According to developmental psychologists, one way to hone your child’s fine motor skills and creativity is for them to engage in the arts. That means that you give them a coloring book or a piece of drawing and they can then use some crayons or other art materials to make things happen.
Back in the day, parents were reluctant to buy any art materials for their child because of the fact that there are some that contain toxic chemicals.
Fortunately, most of the companies nowadays ensure that their products do not use any toxic chemicals, but there are still some that do.
In today’s article, I will go over some important information to help you choose the right non-toxic art supplies for your baby and toddlers. Before that, you can buy non-toxic crayons and other art materials in an online baby store.
How to Choose Non-Toxic Crayons and Art Supplies
As much as we want our little ones to explore and be creative, there are some crayons and art supplies that contain dangerous chemicals. Look, babies and toddlers are fond of putting things inside their mouths and if they ingest a chemical-laced product, that could potentially be dangerous to their health.
There are some art supplies that contain VOCs, petroleum-based ingredients, synthetic metals, and even heavy metals. You do not want any of these in your baby’s art materials.
Now, you might ask the reasons why they are quite dangerous to your baby. Well, I am going to divulge more information about them below.
Synthetic Clays
Playdoughs are amazing when it comes to creativity because babies and toddlers can mold them into whatever they can think of. That being said, although most of the synthetic clays that you can find on the market are safe for your child to use, there are still some that are not.
Pay close attention to the materials that were used in the making of these synthetic clays. Some of them may contain PVC and will often contain phthalates as a means to provide some scents.
For those of you who do not know, phthalates can act as an endocrine disruptor which may lead to hormone disruption, early puberty, and in some extreme cases, cancer.
Petroleum or Oil-based Materials
Some drawing materials can sometimes be made of petrochemicals that are often accompanied by heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and cadmium. All of these things can be dangerous to your child’s health.
Solvents
Pens, paints, and markers may sometimes contain toxic solvents to help make them look vibrant and smooth. The main concern here is that these things may put off some gas that could be detrimental to your child’s developing brains.
Synthetic Dyes and Fragrances
When buying coloring materials, make sure that they are not made of petroleum-based products.
Tips
Instead of using oil-based coloring materials, go for water-based instead
If you want to buy modeling clays, make sure that they are made of natural ingredients instead of synthetic ones
Buy crayons, paints, or clays that are made of mineral or plant-based extracts
Buy eco-friendly pencils and crayons because they are assured to not contain any toxic varnishes whatsoever.
