Creative Play: Art, Pretend and Storytelling at Home

For young children, look for art supplies labeled for their age and marked as conforming to the U.S. labeling standard for art materials (ASTM D-4236), which means they have been reviewed for chronic health hazards and carry any needed warnings. That does not make them edible. Supervise toddlers, who will try everything in their mouths.

Skip adult products like spray paint, solvent-based markers and craft glue guns for younger kids, and keep small beads, sequins and googly eyes away from children under three because they are choking hazards.

Mess is part of the deal, so plan for it rather than fighting it. Dress kids in an old oversized T-shirt as a smock, keep baby wipes and a damp towel within reach, and schedule paint sessions right before bath time. If you rent or have carpet you care about, the kitchen floor or the backyard picnic table is the art studio. Kids relax when they are not being told to be careful every thirty seconds, and so will you.

• Use a cheap shower curtain or old sheet as a drop cloth
• Keep a “creative cart” or bin with lids so supplies live in one place
• Set paints out only when you are present; crayons and paper can be open-access
• Let finished work dry on a clothesline with clips, then photograph and recycle most of it
• Give older kids a cleanup job they own, like washing brushes