Customer Reviews

Hama Beads 10,000 Beads in a Bucket

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We have been huge fans of Hama beads and kits in this house for a couple of years now. My 7 year old makes bracelets and then melts down imaginative pendants for them. She has made picture frames, dolls for removable paper clothes and all sorts of peculiar looking monsters. One recent creation was a hama-bead charm bracelet! My 4 year old son makes pictures of cars, dinosaurs and traffic lights and then plays with them.

It is a simple concept. Put small plastic beads onto a plastic board to make a picture. Use some baking paper to iron (on a low setting) to melt the beads together, and then peel the picture off. The "midi" beads are suitable for about 3 and a half to 10 (or over. I'm addicted...) you can get much larger beads for smaller children, and much smaller beads for older children and adults. I haven't tried either, and we are sticking to "midi" beads for now.

There are also the kits with the instructions on how to create the intricate pattern to make really impressive pictures. It would be nice if the manufacturers had a website where they had a few more examples you can copy. I understand that you can get books and things, but we haven't looked at these yet.

The only downside is that these creations by their very nature cannot last forever if you play with them constantly or wear them a lot. But truly this toy is an all round winner. Hours of peace for parents, creative play for youngsters, and a praiseworthy creation at the end.

Okay, adults, you need to iron for a few seconds after the kids have finished their work, but it is not difficult and doesn't take any time. Also, I think it's fantastic that it doesn't (as yet anyway) have any big brand affiliation, like Disney princess, Barbie, Bob the Builder, ben 10 or whatnot, so proving that children CAN have fun without some random cynical branding stamped all over it.

My advice to a child who has it for the first time: Start simple, because it is rewarding and you see the point of it... a bit like jigsaws or crosswords. Then when you work your way up to the elaborate pictures suggested by the kit, it becomes a masterpiece.

I purchased this for my 4 year old son and he loves it.
We sit down together and we both make pictures on the Hama peg boards.
Its very good at developing fine motor skills and it takes quiet abit of concentration and good hand control.
My son was so proud and excited by his final design once Ive ironed them using the ironing paper.
Would definately recommend this product.

kept my Grandaughter occupied for a long time and produced some amazing designs. Beads are small and get everywhere when box is tipped up - Beware!

Brought this item for my little sister as she enjoys using these beads. well worth what i paid for the 10,000 beads should last along time. Item as described, just i thought the box would be bigger but some how it can fit 10k beads in a smaller box. 5*

bought small packets of these beads and boards locally to entertain my four small grandaughters. They were so popular that I bought a 20,000 on Amazon. I amuse myself with them (and I'm 69) and recently made a lovely 'Happy Birthday' sign for my husband's birthday. He was very surprised and the sign has not yet been removed from the kitchen although his birthday has long since passed.

I am the mother of a very creative 7 year old, who sometimes gets bored following the designs that come with the actual packages, so along with more pegboards and a lot of beads, she can now create countless patterns.

But don't be fooled a lot more can be done with these beads that using them with other Hama products.

At the minute my daughter is making very colourful bead curtains for her bedroom.

This product is ideal for children as it allows them to use there imagination to create whatever they want, a must-have for the kids & the parents alike as it keeps them quiet for hours on end.

This product was well worth the money, some of these sets with the boards can work out quite expensive but if your kids already have the boards this is ideal.

Brilliant fun for boys and girls. They get to make a finished item that can be individually created. I find playing with Hama Beads as an adult relaxing.

I think this box is great value. The box is sturdy, I was worried it might get crushed in transit and I would be left with beads everywhere. The lid has a little lip on it so I like to use it for sorting bead colours as they won't roll off of it. I am an adult but I think it is very therapeutic and I like crafting little things that I can turn into badges etc.

This does not come with your own peg board so be sure to order some at the same time. Ironing paper can easily be replaced with baking parchment so you don't need to go to the expense of buying the special paper. Here is a great idea to get you started: I have been making 'presents' that can be used as funky gift tags for birthdays or if you are like me stockpiling for christmas!

Start with the ribbon, 6 vertical beads of one colour (yellow or white is good).On the fourth bead down place 2 beads of the same colour on each side to make a cross that is one bead extra on top (that is for the real ribbon). Fill in the sides of the cross (4 beads on each square) with a different colour that compliments the 'ribbon'. Don't forget that you are keeping the bead on top on it's own so don't overfill the squares. Now you should have something that resembles a parcel wrapped in ribbon. When you are ironing be careful not to overdo the top bead as you need the hole intact for a real ribbon to go through. Now you can thread ribbon or thread through the top hole and through a piece of paper (like a gift tag) and attach to your real gift. You don't have to also attach a gift tag but I think it is a nice background for the bead tag, and then you can also right on the back.

I have been having fun with these beads so far, but it can be frustrating when you don't plan out a design. But if you are using these beads with kids then it probably won't matter they will have fun no matter what they make. Obviously supervision is necessary, the beads are very small and then there is the ironing! I have a habit of doing this while watching TV so I'm always finding beads down the sofa. Be careful for this reason if you have pets.

I didn't give this 5 stars because it didn't come with any sort of pegboard which I think is a bit unfair for beginners. Also it is missing a light blue colour. I know this sounds strange to say but it has two shades of green, and you can do a whole rainbow except for the light blue!! But I have since discovered that a local HobbyCraft sells small packets of special colours so if I am looking for a particular colour for a design I am happy to get it there. I just thought I'd let you all know that the colours are: Pink, Purple, Black, White, Yellow, Orange, Navy Blue, Dark Green, Light (mint/puke) Green, Red.