Ahh, Summer…the days of Popsicles, splashing in the sprinklers and wondrous chalk drawings all over your driveway and sidewalk! Yes, these are glorious times! And lucky you, Summer is on it’s way!
Lucky for me and my family it’s pretty much Summer all year long here on Maui. And one of the things that gets us outside, gets my child’s imagination going and is easily cleaned up, is drawing with chalk. We leave notes for Daddy for when he gets home and shout, through vibrant chalk, to the world, that “Daddy is THE BEST!”
The best part of working with chalk is it can be hosed down at the end of the day (or week) and a new masterpiece can be made. And let me tell you, we found a new way to create BIG masterpieces in our house with the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine!
What is the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine? A little from their site…
Draw Chalk Drawing Machine
Quite simply, Big Draw is the most innovative sidewalk art product ever made. With easy-to-follow instructions, kids can create enormous chalk drawings on sidewalks and driveways that are over 6 feet tall and look perfect every time. The secret is the Big Draw’s unique set up. Using a simple “recipe card,” children use Big Draw’s corresponding letter and number system to plot points for their drawing, then simply connect the dots and color it in! Kids can draw a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex without being gifted artists, and with many different designs, their Big Draw will be busy all summer long! Ages 7 and up. SRP: $14.99
Ohana Mama’s Take
The age for the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine says 7 and up. My son is 4. So this was something that we needed to do together. It got us all out of the house together and working together as a team to make these big cool drawings. The Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine uses number and letter coordinates to create these masterpieces so while doing this fun outdoor activity, we were reinforcing and teaching my son his numbers and letters. Once my husband made the dots, we had my son create the line for the “connect-the-dots” part. This was great for his hand-eye coordination. After connecting the dots, my son as able to really let his imagination and creativity loose by coloring in the dinosaur he had created with Daddy.
Overall, I love the idea of the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine. I love that it made creating BIG drawings easy for us parents and then allowed my son to take over the coloring in. And I love that my son was learning his numbers and letters as we were creating the coordinates.
It did take a few tries for my husband and I (we’re in our 30s and college educated) to get the hang of just how to do this (the pressure was on, we were sweating, as my son was saying “come on mom!”) but after a few tries, we got it down and created a cool drawing for my son. So be patient, read the instructions and all should turn out great!
The Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine is sure to draw a lot of attention from the neighbors as you create giant butterflies, dinosaurs and fish on your driveways! The Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine does offer BIG fun for the whole family!!
GIVEAWAY!
THREE MomDot readers will win their very own Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine! Yes we’re giving away THREE!
How to enter
Head on over to Cadaco, the makers of the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine, check out their other cool products and tell us what other one has caught your eye.
Extra Entries:
- 1 EXTRA ENTRY: Add the MomDot Reviews banner (on the right sidebar)
to your blog. Leave an extra comment with your blog link letting us
know you did. - 1 EXTRA ENTRY: Add the MomDot Review Blog link to your blogroll. Leave an extra comment letting us know you did.
- UNLIMITED ENTRIES: Leave a valid comment on any MomDot Reviews post (other than contests). Leave an extra comment for every post you comment on.
Giveaway Rules:
One winner with a valid entry will be randomly selected on or shortly after Sunday, April 26th, 2009. The “Giveaway Entry” requirement must be completed before extra entries are eligible.
I have recently come to the very real realization that I cannot do well in life without being organized. Having two kids, a husband, a blog, two part-time jobs and the starting of a business, well, I was feeling pretty out of control. I was looking for something, someplace to put everything that needed to be done – meetings, appointments, bills, housecleaning, blog posts. So when I received the chance to review 
It’s so nice to see more and more cleaning product companies move towards using environmentally friendly ingredients and “going green.” But what could be more environmentally friendly or green than water and a cloth? Not much! Well that is what 
I can’t believe that I am already at the stage of packing school lunches…where has the time gone? I like to make my own lunch-ables for my son – Mr. Picky Eater Extraordinaire. So his lunches usually consist of crackers, turkey, cheese, a fruit leather or some fruit or veggie, and a juice box. I have a super great lunchbox for Cam but I was using up a ton of plastic bags every day for all the goodies inside it. I was actually searching for a bento box when I received the opportunity to review Lunch Bots.
)
As much as I do think this could be for all of those that are of the male species (ahem, hubby!), I’m just going to stick with those that are learning to use the potty. And we all know that potty training can be tough! Even when you have a little one that is eager to go to the bathroom on the potty, it can get messy. Between not making it to the potty and making it but being off on aim, it’s enough to drive any mom nuts!
What I especially love about the Flippee is that when it’s not in use it easily flips down around the base for out-of-the-way storage. And is non obtrusive, which is great in shared bathrooms!
Say goodbye to the syrupy baby wear out there and A-L-O-H-A! to some of the coolest baby clothes on the market. I’m in love with Uncommonly Cute 
Created by Allison Friedland, a mother of two, and sticking to her “no trucks, ducks or puppies allowed” rule, these 
It’s almost time to say adios to 2008 and ALOHA! to 2009 (don’t cha love how multi-lingual I am?!). Well start the New Year off right by getting organized with 
As a mom, when your child is sick or gets hurt you want to do all that you can to help them feel better. It’s a bit easier when they scrape their knee or have a fever to offer instant relief with some medicine or a band-aid. But what do you do when they just aren’t feeling well or have a bellyache or something else where medicine or a band-aid isn’t needed?
Ask any mom and I’m sure she has a short (or long) list of baby items she couldn’t live without. At the top of my list is my 
