Find Safe Art Supplies for kids

Art is a therapy for kids of any age...6-60 or 1-100!! Once the child is two years old, we all want to see them identify colors, sit for hours and draw with colors...thats one activity most Parents seek to keep their kids engaged and safe, right infront of their eyes. Kids start to receive crayons, water colors, sketch pens soon after this age...and they get more as they grow..most of the time, when shopping for kids school supplies and art project items, we spend on buying colors, glues, paper and such. The World is now thinking of safe food, organic groceries, recycling, pollution-free environment, everything safe in the house starting from shampoos to non-toxic BPA-free water bottles...then why not bring in safe art supplies too.

Arts and crafts nurture our creativity, offer great relaxation and they work as a therapy during those worst mood times when people irritate you or something goes not-the-way-you-expected. Yet, some allergies to few colors and glues, chemical sensitivities due to the smell around few markers can make our choices difficult. When playing with moulding clay, chalk, paint or crayons, no matter how keenly you watch the kids, they tend to sneak a small lick of their favourite colored clay or a bite of that bright crayon. Art trainers and Teachers who use colors, paints, oil pastels and chalks most of the day are also exposed to the harmful toxins and side-effects from using such products. Coughing, throat irritation and skin sensitivity, reactions are some frequent issues faced.

Most art products manufacturers simply mention the word Non-Toxic on their products, as they are not required by rule to reveal the toxic preservatives, heavy metals or petro-based ingredients that they still use. It is our smartness and responsibility to research about the safe supplies available in the market and purchase only those to spend a guilt-free happy art time with kids or our own-self. Such environment-friendly and user-safe alternatives may not be easy to find in the stores, but they are worth the effort.

Paper: We generally purchase white paper for any such purpose..for school, for arts, for office..most white paper brands use bleach to maintain that white look. But it is chlorine that is used there. Totally Chlorine-free (TCF) and Processed Chlorine-free (PCF) labelled papers assure that no bleaching occured during the making of that bundle of papers. Tree-free paper initative follows a wonderful technique of producing Recycled papers using post-consumer fibers, Eco papers using fruit pulps and agricultural residue. It helps reduce the agricultural and some industrial waste, wherever possible. Sustainable Forestry Initiative is a step taken to put a control on deforestation for paper production...for every tree cut down to produce paper, a new sappling is planted.

Glue: Gone are the days of using Home-made glue made with All-purpose flour and water...i still remember, they used to bring pots of such glue to decorate our School with colored paper and strings for the Indian Independence day and Republic day celebrations. I haven't heard of it from anyone, in the recent times. That was an Eco alteranative craft product. The glues sold are more storage convenient, long-lasting, easier to use than home-made which was supposed to be applied with hand or using a wooden laddle. White glue is safer with no fumes emitted, but takes longer to dry. Examples are Elmer's, ordinary School-use Fevicol and Mod Podge. You can just wash them off your However, not everyone of us has the time to wait for an craft project to dry, we want fast -drying, quick- display items. Quick-dry instant glues, Epoxy, Spray adhesive, rubber cement, airplane glue, all emit fumes..and that is why they advice to use these glues in an open, well-ventilated area to reduce the harm. They are difficult to get rid of if stuck to fingers..a nail-polish remover with acetate can only help in this case.

Art is a wide environment..we can go on discussing about nature and art, for hours...even the art-craft supplies used for such a project also are various...we shall learn more on Safe, Eco-friendly products in our next article, soon.

--pratyusha