Shrinky Dinks! In 3-D! Review and GIVEAWAY!

Who remembers Shrinky Dinks??  I have to admit that I never had Shrinky Dinks as a kid.  So, when the opportunity to review them popped up I was excited to see what all the hype for the past few decades has been about.  You might wonder why a typically "green" mom would review Shrinky Dinks...what makes them Eco friendly....the #1 reason is because they are Made in the USA!  As an American mom this is important and something we don't see too often. 
I was a bit intimidated when I opened the instructions...they were pretty specific.  Being a Shrinky Dink novice I didn't know I would need an arensal of map colors either.  Be sure you have plenty on hand to color with because my sad little array of green, orange, red and blue was not as fun and didn't give G too many choices.  Which is why I will be buying a set of map colors so we can create more. 
The instructions just looked intimidating because once I got started it was a cinch.  The fun thing about these new Shrinky Dinks is that they are 3-D.  They have a pop-up feel to them.  We didn't create a real 3-D version today because we were being impatient and wanted to see how they worked.  After my map colors shopping trip I want to create a whole little Pirate world for G. 
We picked which items off of the sheet we wanted to create; pirate ship, pirate coin and a pirate.   I colored in the pirate ship and coin while G colored the pirate.  Of course, his pirate has no detail, it's all green because that is what "coloring phase" he is in at the moment.  After we colored in, we traced around with a pencil then I lined a cookie sheet with a paper bag (reusing!) and baked the Shrinky Dinks for 3 minutes, watching them carefully.  Afterwards we laid them out to cool with 2 pieces of folded paper over them to keep them flat.  5 minutes later they were ready to be played with.  They suggest you hot glue or super glue the 3-D pieces but anything permanent is not a good idea with a 4 year old because as soon as you make it that way....they will want it another way.  He was happy and content and ready to make more! 


Helping color




Ready to go in the oven




Waiting on the kitchen counter




All Done!




Playing like they are action figures





Hmmm..which to do next?!

 BSW Toys has much more than just Shrinky Dinks.  They have tons of really fun activities for fmailies to do together and for kids to discover on their own.  Classic toys that span generations.  So many dinosaur activities...your obsessed pre schooler would be happy for hours!  They even have a "Dig Site". 

Now for the fun part!!!  One of my readers will WIN a Shrinky Dink 3-D set of their choice from BSW Toys!  It will be an easy choice because there is something fro everyone...boys and girls alike.  From Space Adventures to the Pirates we reviewed.  Don't forget the Fairy Princess set which is too cute! 



Here's the rules and I'll make it simple:
This is open to all readers in the USA and Canada.
You MUST be a public follower of Staying Home and Staying Sane
Mandatory Entry:  Head over to BSW Toys and tell me which Shrinky Dinks 3-D set you would pick if you won!  Don't forget your email so I can get in touch with you. 
Extra Entries:
1 extra entry:  "Like" Staying Home and Staying Sane on Facebook  (it's easy...and it's on my sidebar) ------>
1 extra entry: "Like"  BSW Toys on Facebook!
2 extra entries: Share this giveaway via Facebook or blog post!!!  Leave a link for me.
This giveaway will end May 29th at midnight!
Good Luck!!