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As a homeschooling family, we are always using pens, pencils, and markers. Sometimes we find a favorite, other times we just pick up whatever is on sale. I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with markers because of the smell and the fact that they dry out so quickly. So I was a little hesitant when asked to review the 24-pack of Magic Stix Washable Markers by The Pencil Grip, Inc.
The Magic Stix Washable Markers are advertised to be washable, odorless, and non-toxic. Also, they guarantee that the marker won’t dry out even if the cap has been off for 7 days. Of course, we had to test this out. I was pleasantly surprised that the ink looked just the same on Day 8 as it did on Day 1.
I was also surprised that the markers were in fact odorless. Having a sensitivity to smells, it was nice to be able to use markers that don’t stink. I usually have to use colored pencils to work on my adult coloring books, but I was able to use the markers without fear of a headache.
I was impressed with how smoothly the markers colored. Other markers have been difficult to use and don’t always do a good job of filling in a large space. I found the Magic Stix Washable Markers held up nicely. As you can see from the pictures below, the colors are vibrant.
I had each of my three boys draw a picture of their choice with the markers. As you can see from this first picture, the colors didn’t bleed into each other like we’ve had happen with other markers.
This second picture definitely gave a few of the colors a workout. But the markers were up to the task. The colors didn’t fade as my son continued to color.
The blue and green markers were used a lot for this last picture. But they held up.
If it’s any indication, I had to ask to have the markers back so I could finish my picture. The boys wanted to keep the markers up in their room so they could continue using them. They have never felt that way about markers before, usually preferring to use colored pencils. They liked that they were able to color such a big area without the color fading.
As mentioned before, the packaging claims the markers are washable. Since my boys are older, I decided to try this out on a pair of socks, marking with a light and a dark marker on the bottom of a pair of socks. I put stain stick on the darker color but left the lighter color alone. We then washed the socks. The marker came out! Not a single spot was left over.
Positives
Just as advertised, the Magic Stix Washable Markers are odorless. Even with my sensitivity, I couldn’t smell anything. We all liked the variety of colors offered. The markers colored smoothly and felt good in the hand. They didn’t dry out during the 7-day cap test. After seeing how well they colored, I think these markers won’t dry out for a long time. After I finished coloring my picture, my boys took the markers back upstairs to their room. They really like these markers.
Negatives
There are only two things I can think of as negatives. First, they bleed through the paper, but that can be said of any marker. I always make sure to have another sheet of paper underneath so I don’t have to worry about the marker getting on anything else.
Second, is the case. It might be difficult for small hands to pick up a marker because they are so close together in the carrying case. But usually for small kids, you would probably have them all out on the table anyway, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Final Thoughts
We loved these markers. They will be used for many future projects. I especially liked that they could cover a large area but could also fill in the letters on my coloring page. I had been a little concerned at first that the point was going to be too big to fill in small spaces.
The Magic Stix Washable Markers are available on Amazon as a 12-pack and a 24-pack.
