Holiday Gift Ideas Under $50 from Crayola + Giveaway!

Crayola generously provided complimentary items for review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

This mommy is knee deep in Christmas shopping.  How about you?  Do you have all of your holiday gifts picked out and purchased?  Don’t be ashamed to say no; I’m right there with you.  There are so many children on my list this year, that I kind of feel like Santa myself.  Needless to say, I’ve been on the hunt for great values this season, and I’ve found a lot of them with Crayola.

Crayola has recently come out with several new products–many of them are under $50 and all of them are awesome.  We’ve been enjoying two of them here:  the Sketch Wizard (SRP $24.99) and the Shadow FX Color Projector (SRP $24.99).

My daughter, the budding artist, has been glued to this Sketch Wizard since we gave it to her for her birthday.  Having only just turned 6 years old, she’s technically two years under the age recommendation, but that hasn’t stopped her from trying to draw anything and everything with this.  Her very first sketch was of a Lego Jake, and I think it turned out well, don’t you?

Sketch Wizard projects a ghosted image on paper, allowing you to easily recreate images of photographs, dolls, people, and more.  With the included graphite pencil and colored pencil set, your little artist will be creating realistic images of almost anything with this fun tool.  It’s definitely one of the coolest “toys” I’ve come across in a while, and you can bet I’ll be spending some time using it myself.  (As soon as I have some!)

Just as innovative is Crayola’s Shadow FX Color Projector.  Oh, is this one entertaining!  A tri-color base (red, blue, and yellow) casts shadows on a drawing panel to project your child’s artwork anywhere and even animate it.

Trust me; it’s a lot more impressive than my very non-professional image might lead you to believe.  There are six light animation sequences and the colors can be blended to create secondary colors like purple and orange.  Add in some toys, the included shadow shape cutouts, or even yourself (I mean your kids), and the storytelling possibilities are endless.  The Shadow FX Color Projector helps you make your very own light show at home!  It’s possible I’m having a little too much fun with these when they’re supposed to be for my children, but can you blame me?

In my opinion, the best gifts for kids are the ones that nurture a child’s intelligence and creativity.  Of course, they need to be engaging to be effective, and that’s where Crayola really comes through.  My daughter has been so taken with these two toys, that she hasn’t once asked to watch Frozen.  Seriously.

These are just two examples of the wonderful newness Crayola is offering this season.  Check out more fun holiday gifts under $50 from Crayola:

• Widescreen Light Designer (SRP $39.99)
• Virtual Design Pro Fashion Collection (SRP $29.99)
• Virtual Design Pro Car Collection ( SRP $29.99)
• Beadola Bead Maker (SRP $24.99).
• Color Wonder Mess Free Airbrush (SRP $24.99)
• Paint Maker (SRP $24.99)
• Projector Light Designer (SRP $24.99)
• See-Thru Light Designer (SRP $22.99)

I bet you know a slew of little ones who’d be thrilled to unwrap some of these on Christmas morning!  Happy kids without breaking the bank?  That’s an unbeatable deal.

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Enter to win a Crayola Sketch Wizard and a Shadow FX Color Projector!  Open to US residents who are 18 and older.  Ends 12/18/14.  Good luck!