Ev will be two in a couple of weeks (where did the time go)?! He’s at this incredibly fun age where his curiosity is infinite! Of course with curiosity, comes an often eager desire to get into everything at all times (he wants to touch/eat/throw everything) 😉 So, beyond some of the more obvious activities for him that keep him busy outdoors, I wanted to create things for him at home that could make him independent to explore, yet still remain safe. Hence, the hours Jake and I spent on Google looking up toddler games. We wound up ordering a lot of non-toxic arts and crafts for him to try, that he now LOVES. You should have seen how big his eyes got the first time I showed him how to finger paint — you would have thought I was Michelangelo with wings!

BTW, when you start going down the world wide web searching for toddler activities, it’s overwhelming when you start to learn how many kids’ crafts are packed with some not-so-great ingredients + chemicals. Since I don’t entirely know when/if Evan might want to lick a crayon (because, ya know, why not?!) I need our activities to be super safe at this stage.

We ordered this eco-dough, these eco-paints, and this set of crayons. I also wound up finding a number of other craft sets that were great for young kiddos, which I linked below…

1. 1. ECO-DOUGH | Play dough made from fruits and veggies. I think all kids are tempted to taste test their dough when mom’s back is turned for a second, and I feel a lot more comfortable knowing Evan’s is made from natural ingredients.

2. BRILLIANT BEE CRAYONS | All natural crayons – made from bees wax!! Non-toxic AND currently on sale (yay)!

3. ECO STARS | Handmade from recycled crayons. I also love that the star shapes are super easy for little toddler hands to hold.

4. KIDS APRON | Because kids should be kids! I love letting Ev get as messy as he wants, especially when he is wearing an apron that makes clean up easy peasy.

5. ECO FINGER PAINT | Veggie and fruit extracts give these natural finger paints their bright colors. I love that you mix the paint yourself – no more wasted or dried out paint.

6. DUSTLESS SIDEWALK CHALK | I brought this non-toxic chalk to the park and Ev thought it was MAGIC. He had so much fun drawing on the sidewalk – little does he know it washes out!

Photos by Cibelle Levi