Super Beads

My daughter is the craft queen of our home. She has an ever-growing collection of supplies and interests, so when we were able to review a product from Zirrly, I knew she would be ecstatic. After all, the company's goal is to offer "unique and entertaining crafts with an education advantage." They offer so many fun craft kits, and Super Beads are no exception. We had such a hard time deciding which one we'd like.

After much debate, we chose the Mega Pack so there would be plenty of beads for all the kids.

My girl eagerly checked the mail every day until the bag of goodies arrived. All the kids gathered around the table as we looked through the supplies.

• 4,500 beads
• 5x4 assorted design templates
• 2 spray bottles
• 4 boards
• 1 design tool
• instructions 

The Super Beads are a form of fuse beads. Instead of having to melt with a hot iron though, you spritz the beads with water to stick together. The process is safe and perfect with little ones to use on their own. Another aspect that makes these beads a good option is that they fit snugly on the board. If someone shakes the table or if your little brother bumps your arm, your creation stays in place. No more frustration after losing all your hard work! In fact, you can even pick the board up, flip it upside down, and the beads stay right where you put them.

My kids have been making all sorts of creations with the beads. Magnets, hair barrettes, coasters,  little trinkets--if you can think it, you can make it. If you need help getting started with an idea though, the 4 designs cards (elephant, turtle, apple, cupcake) are helpful. They fit perfectly under the boards and make it simple to match the colors on the card or modify them to your liking (just remember to take the template out before spraying the water). The boards themselves snap together, making it possible to make much larger creations, too.

After the Super Beads dry, you can gently pull them off the board. This part can be a little tricky, but if you place the beads down the correct way with the lined part at the top, it makes it much easier to remove than when they're flipped every which way (ask me how I know, ha). The creations are a bit rubbery and flexible, so they don't break easily. If part of it does happen to separate, all you need is another squirt of water and it's fixed.

These boards have the pegs lined up next to each other, instead of each row being offset. It makes it difficult to make smaller creations look proportionate. The way to change that though is to make the bulk of the design, remove it from the board after drying, and then set the additional pieces in place and respray. You can see examples below as the very top of the strawberry and some of the ends of the snowflake.

My kids and I all agree that these Super Beads are so fun! They are easy enough for little ones to assemble and spray and stay together really well. The Mega Pack is a great choice for little artists, but there are many other kits, as well, like the jewelry set, the spinning tops, a set of 3D vehicles, and more. The kits would make a great addition to an Easter basket or just a fun surprise for anytime.

Thank you, Zirrly, for this fun craft!

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You can read more reviews of the various kits of Super Beads on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.