Colorations Wet & Stick Fuse Beads

Colorations Wet & Stick Fuse Beads - 3,200 Perler-type beads

I like the Perler Fuse Beads but have never used them in home therapy for two main reasons: 1) They can take some kids a long time to complete one project and, 2) I do not want to haul an iron around with me. So when I saw these fuse beads that stick together with water I was excited. Before I bought them, I went looking for reviews and could find none. That worried me, but I was so excited to try them that I went ahead and bought them anyway. After trying them out, all I can say now is that I'm not impressed. First I hated them, then I thought they might be OK, then I thought they might not. I'll give you the facts as I see them and you can decide. 

If you don't use fuse beads much and have no idea how many 3200 beads is, here is a little perspective.

These Wet and Stick Fuse Beads are not flat cut on the top and bottom like the original Perler Beads, they are a little rounded. And a few of them have a little extra plastic on the top or bottom that didn't get trimmed off so the bead will not stand exactly straight. That is a big problem. There are 7 bead colors in this jar: red, black, white, yellow, green, blue, and I got a very few orange.

These beads can be used on the standard Perler Bead pegboards (image above right) if you already have them. Otherwise you will have to buy a pegboard(s) because they do not come with these beads.

Start by placing the beads on the peg board to make your design. The instructions say to spray the beads thoroughly with water when you are done, then come back in 30 minutes and they will be fused. I followed the directions and thirty minutes later I was back. The beads were stuck together, but my bead design wasn't anywhere near dry. I picked up the design from the pegboard (they held together well enough for me to lift them) and there was a puddle of goo on the bottom of the pegboard. The puddle looked like glue, so I would recommend washing it off right away. I set my bead design on a paper towel, wet side down, and when I picked it up there was a colorful pattern on the paper towel - the colors bleed. As I gingerly handled the design, since it wasn't dry, all I could think of was maple syrup. This is the place where I hated it and decided I was going to send them back. However... a couple of hours later I walked by and decided to pick it up. It was very dry and not sticky in the least. This is where I thought "hey maybe this will work after all". Much later in the day I picked it up again. I had just washed my hands and they were still a little damp and the bead pattern I had made got instantly sticky when it came into contact with the water on my hands. This is where I am thinking they will probably not work for me. Kids and water, it's just gonna happen. Then once the beads get wet the colors may bleed onto their clothes and the design will fall apart. I think I'm going to send them back.

UPDATE: OK, so I really, really wanted these to work so I kept trying. I came back to the pattern I had made several days later and it was nice and solid. So I thought maybe, just maybe... I took them to several sessions over the next couple of weeks. The biggest problem ended up being the fact that the beads are not exactly uniform, like the original Perler plastic beads are. They are just unstable enough that if you bump one, you may upset many. And nobody likes to do tedious work over and over. So although several kids started patterns, only one finished, and that was with help from me to fix things when they tipped. Bottom line for me, I don't like them.

Try this:

• Work on frustration tolerance, visual discrimination, figure ground, spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, fine motor precision, pincer grasp, web space development, palmar arch development, thumb opposition, in-hand manipulation, separation of two sides of hand, shoulder stability, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the jar: 3,200 wet & stick fuse beads

Melissa & Doug Catch & Count Fishing Game

Catch & Count Fishing Game - A magnetic fishing game can make a fisherman out of most.

Catch & Count Fishing Game is a magnetic fishing pole set that includes two fishing poles and 10 fish. Use the spinner and play a game or just have fun fishing in the comfort of your living room.

The pole is made of wood and plastic. At the end of the fishing line there is a magnetic piece encased in plastic. On top of each fish there is a metal tack. Hover the magnetic piece on the pole over the metal piece on the fish. The fish will jump to meet the pole and you have caught yourself a fish! 

The fish are made of wood and each fish is numbered (see image above). The fish increase in size a little as they go from 1 to 5. As you can also see on the image above, there is a big circular wood piece attached to the pole with a smaller wood piece attached to that. Hold the small wood piece in your fingers and as you turn it the fishing line will raise or lower. The line will raise and lower as long as you want to continue turning the knob, but it won't get any longer. 

The fishing line is much shorter than I thought it would be, only a little over a foot when fully lowered and about 10.5" when fully raised, not much difference. You cannot fully reel in the line because the bobber stops it. So if you are going to use this with an older or taller person, they will have to lean over quite a bit to make the line come in contact with any fish that are on the floor. Or you could use it on a table top and raise the arm to hover the magnet over the fish instead.

You can see the boy below is sitting down to fish and the line is pictured at its longest. He is sitting down for a reason. If he stood up he would have to hold the pole in a more vertical position to make the line reach the floor, instead of the horizontal position he is holding it now. The short line is really a drawback for me since I don't work with real young (shorter) kids.

The spinner is large and has the numbers 1-5 on it. The spinner is cardboard and has not held up that well. It is warped and so the arrow will no longer spin around.  

Object:
Catch fish, have the most points when all fish have been caught.

Set up:
Lay the fish on the blue net bag and pretend it is water. Scatter the 10 fish on the bag.

Play:
Players take turns. Spin the spinner to see which fish to pick up. Go fishing and once you catch the fish, take it off and put it by you. Keep taking turns and fishing until all the fish are caught. Add your points and the winner is the person with the most points.  

Try this:

• Play alone. Use the spinner to determine in what order to pick up the fish. Fish until you have caught them all.
• Pretend you are standing on a bridge and stand on a balance beam while fishing. 
• Scatter drawings or pictures of other item in the "lake", such as an old boot, a flat tire, and a rock. Slip a paperclip onto each item so it will attach to the magnet and try to avoid picking them up while you are fishing. Or assign points to them also and try to pick them up.
• Pick up the fish in numerical order or counting backwards.
• Call out a color, number or size for the player to pick up. Eliminate the 2s and 4s, leaving you with 1, 3, and 5. Call out by sizes: small, medium, and large.
• Place the fish at different distances and on both sides of the balance beam so the individual must move and reach and lean to practice dynamic balance while hauling in their catch. 
• Throw down a blue blanket on the floor and pretend it is a lake. Toss the fish in the lake. Pack a snack of fish crackers and take a well-deserved break after you have caught your limit for the day. Then jump into the lake and pretend to swim.
• Scatter the fish so that the individual must recognize the numbers in different orientations, upside down, sideways, etc. 
• Hold the spinner in one hand and flick with the other. Look for a well-rounded web space before you flick.
• Call out a location such as pick up the fish that is to the left of the blue 2.
• Pick up all kinds of things using paperclips and a magnetic fishing pole. Let your imagination run wild. I hope you land a whopper!
• Work on visual discrimination, visual form constancy, figure ground, visual scanning, spatial relations, visual motor integration, manual dexterity, fine motor precision, grasp, bilateral integration, executive functioning skills, balance, sequencing, motor planning, shoulder strength and stability, tool use, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 2 fishing poles, 10 fish, 1 spinner, blue net bag

If you are interested in purchasing this item or just want more information, click on the image below.