Maped Helix Fountain Pen And Maped Creativ Magical Tablet Review

Reviewed by Jo Hardy

Maped Helix Fountain Pen

There’s something so satisfying about writing with a fountain pen.  It really makes you focus on what you’re doing.
You might need a bit of practice.  There is an art to using a fountain pen and until you get the angel of the nib correct it can feel a bit scratchy.  Because I was used to using a ballpoint pen I found that I was pressing down too hard at first.  You don’t need as much pressure on a fountain pen.  Once you get the hang of it you’ll find you get a smooth continuous flow of ink.  I was impressed with how much better my handwriting looked, if only it could improve my spelling as well.

I’ll always use a fountain pen now for important things like writing in a greetings card.  I might even be tempted to do something I’ve not done in a very long time, write an actual letter to a friend.  Imagine how special it would to receive a hand written letter.  I bet some people have never ever received one.

The Helix Oxford fountain pen that I was sent to review was a medium weight and very comfortable to hold.  It came with one blue ink cartridge and there is space for another cartridge in the barrel of the pen.  It is available in dark blue, black, stainless steel or rose gold, perfect for use in school, home or office.  It comes packaged in classic looking dark blue and silver box and the packaging is plastic free.

Priced at £7.49 it is available from Amazon here.
Rating: 5/5

Maped Creativ Magical Tablet

The magical tablet is a 12.2 cm x 17.3 cm back lit LCD drawing screen.  It’s very slim and light weight but at the same time very robust.  It comes complete with battery and stylus pen that slots into a compartment at the edge of the screen.  Suitable for ages four and up it is a good size for children and lightweight enough for them to hold comfortably.

Perfect for mess free, portable drawing and writing.  Press the magic wand at the bottom of the screen and you have another blank screen to draw on again.  If there’s something you want to keep for a bit longer there’s a button on the back you can slide which will deactivate the magic wand eraser button for as long you want. My only criticism is if you make a mistake you can’t erase a small part, you have to erase the whole thing and start over again.

Our four year old has really enjoyed using this for drawings and to copy numbers and letters.  We have also used it to teach her noughts and crosses.  It’s been great to keep her entertained on car journeys and when waiting for our food in a restaurant.  It’s so light and easy to keep in my handbag until needed.  I don’t think I’ll ever travel without it now. The adults in the family have also been using it to leave notes for each other.

Available from Amazon.co.uk priced at £14.99 it makes a lovely gift for any child.
Rating: 4/5