I received this product for free in exchange for this review. I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own.
In education circles talk about S.T.E.M (or S.T.E.A.M) has become common. We worry about our children falling behind other countries. We worry whether our children will be able to keep up with newly emerging fields of study and careers.
I am a firm believer in the Liberal Arts. But the discussion of the necessity of S.T.E.A.M education doesn't upset me. (I guess you could say I don't have steam coming out of my ears over it, but that would be a terrible pun, so let's move on.)
STEAM stands for:
- Science
- Technology
- Engineering
- Art
- Mathematics
There are fun ways to approach these topics, of course. Our family has enjoyed Legos, Snap Circuits, puzzles, online games, and enough art materials to fill your corner JoAnn's Craft store. When we recently had the chance to try a new to us art tool, everyone (including my husband!) jumped at the chance.
The Atmos Flare 3D Drawing Pen is a S.T.E.A.M Dream
I'm sure you've heard about 3D printing. Even our library has a 3D printer now. But this 3D pen is a chance for your artists to create their very own 3D art.
Everyone, from my husband down to our eager 5 year old wanted to give this a try. (I'm sure the toddler would have liked to, but it's not designed for toddlers so we use ours during nap times.)
This 3D pen will have your artists thinking in new ways. How can you best build what you see in your mind's eye? How will you make it sturdy? How is creating a 3D project different from drawing a picture or sculpting clay?
What our family loved about the Atmos Flare 3D Pen
- How easy it was to set up and use
- How the kit comes with two colors of ink (even though we weren't brave enough to try two color sculptures)
- How fun it is to use. It does take practice to make anything you're proud of, but the practice is fun!
Tips and Common Sense When Using the 3D Pen:
- Don't look at the light
- Don't draw on a white surface (we used a piece of cardboard)
- Don't touch the ink while it's hot
- Don't eat the ink (and this is the main reason we only played with our pen during nap times!)
Maybe the Liberal Arts and S.T.E.A.M advocates aren't as far apart as they think. We can all agree that we want to raise creative, intelligent children who know how to think and solve problems. We can do all of the above.
- Great literature and lots of it
- Great discussions, including ancient ideas and philosophies
- Great discipline, which is required to learn anything truly worth learning
- Great tools, whether those tools are books, computers, art supplies, or 3D pens
I've purchased many colored pencils, paints, tubs of clay, paper, and other various art supplies over the years. My husband and I joke that printer ink should have its own line on our budget. I can see ink for our 3D pen being another art supply we keep on hand. This may be a futuristic toy, but the future is now and my kids are already dreaming up what they'll try to make next time.
If you're ready to find out more about the Atmos Flare 3D pen, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
If you're on Instagram check out this challenge: Instagram Challenge with Atmos Flare.
AtmosFlare
Instagram Challenge
Ready to try this pen yourself? They will be available not just from the Atmos Flare site or Amazon, but also Toys 'R Us, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart. And Atmos Flare is giving away 3D pens to 30 lucky people, so go on over an enter!
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