Toy Review: Doodle Copy Draw & Print Set from Canal Toys *

Doodle Copy Draw & Print Set from Canal Toys

[Ad-gifted] For my almost three-year-old son, the Doodle Copy Draw & Print Set from Canal Toys is the perfect mix of creativity and hands-on fun. It’s a simple setup that lets children design their own pictures, trace scenes, and then magically “print” their artwork at the press of a button, something that instantly grabbed his attention.

With colourful carbon sheets, reusable stencils, stickers and crayons, it gives kids the chance to create images they can then personalise as much as they like. Inside the box you get the drawing board, a stack of blank sheets, colour carbon papers, reusable stencil templates, stickers and crayons, all designed to make drawing feel easy and exciting. The toy requires AA batteries for the printing mechanism, which aren’t included.

What we liked about the Doodle Copy Draw & Print Set from Canal Toys

The Doodle Copy Draw & Print Set is aimed at children aged four and above, but my almost three-year-old picked up the idea surprisingly quickly. He needed a little help at first, particularly with pressing firmly enough for his drawing to transfer onto the carbon paper, but once he understood the process he was happily choosing the sticker scenes and printing his creations on his own. I did keep an eye on him, mainly to help when the print didn’t come through fully or when he wanted to try a new stencil, but he stayed engaged far longer than I expected, which was a big win for us.

We really loved the novelty of the print function. There’s something genuinely magical about drawing a picture and then pressing a button to see it “copied” instantly. The variety of scenes is great too, under the sea, animals, space and more but Kitt’s favourite was definitely the unicorns and rainbows stencils.
The toy also comes with stickers and crayons so children can decorate their printed pictures straight away.
My son is just learning to hold pens, crayons and make purposeful marks. He’s left-handed and can become easily frustrated or distracted, but this toy held his attention for much longer than most activities. It’s been a lovely introduction to drawing and writing, completely screen-free and confidence-boosting.

What we didn’t like about the Doodle Copy Draw & Print Set from Canal Toys

We found the drawing transfer a little tricky. You need to press firmly for the image to come through clearly on the carbon paper. Because of his age and motor strength, my son needed my help at times, to get the drawing started or to trace over parts that didn’t come through fully.
He did get frustrated at times when his own lines didn’t print clearly, so for younger children or those still building fine-motor skills, some adult support is definitely needed.
The set up takes a little bit of time, and was tricky to figure out, but we soon got the hang of it and were ready to go relatively quickly, the instructions are missing pictorial set up, which would be a bonus in future for even quicker setting up of the toy.

The Doodle Copy Draw & Print by Canal Toys is designed to offer mess-free creative play using carbon paper, stencils and a simple print mechanism. It’s compact enough to take on the go and encourages children to design, draw, print and personalise their artwork again and again.
Canal Toys are known for their hands-on, imaginative, screen-free activity sets that help children develop creativity, fine-motor skills and confidence.

Product specification sheet

Dimensions: Height 320 mm, Width 400 mm, Depth 55 mm
Age range: 4 years+ (not suitable for children under 3)
Batteries: Most versions require 4 × AA batteries (not included)
Contents: Drawing board/copy machine, 6 carbon papers, 35–50 reusable stencils (varies by retailer), 10 blank sheets, 5 crayons, Sticker sheet
Refills available: Yes,  refill packs include extra carbon sheets, blank paper, template sheets and stickers

Overall

This is a creative, fun and engaging toy that encourages early drawing skills, imagination and independence. The print your artwork feature really adds excitement, and the reusable stencils give lots of variety. It works best for children aged four and up, but with gentle support, younger ones can enjoy it too. A brilliant option for screen-free play.

Where can I buy the Doodle Copy Draw & Print Set from Canal Toys and how much is it?

The Doodle Copy Draw & Print Set is priced at £17.99 and you can buy it directly from Smyths.

About Canal Toys

The arts and crafts specialist is synonymous with fresh and innovative products, which are all in-house designed product ranges. Canal Toys is aiming to establish long term brands for the UK market whilst being at the forefront of the new trends with best-selling Art Lab, Style 4 Ever, So Slime DIY, So Bomb DIY and So Magic DIY.

Review: Becky McManus

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* We were sent the toy in return for a review. All opinions are our own.