls and paint spills on the carpets and have lots of creative fun without the associated mess with the Aquadoodle Super Rainbow Deluxe Water Doodle Mat from Tomy.
Tomy’s Aquadoodle Super Rainbow Deluxe Water Doodle Mat is a mess-free, engaging, and reusable creative mat for kids to let their inner artist loose – without ruining the carpet or turning the walls into Picasso’s easel.
In the box:
- 1x Large Water Doodle Mat
- 7x Accessories (Pen, Stampers, Brush and Water Trays)
This large mat measures 85x65cm, giving lots of space to let that creativity flow. It is vividly decorated around the edges of the mat with child-friendly images of butterflies, sweets, fish, fruits, paintbrushes, crayons, colouring pencils and more – all very bright, engaging and enticing. The bulk of the mat, the “drawing” surface, is white with a faint but colour-rich image of a sun and rainbow behind it. To use it, all you need to do is lay it out on the floor, fill the Doodle Pen with water and let the kids start to create their next masterpiece (and this one won’t need to be stuck to the fridge).
The mat is suitable for children aged 18 months upwards. It is lightweight and safe (made with soft, durable fabric that features micro-porous technology), and reusable. And as no paint is required, just some humble water, it is non-toxic and very eco-friendly – no need to keep buying paper, crayons or paints.
All that is needed to use the mat is some water and the tools supplied. Fill the pen with water and you can start drawing on the mat, creating colourful images. Fill the paint tray with water and you can “paint” on the mat using wide strokes. Wet the sponge in the other tray and you can use one of the three stamps to create images of a bird (pink stamper), butterfly (blue stamper) or flower (red stamper). When the water pen nib, paint brush or stampers are applied to the mat it reacts to the water, creating colourful designs. As the mat dries, the images fade ready for the mat to be used again.
Overall, the Aquadoodle Super Rainbow Deluxe Water Doodle Mat is an excellent quality water doodle mat with a large scribble/doodle area. It is so easy to use with the included pen and accessories, and the images created are bright and colourful. And best of all, the only possible mess is some spilled water if the water tray for the paintbrush gets knocked, which is no real harm. It is an excellent way to encourage a child’s creativity without any mess. And being reusable without having to buy extra art supplies makes it value for money over the long term.
Looking after the mat is simple. Just let it dry and store it in a dry place to prevent mold or mildew. When it is completely dry it easily folds up (or rolls up) for easy storage. If it gets dirty, wipe it with a damp cloth and let it dry it fully.
The Aquadoodle Super Rainbow Deluxe Large Water Doodle Mat is a fantastic addition to any craft activity arsenal. While it won’t ever replace traditional art supplies, especially if you want to keep any pictures as mementos, it certainly complements them by offering a clean and enjoyable way for children to explore their artistic side while also being extremely portable. It is also perfect for getting out in the garden, soaking up the sun, and letting the kids be creative while enjoying the fresh air (although don’t leave the mat for extended periods in the sunlight as it could fade the colours on the mat).
So while the initial outlay seems a lot with a RRP of £28.99 (but generally can be found for around £20) it will over time work out cheaper than pens, pencils, paints, crayons and paper as well as in the time saved cleaning up lots of mess.
I have used cheaper water doodle mats before and they have always been a lot smaller, come without the accessories and you can definitely feel and see the difference in quality. The only changes I would have liked to see would be a carry bag for the mat and accessories and possibly and extra water pen.
Rating: 4/5
RRP: £28.99
Available to buy from Amazon here.