We have never tried Moon Sand (Moon Dough’s sister product), but friends have given it a cautionary recommendation – “It’s an outside toy!” When our Moon Dough Barnyard arrived, I was a bit nervous. The last thing I need is one more crazy thing spread around my house (*ahem* Bendaroos). Still, the kids were excited to try it and it was a rainy day, so I figured we’d give it a shot.
When I took the Moon Dough out of the package, it immediately reminded me of paper clay, with a non-drying, light, and airy texture. I took a piece, stuffed it into the top of the barn, turned the handle and waited. Nothing. Turned it again. Nothing. Turned it one more time and out popped a perfectly molded and detailed sheep! The kids were amazed. I have to admit that even though I knew what was going on, I was kind of amazed myself. Tip: Not to ruin the magic, but there are molds inside the barn. Stuff the dough into the molds and push down to make sure you get complete animals.
Now, I have to be honest. This stuff is a mess. You’re supposed to work it with your hands before using it, and we did, but it is still crumbly. Since it’s light like paper, it attaches to your clothes, floats through the air and gets dragged all through your house. Tip: Use it in a controlled area in a mat, or outside, and clean up immediately after you’re done.
Pros:
- Doesn’t dry out
- Makes very detailed molds
- Isn’t very expensive to buy refill packs
- Hypo-allergenic, non-toxic, wheat-free
Cons:
- It’s messy
- The dough starts to stick to the barn molds and can be difficult to get out
Bottom Line: The kids love this toy. I’d love it more if we had used it on a large mat or in the back yard. We’ve tucked it away and will be prepared next time we pull it out. It comes with plenty of Moon Dough, but only two colors. Even with the Dough that spread over our house after a week of play and the Dough that we vacuumed up, we still have one whole color untouched and plenty of the first color. It’s a nice value, but you have to follow the instructions for the best results.
Disclosure: We received the Moon Dough Barnyard from Child’s Play PR as part of their Team Mom program. There was no promise of a positive review and the opinions contained in this post are my own.
