13 Arts and Crafts Supplies You Should Never Let Your Kids Use
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Arts and crafts are a great way to help kids have fun while they let their creativity out. These activities help develop little one’s fine motor skills and promote imaginative play. Well, let’s be real though, not all art supplies in the craft aisle are kid friendly. Some of these labeled safe items may be a little advanced or even risky for kids to handle and cause a little bit of havoc or worse, create a safety hazard.
Of course as parents and guardians, we want to give a wide variety of tools to children so that they can explore their artistic potential but a few craft supplies are best left to older kids or supervised sessions. For reference, before you stuff yourself with yet another arts and crafts haul, this is a list of stuff that would probably be smarter to keep away.
Hot Glue Guns
Hot glue guns might seem like an essential to get into the world of crafting, but they’re far from kid friendly. The tip and the glue get very hot — hot enough to burn little fingers! And, hot glue is messy and hard to control. For adults or other older kids, though, it’s definitely a good tool; otherwise, stick with regular school glue.
Permanent Markers
Sometimes kids can’t even wait to color outside the lines—which can mean both inside or outside the paper. Those artistic streaks might one day be permanent markers, ending up on walls, furniture or even on clothes. Do not forget about some of the strong fumes the markers produce either. To keep everyone’s creativity from getting too permanent, stick with washable markers.
Glitter
Glitter is gift that just keeps on giving. while glitter is definitely sparkly and fun, it’s completely and utterly messy. It has tendency to stick or attach to everything and is extremely difficult to clean it up completely. It’s a risky one because tiny glitter particles can get into kids’ eyes, noses or mouths. If you want glitter, but not the mess, use glitter glue.
Oil-Based Paints
Oil paints look good, but they are a little strong on the young artists. Cleanup for these paints is done with solvents, like turpentine, which is not healthy for kids handling. Oil paint can take forever to dry, and it will easily stain clothing and surfaces. Stick to water based paints, the water based paints are more forgiving and clean up easier.
X-Acto Knives
If you’re working on intricate projects, you may want to use an X-Acto knife or other sharp cutting tools, but they are definitely not safe for kids. Young ones can cut themselves accidentally, even with supervision. Little crafters who are just learning how to cut have a much safer option in kid friendly scissors.
Spray Paint
While spray paint can be great for DIY projects, it’s not a good choice for children. The fumes are toxic and shouldn’t be breathed, and certainly not by children. And spray paint also has a habit of going everywhere—on hands, on clothes, sometimes even on hair. For painting projects, stick to brushes and water based paint in order to keep things safe and tidy.
Model Glue
Model glue smells strong because it has chemicals that are dangerous to breathe in by kids. Often these glues are developed with diligent warnings on labels cautioning against exposure to toxic fumes, a red flag. Instead of model glue, try washable glue sticks or regular school glue so it doesn’t create a chemical overload.
Sharpies
Sharpies are great for permanent doodles, but kids don’t love them. The ink will stain your hands and clothes, and it smells very strong. A safer, stink free alternative, washable markers, enable kids to draw without leaving their mark on everything.
Powdered Paint
Powder paints are fun to mix and they’re good, but they’re dangerous for kids. Younger children also can inhale the fine powder, which is dangerous. Use liquid, pre mixed paints that are safe and much easier to work with and no dust flying around.
Super Glue
Super glue is what it sounds like, because super glue tends to stick to just about anything, and often just as fast! Super glue is just too dangerous for kids and although it works well for adult crafts, it really isn’t appropriate for kids. When it grabs your fingers the fingers are stuck together in an instant; it’s hard to get off. For kid-safe projects do not use white school glue or craft glue.
Charcoal Sticks
Charcoal sticks can give great shadows and depth to artwork, but they’re messy and all too easily smudge everywhere. Charcoal dust can be inhaled, too; thus, it isn’t such a good option for kids. To save time or resources, crayons or colored pencils will do the trick without the mess and associated health risks.
Loose Beads
While loose beads are fun for making jewelry, they are also a choking hazard for very young children. Try larger beads and make sure to supervise if kids insist on using them. Instead, better yet — give them pipe cleaners, or some big item to work with until they are old enough to safely handle small pieces.
Resin Kits
While it’s trendy and beautiful, resin crafts aren’t child’s play. It is a resin, so chemicals need to be handled carefully as they can irritate your skin and create fumes, according to Northbendne. Resin kits are off limits for kids, it’s simpler a stick to kid friendly crafts that don’t require such potentially harmful substances.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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