Category Archives: The Pencil Grip

Magic Stix Washable Markers Reivew

I have some wonderful markers to tell you about.  For the past few weeks we have been trying out markers called Magic Stix Washable Markers created by The Pencil Grip, Inc.

You probably already know how highly we think of the folks at The Pencil Grip, Inc.  They make some amazing products for kids and adults.  Over the past few years, we have reviewed some of their products such as Thin Stix tempera paints and Pencil Grip and Safety Scissors  and have been impressed with everything they have sent us to review.  We are excited to try out their newest creation Magic Stix Washable Markers.

Magic Stix Washable Markers

Magic Stix Washable Markers are a completely new product on the market designed to meet the need to be safe and effective and not dry out.  The beautiful long lasting colors of Magic Stix are guaranteed to continue to work good as new even when the cap is left off for up to 7 days without drying out.

Bright & Bold Colors

Washable

Safe To Use

Non-Toxic

Odor Free

Vented Safety Cap (to reduce choking)

Won’t dry out for 7 days – guaranteed!

24 pack option with sturdy plastic storage case

12 pack option with sturdy plastic storage case

The COLORS:

Magic Stix Washable Markers come in two sizes.  Both sets are professional looking and come in options of 24 colors and 12 colors.  The bright bold colors work on a variety of surfaces such as paper, wood, cardboard, and more.

Magic Stix Washable Markers 24 Pack retails for $19.99 (currently on sale for $14.72) and contains 24 Bright and Bold Colors:

  • Red
  • Orange
  • Pink
  • Hot Pink
  • Magenta Pink
  • Light Yellow
  • Medium Yellow
  • Dark Yellow
  • Light Green
  • Dark Green
  • Forest Green
  • Olive Green
  • Hunter Green
  • Light Blue
  • Medium Blue
  • Dark Blue
  • Deep Blue
  • Light Purple
  • Dark Purple
  • Light Brown
  • Medium Brown
  • Dark Brown
  • Grey
  • Black

Magic Stix Washable Markers 12 Pack retails for $9.99 and contains 12 Bright and Bold Colors:

  • Red
  • Orange
  • Pink
  • Yellow
  • Light Green
  • Dark Green
  • Light Blue
  • Dark Blue
  • Light Purple
  • Dark Purple
  • Brown
  • Black

The Case:

Magic Stix Washable Markers come in their own perfectly sized, strong, sturdy, see-through case.  The hard plastic case holds each marker securely in its place.  The case is just the right size to fit into a bag, backpack, or medium to large purse so you can take it on the go with you.  The sturdy case is able to hold your markers in a safe convenient place while you travel.

How we used Magic Stix Washable Markers in our home:

We received a 24 pack of Magic Stix Washable Markers to use in our home for the purpose of writing this review.

There are so many great colors to work with for fun projects!

We have enjoyed using these markers in our home and schoolwork in a variety of ways:

  • Wooden Airplane Projects
  • Four Seasons Tree Project
  • Toilet Paper Tube Projects
  • Art Journal Book
  • Schoolwork Unit Study
  • ABC Worksheets
  • Birthday Card
  • Arts and Crafts
  • Coloring pages
  • and more

Here are a few of our projects:

Airplanes:

The kids had a lot of fun decorating wooden airplanes.  This was a great “rainy day” project for some energetic boys.  A few days later, when the rain had stopped and the ground was dry, they enjoyed flying and racing their planes outside.  These planes can fly up to 25 feet!

View of planes from the top side:

View of planes from the underside:

Proud pilots!

Trees:

Another fun project the kids worked on was a Science and Art lesson creating trees of the 4 seasons.

These markers worked great outside on the back porch and remained fresh use after use, project after project.

The variety of colors was just perfect for this project and allowed for a lot of creative fun for this craft.

The final step (not pictured) is to cut out the trees, glue them to light-weight cardboard like a cereal box, and then glue all four sections together so that they make 1 tree with four sides.  When the tree is turned, it shows the same tree in a different season.

Art Journals:

My daughter made some lovely art journals with the Magic Stix Washable Markers.  She recycled cereal boxes for this project.  I will post another story about how she made these.

These little books are so fun to make.  Besides using these for art journals or writing journals, they would make wonderful ABC books for younger kids, or use to write a story book, or make them into prayer journals, and gifts too.

After assembling her journals, she decorated the outside covers with Magic Stix markers.

She will have a lot of fun filling these books with colorful thoughts and art projects.

She enjoyed using Magic Stix Washable Markers to make her art journals.  They turned out so cute!

Final Thoughts:

My family has really enjoyed using these colorful markers.  They are made of high quality, safe, and nontoxic materials. They are odor free, the color goes on evenly, and they feel good in your hand.  This case of markers is a perfect addition to our home art supplies and on the go in our portable art kits.  Give these markers a try as they will impress kids and parents alike!

The Pencil Grip, Inc

The Pencil Grip, Inc has many great products for families with kids of all ages.  I would encourage everyone to stop over at their website and see what they have to offer.

Check out this short video of one of our favorite products  called Kwik Stix.

Social Media

Be sure to check out The Pencil Grip, Inc on their social media links for all the latest news and product updates.

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Homeschool Review Crew

Check out what other families on the Homeschool Review Crew had to say about using Magic Stix Washable Markers in their home.

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Pencil Grip and Ultra Safe Safety Scissors Review

I am excited to tell you about  The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit and The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors from The Pencil Grip, Inc.

The Pencil Grip, Inc. is a world renown company and a leading manufacturer of ergonomic writing aids and therapeutic toys and educational products. They have lots of wonderful products that benefit both kids and adults. They have built a reputation with parents, teachers, and therapists worldwide who have used these products and believe in the value of the product and methods applied.

The Pencil Grip, Inc. specializes in unique products that have many applications. The Pencil Grip, Inc. company was created by educational therapist Dr. Lois Provda in 1992.   Their products have many decades of successful use in homes, pediatric therapy, occupational therapy, and classroom settings.  The company has grown into an irreplaceable resource for unique and innovative products.

The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit

Ranked #1

Recommended Family of Grips

The Cross Over Grip, The Pinch Grip, The Pencil Grip Original

For Children & Adults

Latex Free & Phthalate Free

Fit A Variety of Writing Instruments

Increases Neatness

Increases Comfort & Control

This kit is recommended by doctors and therapists for both left handed and right handed children and adults. By using the three step method, folks are able to reduce their frustration and strain.  They also reduce the normal time needed to learn (or re-learn) how to hold a pencil (or pen) correctly when writing.

The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit contains 1 each:

  • Step 1: The Crossover Grip (Training)
  • Step 2: The Pinch Grip (Transition)
  • Step 3: The Pencil Grip Original (Graduation)

These products help correct hand position, dexterity, and reduce stress on the hands and knuckles. They help control the grip of the writing instrument and improve performance. A free instructional poster is available on The Pencil Grip website. These products are fun and easy to use and help motivate hesitant learners too.

The Crossover Grip

Step 1: The Crossover Grip is used for training.  It has a “super hero cape” design built in.  The cape is over the finger design provides the maximum reinforcement of correct position and structure.

When I worked with my five year old on using this grip, he kept wanting to put his middle finger in the wrong postion, placing it below the grip instead of behind it.

After a few times of reminding him, I was able to get him to hold it correctly and he felt more control and did very well with it.

I also had my eight year old try out using this grip.

He liked the feel of it.  I tried him on the next grip in the kit and he preferred the first grip more.  Perhaps it is the “super hero cape” on this grip that he is excited about.  He is left handed and sometimes it can be challenging to write going forward rather than write sliding the hand backward across the paper as right handers do.  This grip feels comfortable to him and right away we noticed an improvement in his control.  So he will be using this one for a bit longer until he is ready to move forward.

 

The Pinch Grip

Step 2: The Pinch Grip is used for Transitioning.  It has wings.  The wings help the user to see their grip and allows both freedom in writing and also more  structure.

Since my younger sons weren’t ready to move on to the next grip in the kit just yet, I used the Pinch Grip with my daughter after she tried out the Crossover Grip first.

This was the perfect grip for her.

For some reason, she liked to push the grip up higher on her pencil though.  I kept bringing it back down for her, but she said she liked using it up higher.

I noticed improvement in her control of the pencil right away.

 

The Pencil Grip Original

Step 3: The Pencil Grip Original is the Graduation phase.  It provides ongoing comfort and control and assists the user in continuing what they have learned.

My older boys and I tried out each grip in the kit.  The Original Grip was the most comfortable for me.  It is soft and gave me very good control and felt natural between my fingers.

I found this informative video online that explains the many benefits of using various kinds of pencil grips.  The video is not from The Pencil Grip company however, it is informational and gives credit to Dr. Lois Provda from The Pencil Grip, Inc.

With the 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit, I am certain our family will see improvement in their writing.  As each person works their way through the series of grips, they will be able to write with more control, less wobbling and produce straighter and neater lines.

The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors

Ergonomic Design

Ultra Safe

Concealed Blades

Safety Shield

Training Lever Action

For Ages 3+

These scissors are sharp and cut cleanly with precision.  They have sharp blades that are covered with a permanent shield to prevent kids from cutting themselves. They are easy to hold thanks to their ergonomic design. They have a spring assist opening feature that helps those with limited abilities, but can be folded in for less restricted use.

My 5 year old son and I both used these scissors for the purpose of this review.

To use the scissors you have to place the paper in a very small space between the plastic guard and the top blade.  It feels a little awkward at first. But eventually you get the hang of it.

The blades are very sharp and cut easily through paper.  But you don’t have to worry about cutting fingers because a finger cannot fit into the tiny space between the guard and the top blade.  

He was able to cut straight lines, curved lines, and zig zag lines too.  It was a good feeling knowing his fingers were safe and he can use these scissors independently.

I definitely needed these when he was younger and needed some protection from injury.

Thankfully, he has better coordination now, but I still keep scissors put up and he only uses them with supervision.

Now with these Ultra Safe Safety Scissors, I will be able to leave them in his supplies for him to use at anytime and I won’t have to worry.

We have enjoyed using these products from The Pencil Grip.  This is our second time to review a product from them and their products are well made and definitely beneficial for all ages.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepencilgrip/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thepencilgrip @thepencilgrip

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thepencilgrip/

Blog: http://handwritingathome.blogspot.com/

Homeschool Review Crew

Be sure to check out what others on the Homeschool Review Crew had to say about using products from Pencil Grip, INC in their home.

Please share.