Educator Resource: Powder Paints

Powder Paints

Find more sustainably minded activities and inspiration on our ‘Resources Hub: Sustainability for Early Childhood Educators.‘

Written by Emma Stephenson – Diploma Educator, Sustainability Leader

Background: 

In 2024, we stopped purchasing non-natural paints, such as poster and acrylic paints. Sustainability is central to our mission, however due to multiple staff purchasing resources and a lack of clear consensus across the team, environmentally conscious painting supplies had not been broadly defined and decreed. We had also been trialling a few different options and materials over the years and had yet to propose a final review and ultimate conclusion. We are proud to have transitioned to wholly natural powder paints, derived from vegetables, roots, seeds and flowers. The paints are 100% non-toxic and contain no animal products or derived ingredients – purchased from Eco Art and Craft.

What to gather: 

• Powder paints (purchased from Eco Art and Craft)
• Jars for the powder + jars for water
• Water
• Brushes (large wooden handle preferred)
• Paper (anything base that can handle watercolour)

Method and best practices:

We display the paints in glass jars, as it is most aesthetically pleasing and inviting for children seeking what magic and wonder Preschool will bring today. Glass jar displays let the children experience the colours as they mix the paint powder with water. They enjoy the experience of mixing the paints themselves and of watching the powder dissolve and intensify in colour.

In the photos on this post, children have painted on homemade paper they made in previous weeks from recycled scraps – the handcrafted paper has a beautiful rough and thick texture which absorbs and displays these watercolours well.

Watercolours are ideal for early years learning environments because of their fluid and dreamy quality – the forms and colours organically appear and inspire the child’s imagination. This type of painting is also more ‘process’ focused rather than ‘product’ focused – the fluidity of the watercolours is suited for exploration rather than destination, allowing them to exercise their creativity.

The use of larger handled wooden paint brushes is preferred for early childhood – allowing for more creative freedom and experimentation as smaller brushes can be fiddly and cause frustration. Again, emphasising process over product. Sensitively observe your children as they use different sized brushes – which ones are proving to be most effective as they practise and explore their creativity?

All the materials used in this activity are vegan, eco-friendly, sustainable and non-toxic. 🌼

Important Note: Once mixed, it’s best to store the watercolours in the fridge. If left out, they will start to smell after a few days.

Thoughts, goals and/or extensions:

At Sustainable Play, we enjoy powder painting on a variety of surfaces, especially wipeable surfaces, like donated tiles or plastic easels. Children in the early years are often not in pursuit of a finished creation, but simply wanting to explore their creativity on any suitable surface. Children around 5 years old may be more interested in creating a product to take home, but if the surface is destined to be wiped, make that clear to the children and if appropriate, you can suggest taking a photo of their creation to show to their parents.