I am back at last, been a long time coming, I know, but things have settled now we have moved and I ...
I am back at last, been a long time coming, I know, but things have settled now we have moved and I have some time to devote to this site.
Member since:07.10.2002
Reviews:180
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This Christmas, Santa certainly put huge big smiles on all our faces. We all did really well and received everything that we could have ever hoped for. Gemma aged 6 and Craig did particularly well receiving mountains of toys and games. However, it seemed that the more that a toy was worth in monetary value it was less appealing to both of them. For example, Craig was more than happy to play with the wrapping paper and boxes that all the presents came in, and as for Gemma her eyes lit up when she saw the bike we had bought her, but this was soon forgotten when she opened a smaller parcel containing Hama Beads.
I must admit that until Gemma had opened this present, I had never seen or heard of these before so I was quite keen to get a closer look. Hama beads are basically plastic cylindrical beads, but instead of threading them onto string, as I first thought, they are stuck onto special pegboards in various patterns. But I suppose you could thread them onto string to make play jewellery if you so wish.
Gemma received a starter kit from
her cousin and a further 3 picture designs from her aunt. The starter kit provides everything to get you started; 5 small pegboards, 1 large square pegboard, 1000 pastel colour beads, 1000 normal beads, pack of ironing paper and a design book.
Using Hama beads couldn’t be easier. With each kit there is a sheet with a design plan on it, which gives instructions on how to complete your piece of art. With your design sheet in front of you, you pick out each colour bead as instructed and place it on the pegboard, making sure that each bead touches each other. The picture starts to take shape and will keep your child (and yourself) amused for hours on end.
Once the picture is complete, the fun doesn’t stop there. There is no need to remove the beads to put back in the packet for use later on. You can preserve your masterpiece and frame it for yourself, or perhaps make a gift for someone special. To do this, you will need to iron the bead design, so if you are the parent of a child, then it’s best you do this part to avoid accidents.
With your iron set to the hot position, lay out your design making sure it’s not creased. Place the ironing paper on top of the picture and begin ironing over it, pressing firmly, but making sure that you don’t dislodge any beads. The beads will begin to fuse together and you will eventually see the beads through the paper. Once you reach this stage you can check to see the progress by carefully lifting one corner of the paper away. If there are a few loose beads then no need to worry, simply replace the cover and continue ironing for a minute or so.
Once finished, leave the paper on the picture for a couple of minutes to let the design cool. Once cool, carefully remove the paper and place the picture flat underneath a couple of heavy books. This will ensure that the picture will cool fully and there will be no curled edges. There is no need to throw away the pegboard as this can be used again and again.
Although Gemma received kits, you can buy everything separately. There are loads of pegboard designs to choose from; the geometric range features shapes such as squares, circles, and hexagons and for you romantics, hearts. For the kids the novelty range has loads of fun designs to collect including animals, clowns, birds, flowers and cartoon characters. Gemma loves Winnie the Pooh so I can imagine that she will be choosing some of these very soon.
The prices are very reasonable indeed, not as scary as I first imagined. Pegboards can be bought for as little as £0.90 and the fact that they are reusable makes this great value for money. The beads themselves are also relatively cheap and there are 48 colours to choose from including glow in the dark and sparkly ones. Packets of 100 come in one colour and cost about £1. For those more serious enthusiasts a whopping 10,000 beads can be purchased for approximately £10 and these are mixed colours. If you are particularly artistic then you can make up your own designs, or if you need help then you can buy design books, which feature more inspirational designs to try out. The cost of these books varies depending on where you buy them, but expect to pay about £2.50 upwards.
So that everyone can enjoy Hama Beads, there are 3 sizes of bead to choose from; maxi (10mm diameter) which are recommended for children over the age of 3; midi (5mm diameter) recommended for children 5 and over; and Mini (2.5mm diameter) for children aged 10 plus and even adults can join in the fun. Depending on what size beads you buy, you will have to make sure you buy the right size pegboard.
Hama beads are available from various toy sellers such as Toys R Us, and I’d imagine they can be purchased from craft shops. There are a couple of websites that sell Hama beads and one I have found very reasonable is www.beadmerrily.com. Ebay is also another great site where you can pick up a bargain. The above company actually features on this site and there are quite a few sale offers to be found.
One word of caution would be to watch if you have young children around. The beads are really small and could be easily swallowed causing little ones to choke. I tend to put Gemma in the kitchen away from Craig so that he can’t get any beads, as the first place they would go is in his mouth. Quite often there can be spillages, so be careful when standing on the beads as you could end up doing a little Torville and Dean routine around the kitchen, like I did the other day.
Since Gemma received her Hama Beads, she has been kept amused for hours at a time. Gemma loves all types of arts and crafts and has come up with her own ideas for pictures. She is busy at the moment making a valentines picture for Craig, and says her next project is something for Easter. So it looks like Gemma will be kept busy for some time, and I am pleased that I won’t be hearing “Mummy, I’m bored” any more.
I have rated these as fun for the whole family, although they are not suitable for under 3's. The ratings below are too vague and didn't cover enough age groups.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Teaches co-ordination, motoring skills, colours and allows artistic integrity Disadvantages: Can cause World War 3 when a full board gets knocked over
mizz_behaves 20.09.2006 (20.09.2006)
·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hama Beads
Advantages: fun, creative, aid childs development, good quality, fair prices Disadvantages: not something you want to knock over, can be a bit fiddly if you get small beads
ilusvm 14.05.2005 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hama Beads
Advantages: Teaches co-ordination, motoring skills, colours and allows artistic integrity Disadvantages: Can cause World War 3 when a full board gets knocked over
mizz_behaves 20.09.2006 (20.09.2006)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hama Beads
Jan 12th, 2004
(Mar 12th, 2004)
exceptional by (19%):
very helpful by (81%):
