Like all elementary teachers, I have a not-so-slight addiction to quality school supplies. You know what I’m talking about. If you’re anything like me, your first great love was a brand-new box of Crayola crayons, which was probably followed by a perfectly sharpened set of Ticonderoga pencils, a couple of quality pencil grips, and a pack of Sharpies and Flair Pens. I thought I had all of my school supply needs covered – and then this 12-pack of Kwik Stix came into my life and instantly stole my classroom supply-loving heart. I am unbelievably excited to introduce you to my new favorite paints and bring you an awesome giveaway, courtesy of Kwik Stix!
This post contains affiliate links. I receive a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links, which helps to support the blog.
So what exactly are Kwik Stix? Well, you may not believe this, but they are solid tempera paints that come in a tube and look and act kind of like a glue stick. Except, they don’t leave sticky stuff on paper when you use them. Rather, they leave a smooth coat of tempera paint. If it sounds unbelievable and too good to be true, I can empathize. I was intrigued and doubtful at first, too. But then I decided to dive in and give Kwik Stix a try on the Rainbow Art and Writing Project I did with my students last week.
The paints were smooth, easy to apply and completely mess-free. I had students put on paint shirts (just in case), but the protective clothing were not necessary at all. Kwik Stix are not only easy to apply, but they also dry in 90 seconds, which makes me unbelievably happy as a teacher. It also made my students happy because the colors didn’t mix and smear accidentally while they filled in their rainbows. They just went from one color to the next without even batting an eye. They instantly became everyone’s favorite paints.
I can tell you’re already pretty impressed by Kwik Stix. And I have one more photo to share with you. If this doesn’t convince you that these are the paints that dreams are made of, I’m not sure what will.
While one of my little cutie pies was painting, she realized she dropped something on the floor and of course, she just HAD to pick it up right at that very moment. So with paint in hand, she pushed out her chair, leaned over and dove head-first to retrieve the fallen item. Granted, she had the sense to hold the paint stick up, but you and I both know that her impulsive move is the norm in kindergarten and most students won’t be quite so graceful with their paints. This could have been a traditional painting experience. And it also could have been a loaded paintbrush. Which meant it also could have been a huge mess.
Thanks to Kwik Stix, I had a beautiful class set of rainbows that were completed in record time and with zero mess. My kindergarteners didn’t even have to wash their hands when they were done.
(You can find complete directions for the rainbow craft and download a printable template in this blog post.)
Enter to Win My New Favorite Paints for your Classroom
I reached out to the good people at Kwik Stix to tell them about my new school supply obsession, thank them for creating a fantastic product and ask if they would be willing to sponsor a giveaway. The graciously offered to send one 12-pack of Kwik Stix AND two 6-packs to a Kinder Craze reader. This is one giveaway you do not want to miss!
Use the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win and kindly remember to enter with integrity. The winning entry will be verified before the prize is awarded. This giveaway is open to US residents only.
9 Responses
Where can you buy kwick stix?
Hi Rita,
You can purchase the on Amazon! http://amzn.to/1WIYUGM (affiliate link)
My daughters would love these! They would be perfect for their bible journaling
how long would you say each kwik stix lasts? How many rainbows? 😉
I’m confused. Where does the painting come in? What makes these different from markers or oil pastels? (I get the mess is less, but other than being made from tempera paint – are they not just a clean version of any other marker, oil pastel, glue stick?) I too love the ease of use and ashamedly admit to having a school supply fetish (!) – outside of the novelty of being a new product, did your children have any experience resembling painting?) I’m all for less mess and fun, new experiences, but this seems like failing to teach children to use liquid glue because of the advantages of a glue stick. Is this something new and fun or a justification for not dealing with the mess of real painting.
After re-reading my comment, I realize it seems mean. I did not intend it that way. I’m sorry!
I love new school supplies and craft products, so I will certainly be buying a set or two. I just get sad when I realize students come to my class having never used anything but *maybe* water colors and glue sticks — I try to manage the mess in my classroom too, but I get a little bummed at the thought of skipping the experiences of using all sorts of art mediums to avoid messes.
Thanks for turning me onto a fun, new product! They will certainly be cool for making example pieces when I don’t have time to paint! Have you tried liquid watercolors? They are a favorite obsession I discovered a few years ago! My kiddos LOVE being able to get right to the colors and of course, creating their own master pieces with color mixing — I love that color mixing experiments don’t run the watercolor pallets! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Julie! I completely agree that children should experience different kinds of art mediums. I’m planning to add Kwik Stix into my rotation, but they certainly won’t be the only supply they use. We will still get out the watercolors and tempera paints from time to time 🙂 I haven’t used liquid watercolors yet, but now you’ve got me curious!
These are awesome! I have never heard of these, but am definitely going to use these next year with my Kindergarteners. I feel like I wasted so much time this year getting my kiddos ready to paint and during the clean up. I am super excited to have this instructional time back next year.
They are great – used instead of paint for pumpkin decorating last Halloween and it was perfect. No mess, no drip – done! One question though – they dry out super fast – well before 1/2 used. (Yes, I know you need to put on cap, but my daughter didn’t quite click it enough…). So any way to revive these before having to discard? Tried reaching the company but couldn’t seem to get past order fulfillment, which wasn’t what I was looking for.