Is the Rose Art Glitter Glue Set (assorted colors, 30-pack) worth buying?

Skip it — if your kid wants sparkle, get a set of glitter cardstock and a normal glue stick and avoid this entire category of heartbreak. There you have it — ten honest picks from a dad who has the paint-stained tablecloth to prove he’s done the research. If I had to boil this down to one piece of advice it would be this: start with the basics done well (good paper, washable markers, solid crayons) before you start adding anything exciting. The exciting stuff is more fun when there’s already a foundation, and it keeps the chaos at a manageable level. A silicone art mat under everything also quietly saves your furniture better than any individual product on this list. Maisie has approved this list, by the way. She read it over my shoulder and said the part about the glitter glue was ‘accurate and fair,’ which is more journalistic integrity than I expected from a second grader. If you’ve found something that works great in your house that I missed — or something that made an unholy mess that I should warn people about — drop it in the comments. We’re all just trying to get through craft time without regrouting the bathroom.

Note W000460. Filed.