bendaroos fun and giveaway

what are those crazy myatt kids doing? they are playing with bendaroos, which are reusable, flexible building sticks are made from colored string coated with a special wax. they stick to anything and can be bent into 2d and 3d shapes for lots of creative possibilities.

i received a free packet to sample and saved them for a rainy day when all the kids were home from school. i opened the package of 100 and divided up the colors so that each kid had about the same number of bendaroos in a variety of colors. then i let them go to town.

in hindsight, i think it would have been good to coach them a little in just what was possible to make with bendaroos. tate ended up cramming his into a ball. zoe started a couple things from the catalog then gave up, slightly frustrated, only to make up some cute stuff of her own after getting the hang of it. tessa just bend hers around each other, not making anything in particular.

they ended up having a pretty good time with them. zoe is the only one who has consistently brought them out again to make more things. she seems to have the hang of rolling them up to make flat surfaces and making dogs, people and furniture, etc.

bendaroos has released some fun activity packs like 200-piece theme packs in royal fantasy and tropical island and 100-piece theme packs in hearts, stars & rainbows and space & sky. bendaroos theme packs include instructional diagrams and templates to help kids build a variety of creations. i think this would have been helpful for zoe at least to have a better idea of how to make good use of the sticks.

you can find more information about bendaroos and other craft ideas at their website or Bendaroos Facebook page.

i probably would stick to giving these as gifts to someone zoe's age. tessa and tate enjoyed them to a degree but not in the same way zoe has.

i have a package available to give away. leave a comment telling me one thing you would try to make with bendaroos (go to their website for ideas if you need them). i will pick a winner using random.org on june 30, 2010. usa residents only please.

i received a free package of bendaroos (and one to giveaway) for the purpose of this review. nevertheless, the opinions expressed here are purely my own.