The perfect poster size for creating and displaying drawings, the glow canvas hangs well from a wall or bedroom door. The darker the location, the better it is for glowing. Made from durable blue plastic, the top and bottom of the canvas provide spaces for everything, including stencil-sheet hooks and holders for the light wand, crystal tip, and stencil shapes. And when it's time to be put away, the canvas rolls up for easy storage.

Start from Scratch or Take Some Pointers
Packed with stencils and texture sheets, the Glow Station gives kids lots of places and ideas to start. Stencil sheets and shapes of animals and space objects let kids trace with the glowing light wand.

With the light texture sheets, they can give these shapes -- and their own creations -- lifelike effects, like spider webs and exotic animal prints. Of course, it's also fun to use the light wand to make luminous freehand drawings. Or, with the crystal tip attachment, create sparkling stars.

Ready, Set, Glow!
The Crayola Glow Station stands out from ordinary glow-in-the-dark toys. Not only does it glow exceptionally well, but it encourages kids to play, use imagination, and create art in new ways. While the texture sheets give a cool dimension to stencil tracings, it's just as much fun -- and less cumbersome -- to draw freehand on the glow canvas. But with so many options, kids won't ever have to choose just one way to create with light.

What's in the Box
Glow station light canvas, light wand with crystal attachment, 2 stencil sheets, 13 stencil tracer shapes, and 2 light texture sheets.

Kids will love seeing their work published with the IlluStory kit. View larger.

Each kit comes with 10 colorful markers. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good:Personalized copies of books make great gifts for relatives The Bad:Complicated instructions and publishing options In a Nutshell:Creative kids will definitely be thrilled at becoming a "published" author At a Glance Ages:7 and up

Write, Color, Publish!
Parents will have to read the instructions carefully to help kids create and mail in their book for publishing. There are several important rules to follow, such as strict word countes per page. Once you've helped your child understand the rules, all they have to do is color and write! There are "cover pages" and "story pages" provided, with extras of each in case of mistakes -- a thoughtful touch.

The kit includes 10 markers, but kids can also use their own. When it comes time to publish, the variety of options parents will be faced with can be confusing. They are all covered in the instructions, which are relatively clear, but you may have to read them a couple times through to fully digest them.

Great Gifts for Relatives
Though kids can only write one story per kit, they can write personalized dedications for each book they order, which makes their published books great gifts for grandparents and other relatives. The "About the Author" section is sure to be exciting for your child, especially when they see their own photo. And while younger kids will love the act of coloring and writing on the pages that are provided, older, computer-savvy kids might enjoy the option to create their book online -- an option that lets your child get published faster!

Watch Out, Stephen King!
We really appreciated the extra cover and story pages that were provided in case of mistakes. The "Story Web: Plan Your Story" page is a nice feature too: it gives kids a quick lesson in storytelling while encouraging them to plot their story out before writing. The ability to create your book online is very cool. But our online attempt to create the cover illustration got sadly foiled by a technical error. There was no explanation of what it was or how to fix it, either. On the other hand, the physical kit, with its quality, old-fashioned paper and pens is easy to use. Also, when you mail the story in for publishing, the postage is free!

Color Wonder Magic Light Brush Ages:5+ Requires: 3 "AA" batteries (not included)

What We Think Fun factor: Durability: Ease of assembly: Educational factor: Novelty factor: The Good: Fun, easy, and mess-free introduction to painting and color. The Challenging: Coarseness of bristles may disappoint young artists. In a Nutshell: Light-up brush illuminates paint colors and shows up only on special paper.

When used on Color Wonder paper, the magic paint brush lights up the invisible paint, revealing its true color. View larger.

Look Mom, No Mess!
With a battery-operated light, the fiber-optic bristles of the light brush illuminate the color of the paint. To get started, kids can simply pick one of the six classic-colored paints to begin painting. While the paint appears clear on its own, the brush will glow the paint color to guide them as they draw. After a couple of seconds on the page, the invisible paint turns to reveal its true color. Best of all for parents, the Wonder Magic Light Brush doesn't make a mess at all. Working only on specially coated Color Wonder Paper, the colors won't appear on skin, walls, carpet, or clothing. If you run out, more Color Wonder Paper and paint refills (including fun tropical colors) are sold separately.

Simple is Good
Durable, compact, and easy to use, the Wonder Magic Light Brush proves that arts-and-crafts time doesn't have to be a headache. The connected paint pots snap firmly into the plastic orange-and-purple Color Wonder base and the light-up brush is attached by a flexible cord and clips snugly in its resting station, so you don't ever have to worry about it getting lost. While it's strong enough to survive plenty of child's play, the plastic has rounded corners to ensure safety.

Other design pluses include a built-in carrying handle on one side for quick portability. At the other end a light-gray tablet clip holds your paper in place while you're painting.

Time-tested Fun
With its light-up brush and colors that reveal only with special paper, this Crayola set brings new life to an activity kids have always loved. Great for beginning artists, the Wonder Magic Light Brush is good at painting broad colorful strokes, and it's exciting to see as the colors appear a second or two after drawn on the page. The brush bristles aren't fine enough for very detailed work, but as a toy, even young masters should enjoy this new way of playing with colors.

What's in the Box
Light-up brush unit, 6 Color Wonder paint colors, and 30-page Color Wonder paper tablet.

Paperoni Deluxe Studio Ages:4 - 8 years Requires: Adult help with reading instructions

What We Think Fun factor: Durability: Ease of assembly: Educational factor: Novelty factor: The Good: Kids' 3-D paper creations are eye-catching and easy-to-make. The Challenging: Additional self-adhesive templates will be needed for more projects. In a Nutshell: Empowers kids to create paper art with child-safe cutter and free-form design template.

This colorful studio allows kids to create 3-D paper sculptures. View larger.

Easy, Safe Art Studio for Kids
With the Paperoni Deluxe Studio, kids have the tools to make three-dimensional artwork independently. The Studio's paper cutting blade is set safely out of reach inside the cutter. Kids simply drop one of the paper rods into the small hole on top of the cutter, use the yellow dial to select a size from one to six, and press down gently on the lever to cut. To help keep track of pieces that have already been cut, the cutter features convenient storage compartments on top.

Cut, Peel, and Stick
Very young children may initially need an adult's help to understand the instructions. The studio includes three self-adhesive, color-coded templates, and the instructions show you what sizes and quantities of Paperoni pieces are needed for each template. Kids just cut the right sizes, then match the colors. Over-sized tweezers assist in sticking the Paperoni pieces to the self-adhesive templates, creating art that jumps off the page.

Create a Lion, Mouse, or Custom Design
Kids will enjoy sticking the pieces to the included two-dimensional template and watching a pink-and-blue mouse take shape. To ensure the pieces stick, kids should try to mold the pinched ends of the Paperoni pieces into their original round shape and evenly space the pieces on the template.

Another three-dimensional mold can be transformed into a lion. Kids decide how long -- or short -- to make the lion's mane. Additional panels let you add the lion's eyes, ears, and nose.

In addition to the mouse and lion, an additional free-form template gives kids the chance to make their own design. Kids can place the transparent template over a favorite photograph, and then stick Paperoni pieces to the template's sticky surface to make the photo three-dimensional. Additional jewels and stickers are included for giving designs added sparkle.

What's in the Box
One Paperoni cutter studio, 600 short Paperoni pieces, 32 long Paperoni rods, one two-dimensional mouse template, one three-dimensional lion mold, one two-dimensional free-form template, one tweezers, eight gems, assorted embellishments, and instructions.