Paint with what your mama gave ya

Painting and drawing let children express themselves before they can even speak. I find with my son it releases some frustration and builds confidence in his communication with me. We bond through color. Canvases can be found right in your recycling bin: big flattened out cardboard boxes or paper grocery bags. Safe crayons *Made in a larger size for small hands *Triangular shape keeps them from rolling away *Difficult to break in half and stay intact after being thrown *No wrapper to get in the way of using the side of crayon $6 Pkolino.com Molding wax *Stockmar company, maker of beekeeping products and beeswax candles since 1922, keeps exact recipes secret but promises its products have no negative effects on health or environment *Molding wax made mainly of beeswax *Does not dry out quickly like Play-Doh $20 Stockmar.de Natural finger paint * Six beautiful earth tones that can be used with fingers or a brush * Clean off easily while still wet, even from white towels (yes I tested with white towels for you) * Smell a bit like vinegar, but that’s a preferable preservative then the formaldehyde found in most finger paints * Safe enough kids can paint on skin to capture handprints or learn names of body parts Tip: fill bathtub before painting. This way when finished you can plunk your little artist right in the tub without waiting for water to heat up. $14 clementineart.com