Crayola Glow Station can create with Light!

Children can let their imaginations run wild on the blank canvas. View larger.

The jewel tip lets you make starburst patterns. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Fosters creativity in children with unique artistic tools The Bad: Artwork isn't preservable In a Nutshell: Using light to create images, the Crayola Glow Station gives kids an imaginative, fresh artistic outlet At a Glance Ages: 6 and up Requires: Three AAA batteries (not included)

Creating Art with Light
The Glow Station is a flat, smooth surface made from glow-in-the-dark, light-sensitive material. It was easy enough for us to set up: the Glow Station is designed to hang from a nail or hook on the wall. Just make sure that it's in a room that can be completely darkened. Install three AAA batteries in the light wand, and hang the stencils and other accessories from the Glow Station's pegs to keep them in easy reach. We did have to manipulate the Glow Station a bit by rolling it -- you could also place it under a dictionary -- to make it stay flat, as it comes folded in the packaging. If you're traveling, or you don't have a convenient place to hang the Glow Station, it works just as well laid flat on a table or the floor; you just won't be able to store the accessories on it.

The light wand is shaped like a large pen and has a small light bulb at the tip. Use the light wand to "draw" on the Glow Station canvas to create artwork that glows brightly from the light-activated canvas. The darker the room, the more brightly artwork glows against the canvas surface.

We found that drawing "freehand" with the light wand renders pleasing, softer-edged images; for crisper, well-defined images, use the stencils to create shapes and scenes, such as animals safaris or solar systems. The stencils can be used with the "textured sheets," which are printed with opaque designs -- stripes, feathers, spots -- to give cool detail to the images. We had great fun, for example, peppering the canvas with a herd of spotted giraffes, all made with a stencil and textured sheet. The light wand also comes with a "crystal" attachment that causes the light to refract, creating rather beautiful starburst patterns when applied to the Glow Station canvas.

Be Original!
For kids who want to make their own, original designs, the Glow Station comes with a plain, clear acetate sheet and a dry marker. Artists can draw their own pictures and designs on the sheet with the dry marker, then hold the sheet against the canvas and trace over it with the light wand. The acetate sheet is easy to clean with a dry cloth for easy re-use.

Artwork lasts for about 5 minutes, during which it will gradually fade away completely -- leaving room for creating all over again. This also creates the unavoidable drawback of being unable to save the glow-in-the-dark masterpieces. But then again, it's comparable to other works of childhood artistry -- sandcastles and snowmen, for example -- which have perennial appeal despite their temporary quality. And watching the pictures fade away is actually part of the artistic process.

What's in the Box
1 Glow Station, 1 light wand with crystal attachment, 1 acetate sheet, 1 dry erase marker, 2 sheets of stencil, 2 textured sheets