GIVEAWAY of the WEEK: A Set of Wikki Stix Big Count Box!
We are beginning a series of posts on Christmas gifts for Children. Our kids love junkie toys as much as yours. However, the educator in us hates giving all of those plastic junkie toys to children. So we tend to lean towards books, art materials and “learning/exploration” toys when giving gifts to the children in our lives. But rest assured that all of the recommendations we make over the next weeks are fun and kid-tested!
For Christmas last year, MacGyver asked Santa for a set of Bendaroos. In our house Santa, doesn’t make any purchases without getting on the internet to checkout reviews from other parents. Santa found out that Wikki Stix had much better reviews. They actually had really good reviews. So both MacGyver and Miss Enigma received a set of Wikki Stix from Santa.
Santa gave Miss Enigma a small set with an activity book. Here she’s making curly hair for a clown. Wikki Stix are wax covered strings that can be used over and over again. They are NOT messy and are age appropriate for children 3 and up.
A preschooler can even make beautiful Wikki Stix jewelry! Such a versatile gift!
Of course, I imagined the children making “flat” creations with the Wikki Stix. The stix can be used in the classroom or homeschool to practice letters, numbers and words. This is one of the first things MacGyver made with his set of Wikki Stix.
But he quickly began making his own creations. Of course, he started with a dinosaur scene.
During our animal study, he made this cobra, complete with a “hood” that can fold down and expand just like a real cobra. Did you know, cobra is short for cobra de capelo, which is Portuguese for “snake with hood”, or “hood-snake”. Wikki Stix are so cool because of the way they bend. MacGyver wanted to wrap this cobra around a tree trunk because it is a black tree cobra. Yes, that is a real cobra found in Africa. And yes, MacGyver taught me all of this information!
He also made this parrot during our study on birds. He made it so it’s feet can actually hold onto a tree branch. The wings can also open and close when it flies. These things are so cool!
Why we love Wikki Stix:
1. They allow the children to explore and create freely.
2. They are NOT messy.
3. They are a great Christmas gift for both boys and girls, ages 3 and up.
4. They don’t make noise.
5. They can be used on long trips in the car or on the airplanes.
6. They can be used in a hotel room.
7. They can be used at Grandma’s house and at your friend’s house that is NOT child proofed.
8. They can be used over and over again.
9. Oh and they are NOT messy!
10. And maybe best of all, they do NOT use batteries!!!
Helpful Hints: Don’t use on the fuzzy carpet or the pets. If you keep the Wikki Stix away from fuzz and muck, they can be used over and over again.
Wikki Stix does not know who we are. This is not a paid review. Our kids just love them.
We’re GIVING away one Wikki Stix Big Count Box. (Your set will be NEW!)
Description From the Manufacturer
Big count for big fun! 468 Wikki Stix One-of-a-Kind Creatables in 13 colors… all in a “cigar-style” box that is perfect to decorate with Wikki Stix and use for storage. Includes 12-page fun booklet of arts and crafts ideas, plus colorful projects sheets. Easy to use Wikki Stix simply stick to the surface with fingertip pressure… no glue, no paste, no preparation, and no cleanup! Easy for even very young fingers to use. The perfect medium for early creative fun.
To enter this contest, just answer the following question in the comments section of this post.
Wikki Stix do NOT use batteries. What is your favorite toy that doesn’t use batteries? (Or just say “Hey.” We’re flexible around here.)
The Rules:
One entry per person, please.
No entries after 8:00 pm Central Time, Thursday, November 18, 2010
The winner must be a resident of The United States.
The winner will be selected at random and announced Friday, November 19, 2010. Check back it might be you!
Life with Jeannine
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Wow, we have not experienced a wikki stick yet. It sure does look like fun and a good base for creativity. The children have floam and play dough which they can be creative with. It looks like the manipulative activities the children can do with the wikki stick is also good for building small motor skills. Thank you for sharing.
My favorite toy that doesn’t use batteries would have to be good ole wooden blocks…or maybe bristle blocks…or maybe pattern blocks…Well, I think I just like blocks! We have gotten tiny bags of wikki stix before in Zaxby’s kid’s meals, I think. There weren’t enough in there to be that creative though…the big set sounds great. I’ve never even seen them for sale anywhere.
Definitely Legos!
Thanks for the toy review, too!
We love silly putty and Mr.Potato head,no Batteries
jacksoncrisman@yahoo.com
We love using Wikki Stix, but only have a small pack that we use for making numbers and letters. This looks like way more fun, so thanks for sharing. We would love to win this cool giveaway.
As far as what we like to play with that does not use batteries, we love our wooden train sets, Playmobil, Lego, etc. We also love playing outside and doing art projects, no batteries or plug ins for these too.
Colleen:)
They look like fun. My daughters favourite battery-less toys are old packaging and boxes that she uses to go ‘shopping’.
Wooden blocks are an absolute favourite at our home. These sound really fun! We’d love to have a play!
We adore wiki sticks. I usually reserve them for car/plane trips because they are NOT messy (big winner with me too!) and because they tend to stay put on the trays.
As for our favorite toy that doesn’t use batteries… Yikes there are so many. I would have to say our playsilks. The boys have played with them for hours. I love how open-ended they are. Also being in a house of all boys, it is nice to have something that is an instant hit with the girls who visit too!
I love watching my kiddos play with their baby dolls. It is amazing and enlightening to see them model my behavior. It is also a great guage to see how I AM DOING with my patience and creativity as their MOM and TEACHER!
Being an Aussie I can’t enter but wow these look way cool! I am off to see if I can get them down here and will be checking out the rest of your gift ideas too! thanks
This surely looks like lots of fun! I’m sure my 3 year old would love to play with it!
MacGyver makes some amazing Wikki Stix creations! And it’s good to know that they review so much better than Bendaroos.
If I had to pick one battery-free toy, it would probably be duplos – so many ways to use them!
My kids have never played with Wikki Stix, but I think they would love them!!!
I’ve never heard of wikki sticks . To answer your question Play doh!! The kind we make at home!!
AND of course Lego’s.
I love anything for building. Legos, dominoes, blocks of all sorts, we love to build!
My grandsons play with Wikki sticks. As for no batteries, Legos or wooden toys are fantastic
I love all the toys everyone has come up with that do not use batteries: Mr. Potato Head, play doh, cars, trains, baby dolls, legos and my personal favorite card board boxes. Children will entertain thenselves for hours with boxes. Good Luck Everyone!
joyce
We loved Little People. My girls would play for hours and would provide all the noise needed all by themselves!
I found a “knock-off” Stix in Michael’s $1 section once – daughter loved them. We make a point to buy toys without batteries as well. Right now my 4 year old is really into Polly Pockets – not something that I totally enjoy, but I sort of understand where she is coming from
My daughter loves to play with play food or turn play dough into play food.
quitecontrary1977@hotmail.com
Our granddaughter has never had any Wikki sticks. Bikes are a great no battery toy — my granddaughter & I ride together.
LEGO’s for big brother, cars and plastic animals for little brother. I love playing games and we all love anything to do with the outdoors.
We love books, at our house the girls are finally getting old enough to read and yes they love it all the time!
As for “toys”, we are partial to outdoor toys so would have to say jump ropes….we have a large and two small, my girls are so creative with a sheet, some rope and off they go. We have recently learned how to jump a chinese rope as well. We love the outdoors and being in the south we have the luxury of time.
I love to have my kids in my class use Kinex and Kapla blocks. They can create the most amazing things. They are able to use their imaginations, work together and just have plain, good, ol fun!
WOW! They do look fantastic, but even more impressive because of MacGyver’s creations! That boy certainly has a talent for creating
I like blocks. They’re fabulous.
We like paper and crayons around here (paint is good too).