You may be thinking, why is she reviewing markers? I mean a marker is a marker right? Well Magic Stix Washable Markers from The Pencil Grip, Inc. are a bit different from most other markers that we have used. The first thing I noticed was the nice plastic case that they came in. The markers are all laid out in it so you can see the colors and so far the case has held up well to the wear and tear of my children using them. Next, I know I’m not the only mom that has found markers without caps all dried up and unusable. While I do work with the children to remember to put caps on them, it still happens and ruins otherwise good markers. So when I heard that these markers were guaranteed to not dry out even without their cap for at least seven days I was interested in checking this out.
My daughter picked out a color to help me test the seven day guarantee and because she knows that typically a marker would dry out she picked a color that she wasn’t as fond of (brown) so that if it did dry out she would still have her favorite colors. At the end of the test (which actually ended up being eight days because life was a little crazy on day seven) the marker was still just a dark and sharp as it had been on day one.
One thing that stood out to me when the children were using them to make some Valentine’s Day projects is that the colors were very bright and vivid. Some markers give dull or muted colors but these were some of the brightest we have used especially considering they are washable and non-toxic. I will note that if the paper is very thin there was a little bit of ‘bleed through’ so if you have important papers underneath or ‘valuable’ surfaces you may want to be careful. However, it wiped off of the kitchen table without any problems and didn’t bleed through the thicker paper. Due to the ‘bleed through’ issue we did decide that in our family these were great markers for my 10 and 11 year olds but probably not the best choice for the three year old.
Each year we try to send Valentines to some widows that we know to help brighten what might otherwise be a sad day. This year my daughter used the Magic Stix Washable Markers to color the Valentines and they turned out beautifully. Next, my daughter did a beautiful Easter picture that we had printed on card stock. The colors turned out wonderfully and we are using it as one of the decorations in our home.
When we first received our set they stayed at my desk so that I could try them out, test one, and see what I thought. The children had to ask to use them (which they did and were able to quite often). They are excited that now that I have finished my review they can keep them in the art cabinet to use anytime they want. We may get an extra set so that each of the older children can have their own set at their desks.
As an added bonus, The Pencil Grip, Inc. has agreed to give away another set of these wonderful markers to one lucky reader! Enter below for your chance to win a new set mailed to you! This giveaway is for US addresses only!
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Good info! I will check these out. I rarely buy any coloring supplies by any other company than Crayola. That’s very neat that they don’t dry out!
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The not drying out was one of my favorite parts too!
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Thanks for the review. We toss markers regularly with a house filled with little people. We love using colored pencils for that very reason. Crayola seems to be out go to brand because it’s easily accessible.
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We tend to toss a bunch too so I was excited about them not drying out!
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I love that they don’t dry out. I also like the layout of the case. It will help from having markers dumped onto the table to find the right color.
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I loved the organization of the case!
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Not drying out is a big deal in my house with lots of littles!!!
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Yes!!
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My favorite art supply is teal colored pencils. Thanks for doing this great review and thank you for offering a giveaway.
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Teal is my daughters favorite color!
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I think it is neat that you send valentines to widows. That’s wonderful. The pictures are beautiful. These markers definitely produce bright colors. – Lori
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These look neat. We love art supplies over here too 🙂
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Great review! My kids love art supplies like markers!
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My personal favorite art supply is markers for adult coloring books. I have tried pencil sets, and I have tried large sets of Crayola markers, but these are by far my favorite! I only wish they came in more colors. Since it’s a new product, I’m hoping they become wildly popular quickly, and then perhaps they’ll come out with a larger set. I especially love the case that keeps the colors neatly in the order that you want them in. I would seriously buy a large set of these in the same kind of storage case. It would be totally worth the investment!
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My favorite art supply is actually a two-parter. One thing I must have new each year is a box of new Crayola crayons, if only for their delightful Welcome to School smell. Secondly, quality colored pencils. Totally makes a difference in my coloring. :
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Love colored pencils, I use them for my Bible journalling.
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