Review on Cool Maker Pottery Studio Wheel by Kristen Reid

We are incredibly 'tricky' housewives and as a seasoned potter I knew this would be a great starting point for my 6 year old to hopefully learn to love what I've loved for decades. I wanted to like this set. I really have, to be honest. and since I got this from Spin Master for free for an honest review, I took it as a win, win, win! Here's the first loss. The wheel runs entirely on 4 type-C batteries, which I feel is incredibly wasteful and outdated. Having an extra AC power supply seems like a no-brainer. The second loss was that the wheel was not strong enough to turn even when faced with very little resistance. (The standard type of resistance created when attempting to sculpt, or even sculpt and dilute, a vessel.) This renders the wheel almost useless to me. It can still be a useful tool for "fine-tuning" and decoration, but its primary use is debatable. It was very difficult to explain to my 6 year old to keep spraying the spinning clay and also trying to shape it without squeezing it out. On the plus side, air-dried clay is very easy to work with by hand, molds easily, and holds its shape. shape and stuck to itself with only a small gain. The design ideas were cute, well defined and explained with photos and step by step instructions. The presentation of the product was attractive with bright images and included everything you need except water and 4 batteries. It was messy but working with clay, especially on a wheel, is DIRTY! That's half the fun! The wheel and tools are very easy to clean. To be honest, I cannot recommend this set. However, working with real potter's wheels for most of my life has given me different expectations. I have given my honest opinion with pros and cons in hopes it will help someone make a more informed purchase. I've added a photo of what we made by hand with clay and tools. It's not quite finished yet, so it hasn't been dried or painted. If the clay cracks and the project falls apart while drying I will post an update. No updates = A is fine.