You really need 2 people to run it because one person has to be carefully watching and instructing the children, while the other needs to be helping them with the wax and seal process.

There's a reason why Group sells the styluses 4 to a pack. You really don't want more than 4 children at a time because this makes it easier to instruct and supervise them. It's also a quieter, more contemplative activity so you don't really want a big, high energy group. We put the names of the children who were waiting down on a chalkboard and then called them when there was a place available.

You will want a squirt bottle of water available at all times. This sounds obvious, but we didn't think of it and we did have a burning wax/scorched paper episode.

Buy small containers of ink in case you spill one.  If you transfer them to other containers, use glass because little plastic cups are too easy to spill.

Fifth, have wipes available. Wet ink cleans up quickly. I am amazed that not one child went home with stained clothes.

We bought our India ink at AC Moore, along with their plain white easel paper on a roll. We got the styluses, wax and seals from Group. We collected the rocks to hold the paper down from around the yard. Don't neglect this because the paper does curl.

Others suggested cutting a drinking straw into the shape of a stylus. Just cut off the bottom at an angle to create a tip, then poke a pinhole about 1 cm above the tip to hold the ink and allow it to flow. We did try this and it works okay, but nowhere near as well as the bamboo styluses.

This afternoon I'm heading to the pond/rain ditch to pick a couple cattails and give them a try.  If it works, and is easy to carve, I'll let the older kiddos make their own stylus.