Children can make a mess in ways few adults would ever dream of. Crayons are stripped of their wrappers right away, and sometimes chewed or even cut up with scissors. Play-dough gets eaten or smashed into the living room carpet. And paint, of course, goes way beyond the paper it is supposed to adorn.
Good Clean Fun: New Art Supplies for Cleaner Crafters
Now there are many products on the market that promise a no-mess, washable art experience for kids. While children can almost certainly find a way around the “no-mess” part, the after-project cleanup can be greatly minimized with these art supplies.
- Washable paints and markers: Many brands now offer washable markers, and washable watercolors are also available – with or without glitter! These new twists on old favorites don’t guarantee that you won’t be washing green and pink splotches off of your table, but at least it will be easier to do so.
- Squeeze-paints: Another fun art supply comes in the form of tubes of paint with a brush at the end – so by eliminating the need to dip a brush into water and paint, theoretically, you also eliminate some of the mess (as well as the risk of knocking over the jar of water the kids would need with conventional paints). Most of these paints are washable.
- Magna-Doodles and other modern-day descendants of the Etch-a-Sketch allow kids to draw over and over again without making any mess at all, which can be especially useful in the car.
- Washable paint pens: Elmer’s, once known just for its famous glue, now has a line of washable 3D paint pens. They not only come in pretty colors, but also in your choice of Glitter, Confetti or pearlescent.
Traditional Arts and Crafts Projects with Less Mess
Of course, as fun as these supplies are, sometimes nothing beats good old-fashioned finger paints or watercolors. Even so, it’s possible to minimize the mess:
- Smocks and aprons: Many arts and crafts stores with a children’s section stock supplies to minimize the mess, such as vinyl “artist smocks” with pockets for supplies or even disposable plastic aprons for those really messy projects.
- A better work surface: Give kids a large plastic tray – and lay down the law that the play dough or finger-paint project has to stay on the tray.
- Bath paints: Paints that are also soap are a great compromise for kids who want to finger-paint and parents who shudder at the thought.
For older kids (well past the choking hazard stage, and with a longer attention span), consider buying a self-contained art project, such as a needlepoint kit, a picture frame to decorate or a beadwork or jewelry-making kit. Larger arts and crafts stores usually stock several different kinds of children’s craft kits in the $3-$7 range. (Keep projects with small parts away from younger siblings!)
It's possible to give kids an enjoyable art experience or crafting project without a headache for the parents -- it just takes a little forethought and the right supplies.
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