For the Creative Kid - Beados Teeneez

I'm a crafty mom, so it goes without saying I love doing crafts with my kids. And so far, they love the crafting, too. But I'm not always in the food for painting, gluing, and making a huge mess.

That's why when I learned about Beados Teeneez, I thought, hey, that would be a great activity, and a pretty sweet Christmas gift!

So apparently, I live under a rock and had never heard of Beados (they've actually been around for years, but now make mini-pearl beads). Isabelle and I got to test out three products just in time for the holidays.

First, let me explain how this works. Beados Teeneez are teeny, tiny little mini pearls (it's not just a clever name). They look like miniature versions of bath oils, only, there's no oil inside. They come in a variety of colours and shades. The object is to take the little beads, place them onto a template and then create a piece of jewellery, a keychain, knick knack, whatever.

Once you place your beads onto the template, you spray your design with H20 and let it sit for 20 minutes until it hardens into place. If you spray too much, or don't wait long enough, your design won't really take shape, but you can fix it with a bit more water and drying time. Pretty fool proof.

The kits vary in size and accessories. The Theme kit comes with beads and templates. The Starter Kit comes with beads, templates and a pen to release the beads for easy placement. And then the Cadillac of the kits -- the Style 'N' Go Designer Studio comes with an entire dispensary system that helps release and store your beads.

Here's a video of Isabelle and I trying out the Beados Teeneez Style 'N' Go Studio.

Needless to say, she loved it, and as per the video, I think it's pretty cool, too. She wanted to play all weekend with her beads, and we made quite a few little projects.

Some things to consider:

• There are lots of small pieces. Like tons. Hundreds. They're bouncy, too. Try and keep this project contained and be careful around smaller children or pets. 
• The Style 'N' Go Design Studio has a carrying case, otherwise, you'll need little sealable bags to keep your beads at bay. (Unless you use them all at once)
• While the pen and tube dispenser are really neat, sometimes, it's easier to use your fingers for easy positioning. If we're getting super fancy and precise, tweezers would work too. Luckily, Isabelle's fingers are tiny, so they were a perfect fit for the bead contours.

Despite the pink casing, I think this is would be a fun project for both girls and boys. And if you don't like the templates, make your own. With a price point ranging from $12.99-$34.99, it's a great stocking stuffer and Kris Kringle option, too.

Beados Teeneez are available at Toys 'R'Us, Walmart and Chapters Indigo.