REVIEW – So Glow DIY Magic Mood Jars
Erin absolutely loves activities that we can do together whilst her sister naps. Since Neve arrived on the scene our time for craft and creativity has been somewhat limited, so we grab what little opportunities we do have whenever we can, sitting down and playing together one on one. She loves making things, figuring out how things work and anything that involves stickers!
Having recently reviewed the So Slime DIY sets from Canal Toys (which were a HUGE hit), I was very excited to hear that Canal Toys have extended their range in the UK with the launch of their new So Glow DIY sets, available to purchase from August 2018. These make your own magic mood jars looked to be right up Erin’s street, and I was looking forward to seeing how Erin reacted when we put them to the test.
About So Glow DIY Mood Jars
The So Glow DIY Sets contain everything you need to create your very own magic mood jars, with all supplies included – just add water! Children simply pop in their surprise character, glitter, confetti and special magic powder to create their mood jar before sealing the lid and shaking to mix. Children can then customise their jar with the range of translucent stickers to create their finished design. With a special motion sensor LED light hidden discretely in the lid, shake the jar to create a magical glow and bring the mood jar to life! Quick, easy and mess free, each set in the So Glow DIY range is super easy to use.
Affordable and collectable (with 6 different moods to collect) the So Glow DIY sets are sure to be a huge hit with children aged 6 and above.
Our So Glow DIY Review
We were sent a selection of products from the So Glow DIY range, including the So Glow DIY Case (featuring 3 different miniature mood jars) and a So Glow DIY Magic Jar Kit; which is a larger version of the same sets.
The So Glow DIY Vanity Case would make an ideal gift, and as a parent, the fact that there was somewhere safe to store the magic jars after they’d been created was also a big positive.
Inside the pack were three individual jars, each with their own colour and mood such as the turquoise dream and blue chill. There were also three silver packets inside, each one containing the supplies to make one jar.
The instructions were extremely straightforward, with very simple steps that were easy for a child of Erin’s age to follow. She is a little younger than the recommended 6 years, but had no trouble at all creating these herself with some basic supervision.
After removing the first jar from the packaging, Erin removed the lid and popped to one side, before adding water up to the fill line. She then plopped her character inside, before tearing open the confetti and glitter packets (which have perforated edges making them nice and easy to open even for little fingers!).
Each of the confetti and glitter packs are slightly different depending on the mood of the jar. Before adding the magic powder, we turned over the lid to reveal the little LED in its base, and pressed once to activate. This simple action now made the led responsive to motion, meaning that when the jar is shook the light would trigger. It doesn’t matter if you forget to do this stage as you can reopen the jars if necessary, although it is obviously preferable to not need to!
Finally Erin added the magic powder to the jar – this was a little trickier as some of it stuck together a bit in the packet but with a little help we had soon got the whole sachet emptied into the jar, and the water started to change colour as the powder dissolved.
After screwing the lid firmly in place (Mummy helped ensure this was the case!) Erin did lots of shaking to make sure all the powder was fully dissolved and that the confetti and glitter fully spread around in the water.
Finally, it was time to decorate her finished mood jar, using the small sheet of stickers that came within the pack. Erin sat quietly doing this at her own pace, and enjoyed deciding where to position them in order to create her finished design.
The true magic of the So Glow DIY mood jars happens when the lights go down and the jars are shook. With the colourful glow lighting up the entire jar contents, the finished effect really is quite special! If your child is a little nervous of the dark, these are great jars to have in their bedroom, as if they wake up in the night a quick shake will light up the jar and fill the room with a nice warm glow!
Overall, the So Glow DIY mood jars were quick and easy to make, with no mess (apart from the odd little escaped bit of glitter during the pouring process!) and they look great. With a pack of 3 mini jars costing just £12.99 (£16.99 with the vanity case) I think these are great value for money and are not only a fun craft activity but something that children will enjoy having in their rooms long after they have been created.
As a parent I do wish there was a way of locking the lid closed once they were finished, although I guess this isn’t an option in order to retain access to the LED. I do have a slight fear of Erin opening the lid and having a mass of glittery water all over my cream carpet, but hopefully she is old enough to know better!
So Glow DIY would make a great stocking filler and is available to buy HERE.
*Disclosure – We were sent a selection of products from the So Glow DIY range for the purpose of this review, however all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links*
Hello RMR. I am thinking of getting the mini glow jars but first would like to know, since the LED lights’ batteries are not replaceable, how long do these last? Do they turn off automatically or stay on the whole time? Thank you so much.
They turn off automatically and come back on when you shake them. Our batteries haven’t ran out yet and we’ve had them a while. Not sure exactly how long they last though – I guess it depends how much they’re played with.