Creative Gift Idea: smART Pixelator

I love gifts that are also activities, because they keep kids occupied, help them focus and give them a goal to work toward. The folks at Flycatcher sent me and the girl a smART Pixelator to try out, and I think it would be a great gift for creative kids, crafty kids and those who love technology.

At a glance this is a peg board with melty beads, but the Pixelator is an electronic device you plug in. Insert the included memory card pre-loaded with designs, add the pegboard to the top and fill in beads using the enclosed tool.

You can also use the device’s app to take pictures of anything and have them be turned into pixelated designs you can re-create in pegs.

My daughter tried out a couple of the simple designs included on the device, then we tried taking a picture of an anime-style character she drew. We had to simplify it a bit in the app and then she changed some of the colors so as not to run out of beads (it actually ended up bigger than we intended, but that was probably my fault).

It was fun and easy to use and the resulting designs were cute. The girl said it was easier to add the beads in by hand rather than with the little tool that’s included; try both ways to see what you like.

When working on a long project the device can time out and turn itself off. Sometimes this made the device reset and we had to download our pattern again or scroll through all the different patterns on the memory card to find the one we were working on again.

This would be great for a creative kid who likes to make their own magnets, charms, decorations for cards or whatever else you might use melty bead projects for (it should be noted these are different from Perler beads and are not interchangeable; they sell their own brand of beads available in many colors). It might also encourage kids who aren’t that crafty because the screen showing the pattern makes it easier to complete than using a printed out pattern.

If you’re looking for a creative, fun gift for a kiddo in your life (package rates it ages 7 and up), check out the smART Pixelator.

Next Plan Idea:

Easy Valentine's Day STEM Activities for Preschool

If you’re looking to go beyond the dye kits at the store for your Easter eggs this year, I’ve collected 10 fun ways to dye or otherwise decorate your Easter eggs. These are fun STEM and craft experiments for kids and are pretty fun for grownups, too.

One of the most popular ways to dye Easter eggs while still using items from the store is to use natural dyeing methods with vegetables, fruit and spices. I’m sharing links to a few different posts here because people have slightly different methods or recipes for achieving different colors, but the basic procedure explained by Real Life at Home is a good one.

Check the recipe suggestions at Kaleyann, Mommypotamus and Your Home Based Mom, and let kids raid the kitchen or pick some fun things from the grocery store to try. Make sure to keep good records so you can repeat the process next year!

Another easy method to try is dyeing eggs with food coloring. This can make more vibrant colors than you tend to get from natural dyes, but it’s still an easy method and can be done with things you already have in the house. Check out these tips from Studio DIY to get started.

If you want to use food coloring to color your eggs but want to give them a different look, try this method of dyeing eggs with rice from Kids Activity Zone. Or get a marbled look by dyeing eggs with whipped cream, like these from My Home Based Life. So fun and messy!

For less traditional looking eggs, try dyeing eggs with old silk ties or shirts. The pattern from the fabric transfers to the egg in a unique way that’s a lot of fun to try. Get the instructions from A Thrifty Mom.

Use markers and coffee filters for an easy, pretty, low-mess way to color eggs. Learn how at The Savvy Sparrow. Or bring some nature to your egg decorating with these pretty pressed flower eggs from Little Pine Learners.

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