Aquadoodle reviews

[Momof3Labs]

I picked up the Thomas aquadoodle at Costco pretty cheap ($21, I think) but am not sure whether to keep it and give it to DS (22mo at Xmas) or to return it. Is this a good toy with some lasting play value, or will it join the TMX Elmo by New Years Day?

I'm just tired of wasting money on toys that the kids don't enjoy. I know that it's a toss up, but wondering what the general consensus was on this thing.

[SnuggleBuggles]

We don't have one b/c ds wasn't that interested in playing with it at a friend's house. Their kids didn;t seem that excited by it either. I could see for a toddler it could be ok. But, for ds I know he would be frustrated that his work of art disappears.

Beth

[bubbaray]

We have one. We also have the travel version and the take-along mats. The mats get the most use as we take them to restaurants. DD#1 did play with it often at about that age, but not so much now (she'd rather color in a book). We've given them as gifts.

I'd keep it. Its great for travel, you can easily pack it in a suitcase.

ETA: Yeah, of course crayons and coloring books are cheaper, but the Aquadoodle stuff is great for those times you don't want crayon on the restaurant table or tablecloth. Its just water. At age 2, DD#1 still often colored completely off the coloring book and onto whatever surface she was at. The colored travel mats (not sure if they are sold anymore) still interest her for a few minutes at a restaurant even now at age 3.5. We took it with us on a trip to Palm Springs as it rolled up easily into our checked luggage and offered a variety of things to do with it. We also took crayons and books that trip, but it was another toy and definitely did get used then. She was 23m at the time. I think she also liked the size of it and that you could trace your hands, feet, etc, and they would disappear -- it was magic. She liked that part of it, wasn't frustrated by it.


HTH

Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[katydid1971]

DS is 2 1/2 and NEVER plays with it. I would take it back, its not a favorite here. FWIW its just as easy to take a coloring book and a box of crayons and they will be played with much more and will only cost you a couple bucks.
Sarah

[Joolsplus2]

Leah has lots of fun sucking on the pens... :P

We have the carry along size, and she has fun carrying it around the house and drawing on it with regular pens (the joys of having older kids and their junk lying around...sigh)..

Yeah... I think all in all I might take it back and get crayons or washable markers (they mean it when they say washable, I promise!)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/Leah.aspx

[kijip]

We received one as a gift (from the funeral director last year when my FIL died of all things!) and Toby uses it only rarely. I started keeping it only in the car. Even at that, it does not get used all that often in the car either. Which is funny because it is one of those things that if it is at another kids house, it is all he wants to touch, LOL. :)

****Rocking out while parenting my smart little 4 year old munchkin Toby.
The butter melts out of habit, you know the toast isn't even warm. -Ani DiFranco

[janeybwild]

We have the Thomas one, and it sucks. They play with it for about 5 minutes once in a blue moon. Once its wet, it takes forever to dry, so its literally a 5 min play time for my eager beavers. Dana liked to suck the water out of the pen and wheel thingey so I had to store it elsewhere. Save your money :(

[Mirthful]

It looks like I'm going to be the lone dissenter here!

My kids actually like their Aquadoodle. I think they feel like the disappearing part saves them the trouble of having to erase it, like they do with their doodle pros. My older DD does write and draw with it - she's 3.5yrs old. My younger DD, 23 months, just likes to stamp. Now, it doesn't gets played with everyday but they seem to pull it out pretty regularly.

They got theirs as a gift but I've actually purchased a couple at Kohls for $10- each. They were the big ones too - the "65% bigger, Jumbo Mat" kind marked KOHL's EXCLUSIVE. It's different from the Jumbo Mat we got as a gift because it only has 2 pens instead of 4 pens. I guess Kohl's exclusively hoards their pens. =)- This was like 6 months ago so I don't know if they still have them at that price.