“Make Your Own Silly Putty

2 cups white school glue
1 cup liquid starch”

but nearly all white glues are chemical based PVA and as far as I am aware you can only obtain the stretchy polymers needed to create silly putty by using chemical glues.

Which is disappointing and definitely NOT natural.

Have enjoyed reading and will be following.

Crayon Rocks and Elephant PooPoo Paper are excellent products. Beeswax crayons are also great but expensive- but they also last a very long time so are an excellent value. (I’ve had customers who put three kids through Waldorf school in which one set lasted the three kids’ entire time at the school.)

Smencils, however, are poorly made, don’t sharpen well, break easily are packaged excessively (with plastics) and contain allergen-prone scents that are far from environmentally friendly. They’re used alot as fundraisers for schools because they’re cheap- and cheaply made. We found a better product that’s well made, high quality called O’Bon. Their newspaper pencils are wrapped very tightly, their leads are of the highest quality and their packaging is made out of recycled material- and still colorful and attractive to kids.

One other thing I’d like to point out is that “AP certified non-toxic” label is deceptive. Using that as a measure of the safety of materials is not something that should be taken lightly. This notice is also on kids watercolor paints, tempera paints and even petroleum crayons in spite of their (debatable) toxicity. But again, it is the pigments that are the issue.

Although a retailer, I encourage parents to make their own materials with common household items and vegetable dyes. The making of these materials can be just as educational, inspirational and involving as using them. For manufactured items, we need to look beyond company’s claims and support only quality materials. Otherwise, just like with anything else, if something is cheap and poorly made it may well discourage the creative process which is so important in the raising of a child.

Using recycled materials instead of traditional ones is one way around some of the drama, but you are sure to shed a lot of new light here around which art supplies you can use safely.

Thank you so much!

Thanks!

Hope you don’t mind me sharing, but I posted a little while back on safe and organic craft supplies…click on my name if you want to check it out…