Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Creating Art With eco-kids® Finger Paint

The first time Big B took a Parent and Me art class, the teacher brought out homemade playdough. She gave the recipe out to interested parents and I took one. I made one batch that lasted a long time. Since then, I have been on the lookout for natural art supplies. Given that toddlers (end even preschoolers) put things in their mouths, I wanted to make sure that if my kids put something non edible in their mouth, that it was at least safe. For parents looking for safe, non-toxic, natural art supplies, look no further than eco-kids®.

We received the eco-finger™ paint from eco-kids® to review. The set comes with 5-4 ounce pouches of powder: blue, yellow, green, orange, pink. The box only comes with the powder and does not include containers. Parents of kids with gluten allergies will be thrilled to know that these are gluten free; made with rice flour. Unlike other mass produced finger paints in the market, you do have to mix the powder with water prior to use. I know that this is an extra step, but I think well worth it considering that these are made with non-toxic ingredients. Besides, it took me all of two minutes to get all the colors set up. Well, it took longer because Big B insisted on helping and kept wanting to add more powder.

After mixing all the colors, he grabbed a brush and started painting his hand. He was so excited I didn't even get a chance to get art paper out. He had so much fun, so I joined him. I put the camera down and created my own art. It does feel gritty compared to other finger paints I've used in the past. I'm not sure if this is because I used the end of a paintbrush to mix or not. It certainly wasn't a problem for Big B or me. 



Once dry, the artwork is textured due to the powder. Again, this isn't a problem. We'll probably play around with the water ratio and use a different tool to mix to see if we can get a smoother consistency. I also want to see if we can come up with different colors if we mix powders together.




Favorite features

  • Made with natural and organic ingredients
  • Make as much or as little as you want
  • Very pretty colors
  • Easy to wash off

The price point of $23.99 is not bad; it's a little less than $5 a color. I can see that four onces will go a long way. I am absolutely a fan and feel confident in using these with Little B once he is old enough. Natural art supplies would make a great gift, whether for a child of a green parent or not. It provides peace of mind knowing that if the little one decides to taste it, it's free of chemicals.

About eco-kids®

eco-kids® founder Cammie and Kip believe in creative play the natural way™ and uses this philosophy in each of the products they create. The family run business began with the sale of eco-dough™ and slowly expanded its product line to include a variety of natural art supplies. Each of their products are made with non-toxic, natural ingredients, and are packaged with the environment in mind.

Connect with eco-kids® on FacebookTwitterPinterest, and the eco-kids® blog.

Disclosure: I was provided free products to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are my own.