I remember using coloring activity books when I was little. I would spend hours coloring and doing the little puzzles. Much to my disappointment, our kids are not the biggest fans of coloring books. But I have been searching for activity books that would draw them in that we can work on together. We recently had the opportunity to try out the coolest activity book ever. The Papertoy Glowbots book from Workman Publishing has been great fun.

The Papertoy Glowbots book features 46 glow-in-the-dark robots that children can create. The robot pages come pre-scored for easy punch out. Colored instruction sheets that include step-by-step instructions for each robot in the collection are included, and the difficulty level for each robot creation is clearly marked. The only extra supplies that you will definitely need will be glue or some type of double-stick tape, such as glue dots or tape and maybe a pair of scissors. 

Joey loves to put together block sets when instructions are laid out for him to follow. So I was very curious to see how he handled the step-by-step instructions laid out. He picked out the robot he wanted to start with. He punched out the robot, being very careful to not rip the paper. The robot pages are printed on a sturdier paper. But even if the pages were thicker, it still could be easy to tear your robot. After detaching all the pieces, he began following the assembly instructions. The areas of the robots are clearly numbered for easy recognition and matching of the steps. But this is where the adhesive comes in handy.

This was a fun activity that we worked on while watching a family movie. It kept his ADD in check, since many times during movies he loses interest quickly. This family activity kept us all in stitches as we picked robots to create our new galaxy. 

Joey does have some fine motor skills delays, so I was very nervous about how he would handle the folding. He did struggle with little tiny corners and tabs. So I did need to help him on those. He also needed some help punching out the pieces. We found that scissors were very helpful for him. Not all the projects were quick moving either. Some of the more difficult levels took him longer. So we broke those up to avoid frustration. I have to say that The Papertoy Glowbots book has been a great fine motor skill therapy for him. It has forced him to use dexterity that he normally does not.

The cost for the Papertoy Glowbots is $18.95. It has provided a lot of fun. They even work on them when we are having our read-aloud time. Even with the little extra help that Joey needs, it has been a great addition to our family time. This title would make a great gift to that little one in your life that is robot crazy!

—Product review by Renita Kuehner, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January, 2017