Crayola Glow Station

Dec.08, 2008 in Electronic

Remember the Lite-Brite? Well, Crayola’s giving pitch-black art a try with their Glow Station. Chosen as one of Toy Wishes Magazine’s Hot Dozen of 2008, this toy is already a best-selling Christmas toy even as lists to Santa are in their early drafts.

The Glow Station is recommended for kids age six and up, but I imagine this toy will be a hit at parties for teens and adults, too. The canvas, according to amazon.com, is a flat, smooth surface made from a glow-in-the-dark, light-sensitive material (what that material actually is, who knows?), and is designed to be hung on a wall, though tabletop art making would work, too. Whatever surface you choose, though, it should be in a room that you are able to make completely dark. Of course some light sneaking in isn’t the end of the world, but the darker the room, the more vibrant the art will glow. The station, if hung up, can store accessories, like stencils, while you work.

The most important accessory to have is the light wand. It requires three AAA batteries (not included) that charge the light bulb at the tip. The wand looks like a large pen, which makes drawing on the canvas easy. The stencils included range from simple shapes to scenes like animals or planets. Also included are “textured sheets,” stencil-like sheets that are printed with opaque stripes, spots, and other interesting additions to your stenciled or freehanded art.

Perhaps the biggest shame about the Crayola Glow Station is that after about five minutes, the artwork fades away, leaving the canvas available to house another temporary masterpiece. The upside to that is that you never have to buy fresh canvasses! And for the perfectionists out there that want to get it right the first time, the Glow Station includes a clear acetate sheet and marker for rough drafts. All you have to do is hold up the acetate that features your drawing to the canvas, trace over it with the light wand, and voila! Another complaint about the Glow Station is that since the canvas rolls up for storage, it also rolls up on its own when placed on a tabletop.

The Glow Station comes complete with the station (the frame to the canvas), the light wand and crystal attachment, an acetate sheet, a dry erase marker, and two sheets of stencils and textures each. All for a retail price of $39.66.