Choosing Eco-Friendly Art Supplies for Children

This is a guest post by Alison Lansky

It is becoming more important than ever to try to live a greener life so that our children are left with a healthier place to live. That is why, as parents, we should take every opportunity to teach our children how to be more eco-friendly.

Choosing eco-friendly art supplies is one fun way to demonstrate this important lesson. Consider the two key benefits:

• You will be teaching your children a valuable lesson about preserving our planet.
• The majority of eco-friendly art supplies are also non-toxic making them the safer choice for your little ones.

But where do you begin? Check out these handy hints for finding eco-friendly alternatives to common children’s art supplies.

Eco-Friendly Paper Craft

Paper is one of the easiest places to start when you’re looking to switch to eco-friendly art supplies for your children. Not only can you buy recycled paper from most art supply retailers, but you can use all sorts of scrap paper for countless other art projects like collages and paper mâché. At home I keep a box of paper scraps from other projects, pieces of giftwrap, wallpaper, old magazines and catalogs. These can be cut up and used in all manner of fun, creative ways, and it’s a really easy way to teach children from a young age about recycling.

Try Upcycling

Paper is not the only item lying around your home that can be used for eco-friendly arts and crafts. There is also a growing trend toward upcycling, which involves taking items that you no longer have any use for and converting them into something pretty and/or useful. This is a great project to tackle with children as they will find it really exciting to transform every day objects like milk cartons, jars, bottles or old tin cans into something far more interesting – like a robot!

Painting & Drawing Supplies

One of the biggest concerns that parents have regarding paint for kids is that it be non-toxic. Well eco-friendly paints are non-toxic. It is best to opt for water-based paint, which is supplied in liquid form. This is safer than powdered tempura or oil-based paints and is much kinder to the environment.

It is possible to buy recycled crayons. Or you might want to try making your own from the leftover stubs of crayons already in your house. This fun activity can easily be done by melting crayon leftovers in a lined cupcake tray in your oven and leaving them to set solid.

How to Spot Eco-Friendly Art Products

Sometimes it is not always easy to spot which children’s art supplies are actually eco-friendly. However, these useful tips should help you to find what you are looking for:

• Look at the ingredients and make sure that most or all are biodegradable.
• Look for packaging that is recycled or can be recycled.
• Research ahead of time to know what chemicals are typically found in art supplies (hormone-disrupting phthalates and asbestos are common).
• Avoid products that require solvents for cleaning.
• Buy from local art supply shops to reduce your carbon footprint.

There are lots of little ways for you to introduce eco-friendly art supplies to your children. It doesn’t matter whether you choose to buy pre-made products or decide to go DIY with greener materials. The important thing is that you are teaching your children a valuable lesson.

About the Author: Alison Lansky is a writer for Jackson’s Art Blog and mother of two. Her interests include art, family and green issues. She is always keen to teach her children how to care for their environment.