We are massive fans of BLOPENS in our house – we have several sets and they are one of the big ‘go-to’ toys when the kids are in the mood to do something creative. We like them because they are just a bit different to normal drawing and colouring, and they offer the kids a chance to be a little more creative; they sometimes surprise themselves with some of the cool effects they can achieve with them! They’re also relatively mess-free, and require very little cleaning up afterwards, unlike paint.
BLOPENS either come in standard sets of pens and stencils or in themed sets and packs, and much to my youngest daughter’s delight, we were recently able to try out one of the themed sets – the BLOPENS Fashion Designer Studio set. This studio gives kids the opportunity to design some of their own outfits and patterns using magic, colour changing BLOPENS, a generous selection of stencils, gem stickers, accessory stickers and a studio workspace. Contained in the box is:
- 1 x Pink plastic Fashion Design Studio with storage
- 10 x Mini Duo colour changing BLO Pens
- 1 x Mini Magic BLO Pen
- 20 x Reusable stencils (tops, bottoms, hair, patterns, accessories and more)
- 20 x Model Sheets
- 80 x Accessory Stickers
- 20 x Sparkly Gem Stickers
The pink plastic studio part of the set is used to both hold the pens and mouthpieces whilst you’re working, so you have everything to hand as well as having clips to hold your model sheets securely in place and pegs to help you to perfectly position the clothing, hair and accessory stencils. The clothing stencils are on rectangular sheets with multiple holes punched in the side and they sit nicely on the pegs up the side of the studio, whereas the hair, shoes and other accessories are on wheels that are placed onto single pegs and can be rotated until you have the pattern that you want to use. It’s all really simple, feels sturdy and isn’t fiddly at all. The set is for ages 6+ – my daughter is nearly 9 and can use it completely independently, as I would imagine 6/7-year-olds would be able to do too.
The other part of this set that sets it apart from the other BLOPENS sets we have had in the past is the magic, colour changing BLOPENS that come with it. Like standard BLOPENS, the ones in this set don’t require battery power or a pump to get the airbrush effect. Once you have pushed the BLOPEN you want to use inside the mouthpiece, all you have to do is blow into the pen to get an airbrush effect spray, and because they are only pen-sized, they’re really easy to control the direction and intensity of the flow. But the extra cool bit with these ones is that they change colour, which when used in conjunction with the pattern stencils can give some really trendy effects.
Each pen has two colours on the barrel – the main colour that is sprayed out when you first use it, and a secondary colour that it can change into. So, for example, the black BLOPEN has a pink centre – when the pen is first used, maybe on some trousers, you will be left with black trousers. If you then use the hearts stencil over the top, and use the ‘magic’ white BLOPEN, every part of the black ink that is touched by the white ink will turn pink before your eyes. My daughter loved doing this, and it was probably her favourite part of the whole process. You can either use the templates for your designs or airbrush freehand which gives a lovely swooshy effect – either looks great and my daughter was really happy with her work.
Finally, you can finish off your design with a couple of the accessory or gem stickers, which allow you to pop a hat on your model’s head, or add belts, jewellery or any other embellishments to add just a touch of extra style.
We thoroughly enjoyed using this set – it really helps to encourage creativity as well as being a fun, mess-free and quick to set up distraction from screens. With the home learning that we’re all doing at the moment, that time away from screens is so important and this is a great way to do it. I think it’s good value for money and would make a lovely birthday present (or a just because present!) for any child with an interest in fashion.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £24.99
For more information, visit www.johnadams.co.uk. Available to buy from Amazon here.
