Crayola Glow Station - On-the-Go

by Crayola

Product Features

• Create with glowing effects
• Create with Light
• Glow Station on the go
• Contains 1 Light Wand, 1 Stencil sheet with light resist shapes and 1 Light Texture sheet

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2 x 13.1 x 12 inches ; 10.9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001KW063I
• Item model number: 95-1001
• Manufacturer recommended age: 6 - 15 years
• Batteries: 3 AAA batteries required.
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,069 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #12 in Toys & Games > Arts & Crafts > Drawing & Painting Supplies > Pencil Erasers
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Crayola Glow Station

Product Description

Now you can create with light anywhere! Crayola Glow Station gives you the power to create amazing illustrations with light! Use the light wand on the glow canvas to make luminous free hand drawings or use the included stencils for shimmering shapes and scenes. Your drawings will magically disappear over time so can create new light-art again and again! This travel version is great for vacations or any trip because it's super portable! This package contains 1 glow canvas featuring on-the-go handle and storage (10" x 11-1/2" x 1/2"), 1 light wand, 1 stencil sheet, six stencil shapes, 1 texture sheet of lifelike designs, and instructions. Class 1 LED product. Takes 3 AAA batteries-not included. Recommended for ages 6 and up. WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD- Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

124 of 130 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Clever toy with one very stupid flaw, December 26, 2008

By 

Daniel L Edelen (Mt. Orab, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Crayola Glow Station - On-the-Go (Toy)

The Crayola Glow Station possesses a very high coolness factor that will appeal to kids. I mean, who doesn't enjoy stuff that glows in the dark? That you can create the glow-in-the-dark fun yourself only adds to the allure. Run the light wand over the Glow Station's surface and voila! A glowing masterpiece.

COMPONENTS:

The Glow Station itself is a sheet of light-sensitive plastic material of approximately 21" by 15" framed at the top and bottom by two plastic bars that can hold some of the pieces that come with the set. There is no solid back on the Glow Station, so it can be rolled up for storage.

The light wand has an LED at one end and comes with a crystal-like attachment for making stars. The light wand takes 3 AAA batteries.

The set includes 14 positive/negative stencils and two printed acetate texture sheets with a dozen textures that can be combined with the stencils to make intriguing designs.

Included is a dry erase marker and a blank acetate sheet for creating your own artwork. Rub the light wand over your design and the glow-in-the dark negative will form on the Glow Station surface.

The quality of the components is good, though the glow-in-the-dark surface is a little flimsier than one might hope.

PLAY:

Use the light wand with or without the crystal attachment to form glowing designs through freehand, stenciled, and textured drawing.

PROS:

*Glows in the dark--always fun
*The stencils and textures add thoughtful variety
*The components are well designed
*Contains hooks to hold the acetate sheets and positive stencils, and a small bin to hold the negative stencils
*Will keep kids focused on an activity for a good while

CONS:

*To reach its maximum effectiveness, the Glow Station needs to be in the dark for several minutes before using, making an antsy wait for some kids
*Needs a dark room, so if you don't have one, you're out of luck
*Contains an opening at top for holding the Glow Station, so you need a nail or other kind of hook to support it upright (as the Station does not have a solid backing to support itself)
*The dry erase marker is not for use directly on the glow-in-the-dark surface--and we all know what happens when you mix kids and "don't do this" (though I am unsure whether the marker can be removed from the surface or not, as I was unwilling to test it)
*The designs may fade faster than kids like

THE BIG CON:

* This is one of those "the manufacturer didn't try the final product" errors that drives parents batty. The glow-in-the dark surface has a large sticker on its front side that gives some final warnings and instructions. Rather than make this sticker easily removable, Crayola made it out of paper. It readily tore in tiny pieces or had the paper come away from the adhesive, leaving a mess that took a half hour of scraping and cajoling with a fingernail to remove. As I was unsure whether the surface would hold up under the kinds of solvents that might remove the adhesive, I was left with a real chore--while my kid was dying to use the toy. A plastic sticker could have been removed in one piece, so why did Crayola opt for this cursed paper sticker that left behind a mess and a scarred surface (as the scraping with my fingernail left scratches in the Glow Station's surface)? How I would love for the Crayola management team to suffer through that same inane sticker-removing process.


CONCLUSIONS:

Cons aside, this is a fine toy that will delight (pun intended) children, and even a few "big kids." The price--around $25--is good, too. Even those kids who may not be into drawing will be drawn in by the glow-in-the-dark fun.

UPDATE:

A few people have commented that I failed to remove the clear, protective film from the Glow Station's surface, and that doing so avoids the struggle with the paper label. That's absolutely true. I checked and the film was still on ours. The nearly invisible film does peel away from the surface with a solid pull.

In my defense, it's impossible from looking at the unit to see that it has a protective film, nor did I immediately notice any reference to removing that film in either the instructions or the paper label. That's not to say they aren't there, only that they weren't quickly apparent, especially when a very eager child is wanting to play right away.Crayola could make this more apparent.

So bump up the stars by one.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It is what it says it is, December 18, 2009

By 

Avid Shopper (Kentucky, USA) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Crayola Glow Station - On-the-Go (Toy)

I purchased this for my 3 yr old and after reading the reviews I can't help at laughing. Some are complaining that you can't use it during the day- it is a GLOW station, I don't know of anything that glows in the "light" it does normally have to be dark. And some are complaining that it isn't more stationary.. it is the ON THE GO board..meaning it is portable, there is a larger one that is stationary, but this is not it. The product is what it states it is, and it's not misleading. It's great for the car at night, and at bedtime. Like any other item that glows in the dark, it does have to be exposed to light to "recharge". My daughter loves it and has gotten a lot of use from it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I would say this is better for younger children, December 10, 2009

By 

Navy Wife (South Carolina) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Crayola Glow Station - On-the-Go (Toy)

I bought this for my 2 year olds birthday. Yes I know the recommended age, but my two kids (2 and almost 4) absolutely love this. It does work with out complete darkness and yes it does fade quickly which is why I think younger children will enjoy it. What I have noticed is that it is hard to draw well with the light pen as whenever the pen approaches the board it makes a glow circle as it approaches which I think would frustrate children that can draw. It is very hard to do any real pictures or writing due to this issue. Younger kids do not mind as they scribble or do circles and then laugh about the cool neon green color they created. My friend and I tried to write basic names and were not impressed with how they turned out so if your child is a perfectionist and wants to make pictures that are even slightly complicated I would not suggest this toy. Otherwise it is a wonderful toy to use before bed or just to waste time when parents need a little bit of time to accomplish . I also think that it is very thin and does not look durable....should not be an issue if your kids dont stand on it though :)