Have you ever bought your child a gift, only to have it break after a week or month of being played with? I have! I remember getting Kaelyn a birthday present that she was very excited about receiving and it broke that very same day! What a disappointment it was for her and us. It's never fun when this happens! Thankfully, over the years I've learned the companies I can trust for high quality toys that are made to last for years of fun. One of those that I continue to turn to again and again, is Step2!
Founded in 1991 on the simple philosophy of quality, value, and service backed by commitment to customer satisfaction, the Step2® Company was born. What began as a company with just 5 employees has grown tremendously over the last 20 years..becoming the nation's largest toddler toy manufacturer offering a huge selection of high quality children's products that build imaginations and enrich the family's celebration of childhood. In their quest to become the leader in developing innovative products for family and home, Step2 strives to go 'A Step Beyond'.
I have been a fan of Step2 for a long time and never get tired of browsing their site and great selection of quality children's products. No matter what I'm looking for... play kitchens, creative play toys, kids furniture, or something else...I am able to find what I'm looking for easily using their conveniently located tabs to search by category, age, customer favorites, and more!
I couldn't have been happier to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review the new Step2 Deluxe Art Master Desk!
Features/Benefits:
- Large work surface with molded-in compartments
- Hinged dry-erase writing surface wipes clean easily and opens to storage area
- Raised shelf and storage bins hold art supplies
- Vertical compartments store books and tablets
- Push-button light (requires 3 "AAA" batteries, not included)
- Includes one New Traditions Child-Sized Chair
- Easy to Clean
- Durable Construction
- Recommended for ages 3+
There were not nearly as many pieces to assemble as I expected, so that was great. Thankfully there were step by step instructions included which made the process very easy too. After probably 20 minutes or so, I had screwed all the pieces together and had the desk up and ready to use.
Coming from Step2 I knew it would be great quality, but was still very impressed with how durable it is. It's definitely something that will last us a long time and not one of those toys I need to worry about breaking in a couple months.
I am also very happy with the size. It's not too big, yet not too small. For some reason I expected it to be much larger, so this was definitely a pleasant surprise. It's a nice size to hold a child's 'art materials' and gives them plenty of space to work as well. I love that there is so much storage and ways to keep everything organized. We no longer have to worry about having all of Kaelyn's markers and crayons all over the place. This desk offers a nice raised shelf which gives her a convenient place to keep her markers, scissors, etc...as well as two cups on the work surface which is great for crayons and the other utensils she's using at the time.
Not only is the Deluxe Art Master Desk great for keeping smaller things organized, but also larger ones like coloring books, papers, and more. There are two large storage bins, one each side of the desk great for these types of items. They're easily accessible when needed, yet neatly stored away when not in use. I love it!
We used to keep all of her art supplies up in the cupboard, as we didn't have a good place to keep it all. Now, we keep it at her desk so she can easily access it whenever she likes. It's made it easier for her to be more independent and is a lot of fun to watch as her creativity and imagination soar.
A couple of unique features which really add to this great desk, are the Dry-erase work surface that lifts up and the working light. The moment Kaelyn saw that the work surface lifts up like a school desk, she couldn't have been more excited. Although she's not in school yet, she loves anything that reminds her of it...so this was fun. Not only that, but it's great for additional storage. She likes to keep her loose papers and the pictures she has already created in there. The fact that it's a dry-erase surface means it's super easy to keep clean too. YAY!
The working light is a fun addition, as it illuminates the entire drawing surface while Kaelyn's working at the desk.
I was a little concerned the chair might be too small, however, that couldn't have been more wrong. The size is great for Kaelyn and big enough that I can see being able to use it for a very long time.
We've been very impressed with the Deluxe Art Master Desk from Step2! Kaelyn absolutely loves it, and now that she has all of her coloring books, crayons, etc in one place...she spends most of her time there. The fact that it keeps everything so neat and organized is a huge plus and probably one of my favorite features. Step2 definitely went 'A Step Beyond'! This is something I know will get many years of use. I would highly recommend checking it out, especially with the holidays just around the corner. It would make the perfect Christmas gift for any young child on your list this year.I also wanted to let you know about Step2's holiday initiatives going on this time of year. They have set up the Step2 Wish Book website where children can write letters to Santa and make a wish-list of their favorite toys. Step2 is also hosting a "Sweet Treat" national sweepstakes, which will award gift certificates and a grand prize winner a $1,000.00 shopping spree on Step2.com!
Little Ones Can Write Letters to Santa
In spirit of holiday wishes, adults can encourage their kids to write letters to Santa via the Step2 Wish Book website (www.step2wishbook.com) and make a wish-list for their favorite toys. Grown-ups can print out the list, email it to share with other family members, and kid can send directly to Santa’s workshop.
Sweepstakes for Santa’s Helpers
To help harried families with holiday shopping, Step2 is hosting a “Sweet Treat” national sweepstakes, which will award randomly selected consumers with gift certificates to be redeemed at Step2.com in the amounts of $1,000.00 for the grand prize winner, $500.00 for second place and $250.00 for third. For official rules and to enter, visit Step2wishbook.com from November 1 through December 10, 2010. Winners will be randomly selected and notified by December 15.
I would encourage you to visit Step2Wishbook.com as well as enter the "Sweet Treat" Sweepstakes which ends in just a few days!
Buy It: The Step2 Deluxe Art Master Desk is originally priced at $89.99. However, it is actually on sale right now until tomorrow (December 8, 2010) 9AM Eastern for $74.99 + FREE Shipping when you use promo code: S2DA127!
**The product for this review was provided for free by Step2. All opinions found here are my own and were not influenced in any way.**
This Rocks! and Looks easy to put together!
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