When my daughter first opened a gift of several Scratch and Sketch art activity books, I thought, how perfect.
She loves to draw, color and otherwise create. And she just loved these books.
My Future Farmgirl/Artist opened them right up and started scratching and sketching away. The Garden Fairies book captivated her.
So what’s the downside? The books, sadly, are a big, stinking mess.
The black film that she scratched off is like soot and covers everything in its vicinity: tablecloths, chairs, floors, clothes and fingers.
I finally had to restrict the scratch and sketch activity to a single, isolated corner that I could easily wipe down. And I required my daughter to finish each activity with a decent handwashing.
But last night, when I cleaned up the finished book, I thought I’d probably hide or get rid of the rest of them.
Even though the book says the materials are non-toxic, I noticed tonight that there’s a warning to do the activity in a well-ventilated area. With that warning in particular, I can’t believe these are marketed as travel activities. I’d never allow these in my car.
Indeed, I’ve decided I don’t want my little girl breathing in all of these nasty black particles.
If they so quickly stained my Christmas tablecloth and placemats, I can only imagine what they’re doing to her lungs.
Virtual Farmgirl 