One of the things I look for nowadays when buying something for Ezra is whether it will last long enough for Jed to use it too.
But you really hit the jackpot when you find a toy that both your 4-year-old and your 17-month-old can play with together.
I recently rediscovered one of Ezra’s favourite toys from toddlerhood, the Aquadraw mat by Tomy. We’ve taken this mat everywhere, to the park, on beach holidays, visits to the grandparents.
It’s a fabric mat with waterproof backing that basically allows you to draw on it with water. There are letters, numbers and objects around the edges for inspiration along with two stencils to aid drawing skills. And it’s totally mess-free – that means no smudges on the carpet, no stains on the wall. Love it!
It comes with its own water-fillable pens that manage to be both its most useful and most annoying feature. Useful because it’s very portable, annoying because the pen is easy to lose and also after a while the tip dries out and scuffs up making it difficult to draw well.
We’ve only got one pen left, but we have more fun using paintbrushes dipped in water, splattering the mat with waterguns, wet fingers, whatever’s to hand.
I like expressing my creativity on it too but I especially enjoy watching my boys painting side by side together.
Hours of fun, moments of peace.
Aquadraw by Tomy is available at most toy stores and online at the Tomy web site.
