Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We are an incredibly 'crafty' household, and as an accomplished potter myself, I knew this would be a great starting point for my 6 year old to hopefully learn to love something I've loved for decades. I wanted to like this kit. I truly, honestly did... and since I received this from Spin Master at no cost for an honest review, I saw this as a win, win, win! Here's the 1st loss... the wheel is entirely powered by 4 C Batteries. This in my mind is incredibly wasteful & outdated. Having an optional A/C power source seems like a no brainer... The second loss was that the wheel was not powerful enough to spin even when it was faced with very little resistance. (The standard type of resistance it will receive when you are trying to form or even shape and thin a vessel.) This to me makes the wheel almost useless. It can still be a helpful tool used for 'fine tuning' and decorating, but it's main use is moot. The 3rd 'loss' is that the age group that the projects attract are also incapable of fully using this type of machinery properly. It was very difficult to explain to my 6 year old to keep spraying the spinning clay, while also trying to shape it without gouging it. On a positive, the air dry clay was very easy to work by hand, easy to shape, kept its shape, and stuck to itself with only a little scoring. The project ideas were cute, well defined & explained with pictures and step by step instructions. The product presentation was inviting with bright pictures, and included everything you will need besides water & the 4 batteries. It was messy, but working with clay, especially on a wheel IS MESSY! That's half the fun! The wheel, and tools were very easy to clean. I cannot say with honesty that I would recommend this kit as is. However, working with real pottery wheels for most of my life has given me a different set of expectations. I've expressed my honest opinions with pros and cons with the hopes that it will help someone make a more informed purchase. I added a photo of what we ended up making by hand with the clay & tools. It hasn't been totally completed, therefore not dried or painted. If the clay turns out to crack and the project falls apart during the drying process I'll post an update. No update = A ok.