Totnes Events in February

February looks set to be quite a chilly month, but there seem to be some good events in and around Totnes this month to take your mind off the cold and keep you busy.

Saturday 4th February

Story telling hour at Totnes Library 11am - 12noon. Bring your favourite story or poem to read.

Saturday 11th February

South Devon Railway Totnes to Buckfastleigh Steam Trains. Take a trip on the steam railway this February Half Term. Saturday February 11th 2012 - Sunday February 26th 2012

Sunday 12th February

Daniel Brazier is at The Shops in Dartington creating fun and mayhem with his comedy juggling show.

Saturday 18th February

The Saturday Creative Club (free taster session) for Children aged 5 and up. Painting, dancing, crafts, puppetry, drawing, sculpture, junk modelling, writing. Saturdays 10am-12 noon. At Bridgetown Community Hall. £8 per session, 3 sessions for £20. To book call 01803 862821 or email: emma@emmacapper.co.uk

The Solar System

At one of the local schools they are having a project involving the Solar System so I have been asked about some of the items we stock on that line.

One of them is a Solar System Mobile Making Kit which contains a complete set of Solar system planets, a glow paint stick, stencils for applying the glow paint and the complete hanging structure along with detailed assembly instructions and loads of fun Solar System Facts.

When it is assembled, hang it from the ceiling and watch it glow in the dark when the lights are out.

There is also our Solar System Planetarium Model which when assembled represents the planets within the solar system and their orbits. This also comes complete with glow in the dark paint for special effects and an informative wall chart of the Solar System.

Still on the same subject, I would be interested in making these next two items myself and seeing how they work.

One is a Green Science Solar Rover kit. A excellent little kit where the instructions and parts are enclosed to enable you to build a solar powered car out of a drinks can and learn about solar energy while recycling.

The other is a Green Solar Science Kit which has all you need inside to build a small solar oven and a solar powered water heater which at the same time gives you the chance to learn about solar energy.

All these kits are great educational items and hopefully give an insight to our Solar System and Solar Energy.

Mould and Paint Dinosaur Kit Review

Mould and Paint Dinosaurs Kit

Description
Mould and paint your own dinosaurs is a craft kit from 4m. This kit comes with everything you need to make 12 plaster dinosaurs with magnets and pins to turn them into badges and fridge magnets. Mix up the plaster and pour into the dinosaur moulds. Once the plaster is dry they are ready to be painted and coated in glow in the dark paint.

Mould and Paint Dinosaur Kit Summary
Blake was given this kit for Christmas and he couldn't wait to get started but was a good boy and didn't open it up until we had time to do it together. Blake is only 4 and this kit is recommended for children over 5 so a little bit of my help would be needed.

The plaster is in two separate sealed bags, using one bag fills all the dinosaur moulds so they other bag can be kept for later without creating a mess. I put the correct amount of water into a measuring jug for Blake and then he added this to the plaster and stirred it up. It says not to over stir the plaster so I grabbed it off before too long and we poured it into the moulds. I wiped around the edges and tried to poke out any air bubbles as best I could. Then we waited a little while before inserting the badge pins and then leaving them to completely dry.

By the time we had lunch (about 30 mins) they were dry enough to paint. When turning the dinosaurs out of the mould the neck on the long necked one broke and there were a few with air bubble marks. How well the dinosaurs are painted will really depend on the age and ability of the child. Blake did the main colours and I put on the details. You only get 6 coloured paints with the kit which are quite bright but Blake discovered you could make some better dinosaur colours by mixing them together. We left them to dry again which didn't take long.

We then tried to put on a magnet which has a sticky back but this wouldn't stick so we had to use some glue. Blake had lost interest at this point so we never got round to using the glow in the dark paint before the dinosaurs were taken to be played with. Maybe this glow in the dark paint will be used on some snails in the style of the Outnumbered TV programme. As you can see in the pictures some rough play has resulted in a little damage but they are still in one piece.

Pro’s and Cons

Pros
- Quick drying plaster and paint.
- Badge pin dries in to the plaster without the need of glue.
- Suitable for a wide age range.
- Easy to make.

Cons
- Creates a little washing up.
- Magnet didn't stick on.
- Air bubbles cause the dinosaur mould to not fill entirely.

How Much Is It? - Mould and Paint Dinosaurs Kit is available from www.toyday.co.uk and cost £9.99, this offers good value for money as the moulds could be used again if you purchase more plaster.

In Short
Price - £9.99
Value for Money – 9/10
Enjoyment Rating – 9/10
Recommended Age – 5 years and over
Recommended Sex - Mostly Boys but some girls will also enjoy
Overall Rating – 9/10