Kanten Play Clay Review and Giveaway!

Noey's recently become interested in playing with playdough, something that I enjoyed playing with a lot in my childhood. I remember hours of fun creating oodles of noodles, rolling out pancakes and cutting out cookies. (Yes, I was fond of food, skinny as I was.)

As a Mum now though, I realise that I'm not that fond of most of the commercial formulations of playdough on the market. The thing that bugs me the most is the smell. Instantly recognisable as it is, it makes me wonder if the playdough really is non-toxic as indicated. The other thing I don't like is how greasy it is. I make sure that Noey plays with the playdough only at his play table because I hate having greasy spots everywhere. I also have to make sure that he doesn't touch the walls or anything else because the oiliness transfers.

So when the folks at Sophie & Friends offered to let us try out Kanten Play Clay with the note that it is made from all natural ingredients, and is oil-free and residue-free, both Noey and I were interested to try it.

Our 2 tubs of Kanten Clay -- Blue and Pink!

The vibrant colours were certainly appealing!

Let's get started Mummy!

Kanten Clay is a Japanese product which derives its name from its main component, Kanten, more commonly known to us as agar-agar. Perhaps because of this, the texture of the clay is different from other brands of playdough we have previously tried. It actually feels rather rubbery to touch. And when Noey dropped it on the floor, it bounced, sending him into peals of laughter.

But when I pulled at it, I realised that it is rather malleable and stretches well. Noey had no trouble manipulating it himself.

Pull!

We got out some of his Play-Doh moulds (he has a Picnic set) and had fun making some "food".

Stuffing the moulds.

You will notice that I let Noey play with the Kanten Clay on the bare floor. I figured that would be the true test of whether it was truly oil-free and residue free! And I'm glad to say it passed the test. There were no oily marks on the floor later.

Our pink strawberry, pink banana and blue cookie. Nomi wonders why she is only allowed to munch on her fingers.

I realised that because the clay wasn't very sticky, it was easier to dig out of the moulds than our regular Play-Doh. It also didn't stick to our fingers, which was a plus.

There was also no funny smell. I took a good sniff and while I would not call it completely odourless, there was no significant smell, which I liked. This might be because the product, I am told, uses brine as a preservative and only natural food colourings. Incidentally, as a result of brine being used, the clay is REALLY salty. I gave my fingers an experimental lick and shuddered from the saltiness. No worries that the kids will eat the clay -- I have no doubt they will spit it out immediately if they do try!

As with other kinds of playdough, the colours can be combined to form other colours, though some rubbing is required to get it even.

We made a pretty purple from the pink and blue.

There wasn't really anything I disliked about the clay, except maybe the price. Haha. This however is probably due to the fact that Kanten Clay is apparently handmade by a quiet little maestro in Japan, and to maintain the highest quality standards, the exclusive clay is only available in limited quantities every month.

GIVEAWAY
The good news for you can WIN 2 tubs Kanten Clay (single colours)!
This is the first time I'm doing a giveaway so I'm pretty excited about it.
Just leave a comment on this post citing the 2 colours of Kanten Clay you would like to have and I will randomly pick 1 winner of the 2 tubs of Kanten Clay.
There's White, Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Pink and Orange to choose from.
The draw ends on Sunday, 17 July, at 12 noon, so get cracking, and good luck!

Kanten Clay can also be purchased online at Sophie & Friends.