3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set

3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set – AD sent for review

disclosure:  we were sent the item mentioned in exchange for an honest review

My son quite enjoys art at school so I thought he’d enjoy trying the 3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set which is aimed at children aged 6-13 years of age.

3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set

The set comes with a wireless 3Doodler Start Pen, USB charging cable, forty-eight coloured plastic strands in two packs, instruction leaflet and activity guide with ten activity templates.

3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set

The 3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set is a completely new concept for us and what better place to start than with the world’s leading makers of 3D printing pens.  The 3Doodler Start Pen is ergonomically designed and both my son and I are left-handed, and we’ve found it very comfortable to hold and use.

It’s very easy to get started, turn the pen on and wait for the LED light to turn from red to green.

3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set

Insert one of the plastic strands into the back of the pen until you feel it grip, click the orange button once and the heated plastic strand will start to extrude from the front of the pen.

It takes a bit of getting used to when you start using the 3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set, you need to remember to press the orange button again when you want the flow of plastic to stop, and if you want your design to stick to paper then you press down on the surface.  If you don’t want it to stick then don’t press too hard, otherwise wait a few moments for the plastic to harden and you should be able to peel it off.

The pen and the plastic strands don’t get hot so there’s no danger of children hurting themselves, and the plastic strands are bio-degradable eco-plastic.

You can add multiple layers to give more stability to your design, freestyle for curls and swirls and mould and reshape with your fingers, although you do need to be fast as the plastic hardens quickly.

We haven’t tried the template ideas in the booklet that comes with the 3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set as my son prefers to freestyle.  But there are ideas ranging from a pair of glasses to Big Ben and a dinosaur skeleton.

3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set

With it being Halloween my son decided to create his own pumpkin, designing his own template and then using the 3Doodler to fill in his design.

With a little guidance, he’s also created a cube.  He used a square template from the activity book to create six different squares and then held panels together and sealed them by scrolling more of the plastic over the joints.

I think the smile says it all.

3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set

It takes about 45 minutes to recharge the 3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set.  When the LED on the 3Doodler Start Pen starts slowly flashing orange then you know it needs recharging.

The 3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set is one of those items where practice makes perfect, and you can have lots of creative fun, improving your technique as you go.  Refill packs of the plastic strands are also available.

For more information, instruction videos, Q&As and lots more fantastic design ideas, please visit the website: 3doodlerstart.com.  The 3Doodler Start Essential Pen Set is available from Smyths for around £44.99 rrp.

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