Saturday, July 29, 2017

My Art Desk and My Work Bench


Speaking as a father and grandfather I can testify to the fact that as kids grow up they want to be busy.

Their little minds seek to explore, learn and take in what they’ve discovered and make and do things.

Toy play sets that encourage kids to create are vitally important to a young child’s development.

It doesn’t matter what a child creates looks like anything.  The effort and challenge to their dexterity and imagination are enough.  As they grow older then they start to recognize, emulate and perfect their ability to create copies of actual objects.

Alex Brands understands this.

Kids love things that are bright and inviting.  Ask any balloon vendor or toy manufacturer.  The brighter the better.




Alex Brands ‘My Art Desk’ fits the bill with its vibrant, primary color scheme, star cutouts and inviting, no hard edge design.

Perfectly kid size the Art Desk makes the ideal way for young children to show off their blossoming creativity.  All you need is crayons, paint, pencils, markers and whatever other art supplies a kid is sure to love.

What you don’t need is a roll of paper, as it comes with the Art Desk.

Attached underneath to a wooden rod with large removable ball ends the paper slides easily on the Desk top and inserts into the small wooden ‘cutter’ (no blades) at the bottom of the Desk top (which also serves as a small ledge so pencils and crayons don’t slide off.  Simply pull the paper and once an art project is done, slide the top edge to the cutter and tear off.

The entire Art Desk comes in a large flat box with its contents carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and foam sheets.

Using the enclosed instructions I was able to assemble the Art Desk in a snap using the screws and wrench along with my own screwdriver.

All of the pieces for both the Desk and Chair went together with little effort.  Parts matched up perfectly and once the screws were tightened the Desk and Chair were secure and extremely stable.

The Desk features a large surface in black with primary and secondary color spots decorating it.

Fours large yellow ringed holes hold the four supply cups where kids can store their paint brushes, pencils, etc.

Two green dowel assemblies slide through the Desk top holding it securely in place. 

Simply undo the dowels, reposition them in various slots on the Desk top undercarriage and the Desk surface can be raised or lowered at different angles best suited for a child.

A large dowel hangs underneath the top of the Desk top where a large roll of paper can be stored and then dispensed.

The base of the Art Desk also includes a horizontal slate for stability and makes for a handy foot rest.

The small chair slides underneath the Desk for easy storage and is the perfect size for small children.

As I mentioned before there are no sharp edges and the entire Art Desk assemble is made of durable solid wood painted in virtually chip free paint making it safe for kids.

I can imagine my grandson spending many hours enjoying his Art Desk, especially considering his grandpa will be right there with him showing him how to draw and paint.


Alex Brands’ ‘My Work Bench’ is the perfect solid wood, child safe toy that encourages kids to build.

Like ‘My Art Desk’, ‘My Work Bench’ is easy to assemble following the enclosed instructions.  Screws are included.  All you need is a screwdriver.

Painted in bright primary colors (red, blue and yellow), the Work Bench is perfect scaled down version of a real woodshop Work Bench.

A small wooden hammer, saw, wrench, screwdriver and scale hang on pegs for the blue stripped backboard.

The Work Bench top is perforated with holes so kids can pound in the wooden ‘nails’, set in ‘bolts and nuts’ and have a surface to work on.

Smooth surfaced nails and nuts and bolts allow kids to use the tools and make their own creations.

A wooden robot and truck are included, which (along with other items) can store on the lower shelf.

The front edge of the top surface is marked off as a ruler.

The Work Bench is made of solid wood with smooth corners and edges and painted in chip resistant paint.

Little builders and carpenters are sure to love this colorful and fun Work Bench and enjoy hours of hammering, bolting and unbolting, screwing in pieces and pretending to make wooden masterpieces.

Both the Art Desk and Work Bench are made of the highest quality wood, smoothed and finished for little hands and painted with safe, non-toxic paint.

Both pieces are guaranteed to last for years and make for fine gifts for young kids to ignite their imaginations and creativity.