Ad – We were sent the 3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set for the purpose of this review.
I had first seen the 3Doodler Start Essentials 3D printing pen on a trip to our local toy store, i knew it was something my daughter would love.
The 3Doodler is a hand held pen device that carefully heats plastic rods that you can use to make wonderful creations. This 3D printing pen and its creations are not hot to touch and use biodegradable Eco-Plastic, making it completely safe for kids to use. The 3Doodler Start Essentials Pen Set is suitable for ages 6-13 years, however i also had fun using it.
What is in the box?
The set includes the 3Doodler Pen and a Usb cable so you can charge the pen. It also contains a selection of wonderful coloured plastic rods to use in your creations. There is also an instruction booklet that has a selection of templates in. The templates and plastic rods make it easy for your child to get started straight away. Simply turn on the pen, wait for the little light to go green and then you can get creative.
Getting Creative
At the start of the template book there is a little box to experiment in. For instance you could try to write your name. To start with my daughter found the pen tricky to use. However she eventually for the hand of it.
We had a look at the templates and she decided to try and make the butterfly to start with.
The plastic is pliable as it leaves the pen so you have to take care when making your creations. We found the plastic cooled quickly, this made some parts of the design a little challenging for my daughter. Especially as it lifted of the template a little when it cooled. You can however mould the pieces and piece them together by using the pen.
My daughter made the butterfly in sections as that is what she found easiest. You can however leave all the pieces on the template and mould together that way.
Once the butterfly was finished we moulded it together. I was quite impressed with the overall finished product.
My daughter was really pleased with her butterfly and was looking forward to using the pen again. She tried some free styling and had fun trying to make some different shapes.
Overall Thoughts
The 3Doodler start Essentials pen inspires creativity. I love how compact and how easy the pen is to use. There are plenty of different templates in the beginners guide, something for all abilities. I think some of the more trickier templates are aimed at older children with more patience.
I think it is great that you can buy replacement rods, available in a range of different colours. Meaning you can continue to make wonderful creations.
We absolutely love the 3Doodler Start Essentials Pen set. It will get a lot of use in this house by both children and adults alike.
If you have a child who enjoys making things, then i think this pen would be a fantastic gift for them.
You can purchase the 3D Start Essentials Pen Set from a range of retailers including Smyths. The pen retails for around £44.99, and it is worth every penny.
