Review: Crayola 3-D Sidewalk Chalk

One of the presents my daughter received in her Easter basket a couple weeks ago was a Crayola 3-D Sidewalk kit. I didn't purchase this for her; it was a gift from my parents. And, I had some serious doubts about whether or not it would work as well as advertised.

As should be clear from the description of this toy, this is basically sidewalk chalk that is supposed to show a 3-D image when you use the special glasses inside the package. When I saw that, I figured it might look somewhat different when the glasses were used. But, I didn't expect it to be a difference that would really impress me.

I have to say it; Crayola really surprised me this time.

I should start out by saying this isn't as simple as picking a few colors and having them be 3-D. As we read the instructions, we did find out she had to use a variety of color combinations (a blue color with a red color) for the effect to work. But, as a convenience, there were two colors on each chalk stick and the instructions were easy to follow.

I also want to mention I was very impressed with the glasses that were included with this set. I figured they would throw in a cheap pair. But, these are real glasses and, unlike a lot of children's sets, they are large enough for an adult to wear them too. This is important because, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to get the full effect of her artwork (though, I do have to say, the glasses still give me the same headache regular 3-D glasses do).

Of course, all of this would be meaningless if the chalk didn't have the promised 3-D effect. Well, I have seen several of her chalk drawings now and have to say I was very impressed with how much of an effect it had.

Her initial pictures were on our black top driveway and weren't as clear as they would be on the sidewalk. But, when I wore the glasses, I could definitely see the 3-D image. Some of the colors looked elevated while others looked like they were lower. And, it really brought some of her artwork to life.

Overall, I was happy with this particular toy. It is a product I would recommend to parents looking for something for their kids to do outside this summer.