I LOVE the Crayola Color Wonder range. Kids get to paint or color QUIETLY for up to an hour (ok, maybe not YOUR kids...mine do. Well, the younger one does. The older one is a little chatty cathy. But I digress).
Anyhoo. This stuff looks and feels like the real deal for kids but there is no mess for moms. And the kits travel well for all those days of errands or waiting for sister to finish tennis/ballet/soccer, etc.
Toys R Us has them on sale with FREE SHIPPING starting at $2.99 for a fingerpainting set.
So you gotta ask yourself...how much is peace and quiet worth?