P'kolino Toys

My P’kolino box of goodies arrived during the last few dog days of summer, when my children were demonic as a result of boredom and I was at my wits’ end.

My boys tore through the arts and crafts supplies and were off to the table to try everything out before I finished unpacking the last two items. Here is a breakdown of the toys we received and our very positive experience with them.   

Art Supplies                 

Triangle Colored Pencils ($8.99)—These oversized colored pencils are thick, durable, and ergonomically shaped. My kids have enjoyed them because the triangular shape makes them easy to grasp and manipulate. These particular pencils are wood covered, but the surface is smooth. Their fingers do not slip down the pencil while they’re hard at work on their masterpieces. My three-year-old has been just as confident using them as my six-year-old. The colors are also vibrant and do not smear on the paper.

Hexagon Colored Pencils ($5.99)—These colored pencils produce the same quality, vibrant colors when put on paper, but unlike the Triangle Colored Pencils, they are smaller and are not wood-covered. The pencils are about the size of a standard school pencil and work well for older children and their advanced motor-skills. My six-year-old son often uses them to color his homework sheets each evening, and I can see a difference in the quality of his finished work now that he has made the switch from regular crayons.

Triangle Crayons ($5.99)—These oversized crayons have the same great colors and ergonomic shape as the Triangle Colored Pencils. They are oversized, which works great for my three and four-year-old sons’ little fingers, and they are not covered in wood or paper. I like not having to peel back paper once the boys have worn down the tips. The thicker size also makes them sturdier, and I have worried less over broken crayons since we began using our P’kolino supplies.

**A P’kolino pencil sharpener that accommodates the unique shapes and sizes of these pencils and crayons can be purchased as an accessory for $2.50.

Playfully Creative Dough ($11.99)—P’kolino’s Playfully Creative Dough has won the hearts of all three of my little men. The “dough” is actually more like modeling clay. P’kolino’s dough has a great consistency that’s thick yet pliable, and best of all, it leaves little residue behind when the kids mold it on a hard surface. The cleanup is much easier for Mommy. I do hope that P’kolino chooses to expand the color selection—as the Playfully Creative Dough is now only offered in five colors—and possibly create accessories to use with the dough. Until then, the Playfully Creative Dough does work with the traditional Playdoh accessories.

Finger Paint ($7.99) —P’kolini’s Finger Paint comes in five classic colors—red, blue, yellow, green, and brown. The brightly colored paint is thick but spreads easily without running. It washes off little hands very easily (I can wash the color off their skin simply by using water), but make sure to have your little ones wear paint smocks or play clothes. Getting the paint out of fabric is a bit more difficult.

Toys

Puzzle Stackers, Mini ($24.99)—This toy is not your ordinary ring stack. The wooden stacking pieces are beautifully crafted and function both as a ring and an interlocking puzzle piece. My nine-month-old daughter is learning to slide the blue, red, and green rings over the wooden stacker pole while my three-year-old is experimenting with various puzzle combinations. My four-year-old is a studious puzzle solver, and he has mastered interlocking each piece to its exact match. I love that the Puzzle Stacker Mini has presented each age with a challenge and that it can grow with my daughter.  

Multi Solution Puzzle, Robot ($19.99)—This puzzle is one of several creative and colorful options P’kolino offers. The brightly colored orange, blue, and yellow pieces can be arranged in numerous combinations, allowing my kids to change up anything from the robot’s eye color to the shape of its eyes and mouth. Each individual puzzle focuses on two or more particular shapes; the Robot puzzle contains primarily rectangles and squares. My three-year-old has enjoyed arranging and rearranging the shapes, but my afore-mentioned determined puzzle-solving four-year-old seems to find more satisfaction in puzzles with a single solution. I suspect this trend has a great deal to do with the differences in the boys’ personalities. My four-year-old is very technical and precise, while my three-year-old tends to think more outside the box.

Over the past few months of play, I have been very impressed by the quality of these products. I admit I knew little about this company before receiving our toys, but now I am intrigued by the story behind these creative items. The company was founded in 2004 by two imaginative fathers with a vision to improve the quality and experience of play for young children. Their toys have earned the seal of approval from parents around the globe and received recognition from several parenting magazines. I tip my hat to these dads and look forward to purchasing more P’kolino products in the future. Check out the other great products P’kolino offers at pkolino.com. 

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