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BANG FOR THE BITE
Natural options generally cost more, but buying non-toxic supplies for your kid means they can enjoy painting without huffing chems.
COCKTAIL FACT
The 8-year-old prodigy Marla Olmstead has had several gallery showings across the country, and her paintings sell for as much as $25,000 apiece.
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home › tip library › Paint for Kids
Is your kid the next Picasso?
The Bite
Just maybe. Let your budding artiste make masterpieces with non-toxic supplies like veggie-based paint for art that screams like Munch, but smells like Monet's garden.The Benefits
- A safer family. Many standard art supplies emit asthma-inducing chems; pick ones that don't contain ammonia, formaldehyde, or turpentine, especially since supplies can end up in kids' mouths.
- Inspired kids. Whether or not your kid's a natural, natural art supplies will get their creative juices flowing.
- A healthier world. 36 billion lbs of toxic acrylic polymer solvents, found in many traditional art supplies, are produced each year.
Personally Speaking
It's too early to tell whether Heather's nephew Quinn will be the next Paul Klee, but she picked up a box of the Nuno veggie-based paint for him just in case.Wanna Try?
- Nuno Vegetable Paint - 12 colors made from plant and flower extracts ($22).
- Stockmar Modeling Beeswax - great alternative to polymer clay, which contains polyvinyl chloride ($14).
- Prang Soybean Crayons - 64 bright colors that don't have a petroleum base ($6).
- Budget Art Kids Paint A Poster Books - veggie-pigment paint-by-numbers series with dinosaurs, sprites, and faeries ($5).
- Budget Art Materials - wide selection of non-toxic art supplies.
- Children's Health Environmental Coalition - explains how to read the tricky labels on the backs of art supplies containers.
Jun 14,2007
Sponsor
Today's tip reminded me of how when I was in third grade I used to put Elmer's glue on my hands just so when it was dry I could peel it off. Don't ask me for reasons why - everyone in Mrs. Zerwas's class was doing it. Turns out the stuff is non-toxic, which is good, because I might not be here to write this today if that weren't the case.
Safety scissors aside, a lot of the art supplies out there are far from safe, so always check labels. Then, when you're done with all the worrying, check out the Imagination Factory. It's all about teaching kids to recycle through art.
-Toshio...off to see what's showing at the MOMA...
Biter Comments...
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Michelle Lynne Goodfellow | June 14, 2007 at 04:29 AM