Any parent who has ever been stuck indoors with kids due to rain, illness or you name it knows that it’s important to keep activities on hand that are non-electronic and help children build their imagination and grow through play. We have a craft drawer that we use and replenish often and I, in particular, welcome toys that can be used over and over to build and create. That’s why I said yes to Bunchems becoming a part of indoor activities arsenal.
What the heck are Bunchems you ask? They are these little colorful balls with hooks on them that you can connect, twist and create with over and over again. We have the Bunchems Mega Pack that comes with over 400 pieces and lets you build all kinds of 3D creations.
The pieces are easy to connect as well as easy to disconnect, cleanup is mess-free and the possibilities are endless.
My girls loved them and it was awesome to see them be excited about creating on their own terms without there being a right or wrong way to make a creature, critter or blob of their liking.
I have two daughters and my youngest often gets frustrated because she’s not as “good” at certain things as her older sister, but Bunchems provided a level playing field for both of them.
Check out some of their masterpieces if you will…
Now let’s address the elephant in the room, shall we? Bunchems have been getting a lot of attention on social media lately and some are even warning against them because it’s been reported that Bunchems can get stuck and entangled in hair. The box actually comes with a printed warning that reads: “Caution: Keep Away from hair. May become entangled.” Even though the box comes with a warning and it’s up to parents to warn their kids not to stick a bunch of Bunchems in their hair, you and I and everyone knows how kids are and it’s inevitable that some Bunchems will find their way into some kids’ heads. Not all kids, but certainly my kids because that’s just how we roll, so please let me tell you what happened to us.
After playing with Bunchems several times, my eldest thought it would be funny to put them in her hair. I will admit to not having warned her about not putting them in her hair. Fortunately, I was able to get them out without too much hassle before they got all tangled up, but that wasn’t the case with my youngest daughter who got them in her hair accidentally because apparently she threw them on the ground and rolled all over them. Again, my fault for not telling her not to do such a thing. Anyway, she got them totally entangled in her hair and I very patiently got them out. It took me a while to do so and wasn’t particularly easy because I had not seen this video that the folks at Bunchems have put out that tells you what to do in case you find yourself in a similar situation. I encourage you to watch the video.
I am happy to report that my daughter’s hair is fine, no Bunchems were hurt in the process and all is well that ends well.
You might be wondering if I will let my kids play with Bunchems again even though they managed to get them in their hair before and I can honestly say that YES, I will and I have. They are now fully aware that Bunchems do not belong in their hair and are not to be rolled on. Lesson learned.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
creative craft hands-on stuff much better than screen time things. I’m thinking bunchems might be added to the Christmas list for a few grandkids. Thanks. It’s hard to believe but way way back my brother and I had a molten lead toy soldier casting set. Melting lead kits should not be on anyone’s list today. Lucky for us we didn’t play with it too long. Tangled hair – big deal.
Man how I wish you still had that molten lead casting set. It would be worth a mint nowadays. Yeah, there has been a whole lot of hype surrounding the Bunchems getting stuck in kids hair and it totally happened to my kids, but whatever. I’m sure they will get gum stuck in their hair at some point too and their dad has introduced them to that habit. It beats playing with molten lead. hahahaha
You are right. Just the empty box would be worth something. Oh we did move on from molten lead to wood burning sets. The house never burnt down.
Just a little feedback – I bought two sets for Christmas gifts and now expect to have someone say “they get stuck in your hair!”. I think it offers both a learning and bonding (parent-child not hair-plastic) opportunity.
Oh, I’m sure. Put a big ol’ post it note on the box that says, “Not to be put in hair!” and attach a pack of gum to them too. hahahaha