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Review: Animals & Their Homes Multi-Activity Box

Our latest foray into the artisanal world of Djeco has brought us to the Animals & Their Homes Multi-Activity Box. If you are seeking a comprehensive "all-in-one" creative solution, this kit is an absolute powerhouse, featuring six distinct artistic disciplines: coloring, gluing, decaling, cutting, transferring, and 3D construction. Aside from a standard pencil, every necessary component is meticulously housed within the box. As per the Djeco gold standard, the instructional manual is entirely pictorial, granting our daughter the agency to navigate the projects independently—a feature I find indispensable when I need to attend to our youngest or manage the household's administrative tasks. Of course, we usually prefer to tackle these as a collaborative "bonding" session, which is far more spirited.


We initiated our journey with the coloring modules, which feature two feline subjects. The kit provides three double-sided crayons, perfectly dimensioned for the developing ergonomics of a young child’s grip. Following the coloring, we pivoted to the gluing project—a whimsical "clown dog." A word to the wise: I must reiterate my long-standing grievance regarding the provided glue sticks. They are, in a word, lackluster. To ensure the googly eyes and pompoms actually remain attached to the cardboard, I strongly advocate for the use of a hot glue gun; otherwise, you may find your artwork "deconstructing" itself within minutes.



The diversity of the remaining activities kept our interest piqued throughout the afternoon. The sticker kits (a turtle and a fish) utilize substantial foam pieces that are incredibly satisfying for a child to place. The cutting projects—featuring a menagerie of a chick, zebra, fox, and owl—offer a sophisticated lesson in three-dimensional folding and notch-assembly. My daughter particularly enjoyed using the provided safety scissors to add texture to the fox’s "fur." Again, we opted for the hot glue gun to secure the final details, ensuring our cardboard companions were sturdy enough for play.


The undisputed "showstopper" of the collection, however, was the Transfer Kit. This was my first encounter with this specific medium, and I am officially a convert. The process involves placing a decal sheet over a large "house" board and rubbing the images with a pencil to transfer the ink directly onto the surface. It is a wonderfully tactile experience, and we spent a delightful hour taking turns decorating the house and "chatting it up." We concluded with the building project, where our daughter constructed a cardboard cat by populating the frame with stickers and interlocking the pieces.



Ultimately, the Animals & Their Homes Multi-Activity Box is a premier recommendation for any homeschooling family. It offers a sophisticated survey of different artistic techniques in a single, well-organized package. While I would caution you to have your own adhesive solutions ready, the quality of the projects themselves is top-tier. I am now on a dedicated mission to find more transfer-style art kits—they are truly addictive! I am curious to hear from my fellow creators: have you encountered transfer art before, or do you have a preferred multi-activity box that has been a hit in your household? Let us know in the comments below!

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