"I can't stop Andy from growing up. But I wouldn't miss it for the world" Woody, Toy Story.

We were thrilled to be sent the Aquabeads Toy Story Character set to review. Miss T knew she wanted to make the Little Green Man from Toy Story and D said he would like to make Woody. There's also the template and beads for Buzz Lightyear and they're yet to decide who will lay claim to Buzz.

We're big fans of Aquabeads. It's not just the kids that love them, but I love the mess-free way that the kids can be creative and have fun, without the mess. Did I mention that there's no mess?

Don't get me wrong. I believe in the value of messy play. I really believe in it. My cupboards are full of paints and things like shaving foam and cornflour for messy play sensory fun. But sometimes I just get fed up of being the one who has to clear up afterwards - so it's really nice to have kits like this that the kids can do without making much mess at all.

You see, Aquabeads don't need glue or any kind of special adhesive, it's plain old water that sticks the beads together. Genius!

We've had lots of fun in the past with Aquabeads - You can get a starter set, called the beginners studio which was a gift that Miss T received ages ago and loved. Then there are loads of playsets too with various popular themes and recognisable characters. In the past, we've reviewed a Star Wars themed Aquabeads set, a Finding Nemo Aquabeads set and a Cars Character set.

The Toy Story set, like all the Aquabeads sets, is suitable for children aged 4 and over. It includes 3 popular Toy Story characters to make...Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the Little Green Man.

Unlike some of the sets, this set doesn't include a bead palette to store the beads in. As we have several from other sets, this isn't a problem for us. It also doesn't include a bead pen which can be useful as the beads can be a little fiddly at times. It is definitely worth getting hold of one and the Aquabeads Bead Pen can be found on Amazon or at other good toy retailers. 

The items it DOES include in this set is the layout tray, the templates for the 3 Toy Story characters, a sprayer for squirting the water and all the beads you'll need to make these characters. 

Miss T used the bead pen from a previous set of Aquabeads, they can be bought separately too. 

We've noticed that on the back of the packs, they always list very specifically exactly what is included, even down to the specific number of beads of each colour - so you really do know what you're getting. 

I've also just recently discovered that there are a whole heap of downloadable templates on the Aquabeads website so if you want to keep refilling your collection and making different designs, there are loads of possibilities. 

I was incredibly proud of Miss T as she worked really hard on getting all the right beads in the right places and although I was right there alongside her to help if she needed me, she stuck with it to the end until the Little Green Man was completed.

She did stop for a cup of herbal tea part way through!

Once all the beads were in place, she squirted them with water from the water sprayer.

Each pack comes with full instructions on how to do this. It's really easy as you literally squirt water all over the beads. We've found the important bit is to not 'over-water' them so by tipping off excess water it helps the designs not to curl or break so easily.

If it does go wrong, the instructions tell you how to put it right. Reassembling and then adding another squirt of water usually does the trick.

And then he was done. We left him overnight to dry and Miss T was delighted with how he turned out and rightfully very proud of herself too!

A set like this would make a great gift for an Aquabeads fan or Toy Story fan!

You may recall that it was D who reviewed the Star Wars Aquabeads set and the Cars play set. The last one that Miss T reviewed was the Finding Dory playset and as much as she enjoyed the process she struggled to finish it. This makes me realise just how much she is growing up. How her concentration has improved, how her dexterity and fine motor skills are improving and developing. She's growing up.

As I rush around on my own agenda with chores to do, with dinner to prepare and with my own projects and tasks I want to accomplish, I have to remind myself to stop and just take the time to enjoy these moments like sitting alongside her whilst she completed her Aquabeads little green man.

As Woody famously said, "I can't stop Andy from growing up. But I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The Aquabeads Toy Story Character Set can be purchased from Amazon and other good toy retailers.





We are delighted to be official Aquabeaders!

Disclosure: As official Aquabeaders, we were sent the Toy Story Character Set for the purposes of review. All opinions are our own. This post contains an Affiliate link which means that at no cost to you, I may receive a small payment if you buy something from a site I link to. I only recommend and link to products, services and companies that I am happy to promote.