Eco-kids: Non-Toxic Crayons, Paint, Dough and Chalk for Small Hands
The art drawer in most homes holds the same three things: crayons made from paraffin, a petroleum by-product; a tub of modelling dough that turned to rock the night someone left the lid off; and poster paint drying out in a cupboard since the last rainy afternoon. All of it is built to be cheap and disposable, and a two-year-old treats a crayon as a snack — which is where parents start reading labels.
Eco-kids answers that drawer point for point: beeswax where the paraffin was, mineral pigments and plant extracts where the synthetic dye was, dry powder where the wet paint was, cardboard tubes and recycled egg cartons where the plastic clamshell was. The range covers crayons, finger paint, milk paint, modelling dough, sidewalk chalk and a natural egg coloring kit.
Crayons shaped for a fist, not a pencil grip
Three sets, one idea. The Eco Beeswax Triangle Crayons are made of beeswax, carnauba wax, soy wax and mineral pigments, handmade in North Carolina, plastic-free and paraffin-free, and packed in a reusable, recyclable cardboard tube; the triangular barrel exists so they stop rolling off the table. The Extra Large Beeswax Crayons take the same beeswax-and-mineral-pigment formula into a chunky triangle sized for hands still building fine motor control, also handcrafted in North Carolina, in the same sort of reusable tube. The Dinosaur Eggs Crayons are the odd one out: egg-shaped crayons in a post-consumer recycled egg carton, sized for a whole-hand grip. The triangle set and the dinosaur eggs are labeled for ages three and up; no age is given for the extra-large crayons.
Paint that shows up as powder
Both paints come dry and get mixed at the table, so you mix only what one session needs and nothing sits wet between projects.
Eco-Finger Paint: tubs of green, blue, orange and red powder, made from rice starch, potato starch, gum arabic, pre-gelled tapioca starch and organic fruit and vegetable extracts for the color. One part powder to one part water, more powder for a thicker mix. Made in the USA. Mixed paint keeps covered in the fridge for a day or two.
Eco-Kids Milk Paint is the same trick for slightly older children: a powdered tempera of milk powder and mineral pigments in four colors, washable, fast-drying, biodegradable, with no noxious vapors or toxic residue. It mixes one to one as well, and the dry powder keeps on a shelf indefinitely, so one container spans a classroom project and a pumpkin months later. It contains milk protein and is labeled for ages three and up.
Dough, chalk, and an Easter kit with a second half
Eco-Dough: modelling dough in yellow, red and blue, colored with plant and vegetable extracts, handmade in small batches with no chemicals, artificial dyes or metals, in cornstarch containers that are fully compostable. Shades shift slightly between batches because the color comes from food. The lid-left-off disaster is reversible here too: a few drops of olive or vegetable oil bring dried dough back.
Hop Scotch Chalk is talc-free and non-toxic, washes off sidewalks and driveways, and travels in the same cardboard tube as the crayons. The Egg Coloring with Seed Growing Kit is the most involved: powdered dye packets of organic vegetable and plant extracts with dried vinegar, plus grass seed and coconut husk pucks that turn into soil with water, and the mini egg carton doubles as the planter once the eggs are done. Step-by-step instructions cover both halves; ages six and up.
What these labels do and do not rule out
Natural is not the same as allergen-free. Eco-Dough is made with non-GMO wheat flour, so it is out for a wheat or gluten allergy. Eco-Kids Milk Paint contains milk protein. The Eco Beeswax Triangle Crayons list soy wax alongside the beeswax and carnauba, which matters in a house with a soy allergy. Ingredients are published for those three products; the other five describe what they are made of without a full list, so contact Eartheasy if a specific allergen has to be ruled out.
