5 months ago
BOULDER, Colo. (KUSA) -- Anyone who has little kids and has watched them do arts and crafts knows that sometimes, more crayons and glue end up in their mouths than on the construction paper. One former teacher from Boulder created a new line of products that is safe enough to eat.
Jennifer Jeffrey is a mother of two who lives in Denver. Her youngest daughter Lia is 23 months old. She says Lia is the poster child for child-proofing and has chewed on markers, crayons and other art supplies.
"She loves to explore. She loves to taste everything, feel everything," Jeffrey said.
Jeffrey says she worries chemicals may be in those markers and crayons and wishes there was an alternative.
"If it was available and if it was affordable it would be nice to have the option to get something natural, organic, locally made," Jeffrey said.
Now for parents, it is just a quick trip to one local grocery store where a new product is promising moms and dads peace of mind.
"It's natural, it's really innovative," Owner of Clementine Art and the designer of a new line of organic art supplies Diana Mercer said.
Mercer says she came up with the idea when she was teaching.
"A parent one time turned to me and we watched her toddler with a paintbrush in his mouth like a lollypop and she said 'Is this okay?' It really got me thinking is non-toxic really the best we can do for our children?" Mercer said.
The inventor says parents shop for organic food and clothing and they should have the option when it comes to kids art products.
Mercer said she rolled up her sleeves and went in the kitchen. She says it took more than a year of tinkering with different organic dyes and getting the right mix of ingredients to come up with her line of supplies.
All of her ingredients are listed on the back of the boxes of each product, some of which include soy crayons with kosher wax, modeling dough made with spinach and glue made from wheat ingredients.
"I'd rather have them nibbling on this play-dough that has all the ingredients that you would find in bread rather than a bunch of nasty chemicals," Mercer said.
Although it is safe to eat, Mercer says the products are not meant to be consumed as food.
She says she is working on products that are gluten-free for children who are allergic to wheat.
Jeffrey says she would rather have Lia nibbling on organic play-dough too and she likes the idea of the new product, at least while her daughter is still a toddler.
"It might be something you try initially when the kids are younger when they are experimenting putting everything in their mouths," Jeffrey said.
You can find the eco-friendly Clementine Art products at Whole Food Stores. The products can cost up to five times as much as a regular pack of crayons or jar of play-dough because the organic ingredients are more costly.
For more on the new line of organic products and information about the safety and regulations of children's art supplies click on the links below.
http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/whats_on_the_label_art_and_hobby_supplies
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