Washable Watercolours

We adore playing and puddling with watercolours of any sort. Some we take travelling, or pull out when we're working on something detailed. Sometimes we like to do some wet-on-wet painting, as our eldest daughter practiced at her Steiner kindergarten. Sometimes we like to just play with colour and water and see where the medium takes us.

We were thrilled to get our hands on some Washable Watercolours this week. Made in Australia, these paints promised to be vivid and easy to use, and they didn't disappoint. With a three-year-old artist in our home, art can sometimes get messy. Especially when attentions are divided among children of varying ages. She wants to work with the same freedom her elder siblings have. While we attempt to model appropriate use of the materials, we also don't want to hinder creative expression or experimentation, so we let them all go for it.

Sometimes MESSY is an understatement.

SO we were THRILLED to hear about these new washable paints. Very quick to set up, with no mixing required, they are ready to go when placed in small jars, ice-cube trays or the like. Easy to remove from clothing, hands and most surfaces means easy clean-ups for me and more creative freedom for them.

We were also thrilled at their affordable price. No more cringing at mixed colour jars or mysterious paint-coloured finger prints around the house… And despite all their playing and puddling, very little paint was actually used.




Not to mention the beautiful colours and the way they blended. Even just three simple primary colours yielded a whole, beautiful rainbow, with ease.




Best of all, they work well for all ages. The fact that they are made in Australia is an added bonus for us, keeping the product's environmental and ethical footprint to a minimum. We started with just three colours, Red, Blue and Yellow, but a whole spectrum is available should you desire more. Right now Spiral Garden stocks Orange, Green and Purple, but more are available on request.

We're wondering what to do next with our washable watercolours. Apparently they are fantastic for colouring wood, rainbow rice and other sensory play materials and anywhere you might use large quantities of food dye. Have a look at this blog post for some more ideas.  And this one too!

You can find our Washable Watercolours here. 

face painting

One of our favourite rainy day things is to get out the face paints and draw and play... This week we had a day that was too windy and rainy to do much and we had a cat, a butterfly and a mouse... and a little windswept landscape drawn on my cheek by my little one. It's so fun to hand them the paints and let them go for it. The imaginative play that ensues is amazing... Face painting can also be a beautiful way of connecting and creating some calm for a few minutes in the day.

We were very lucky that our new Giotto face paints arrived that same day. We were very keen to give them a try. They are the same product as the Lyra face paints that our customers may remember... Made from wood, in the shape of a pencil, and a mix of natural ingredients, including beeswax, they are super soft and creamy. The colours glide on with ease, blend with water, and come of with a little soapy water. What's more, they've not been tested on animals and they are reasonably priced... A perfect addition to Spiral Garden.

Back to School?

It's almost back to school time for many. Our calico bags are popular as ready-to-decorate library bags. We offer some top quality school supplies in our Create category, at competitive prices. For example:

Lyra Ferby Pencils:
Graphite Pencils only $2.60 each
6 Waldorf Colours $16.00
6 Standard Colours $16.00
12 Standard Colours $32.00

Crayola Trio Sharpener only $7.50
Lyra Erasers $1.20 each
Lyra Sharpeners $3.20 each (suit Ferby pencils)
Large Main Lesson Books for $4.00 each or
Medium Main Lesson Books with onion skin for $3.90 each
Wooden Rulers only $2.00
Stockmar Block and Stick Crayons just $16.00 per tin...

As well as three types of paint, numerous paintbrushes, chalk, modeling materials, aprons, chalk and blackboard erasers, more crayons and pencils, wooden pencil boxes and felt pencil cases and more!

We love to use these quality art supplies that last year after year for our six children. They very rarely need replacing (apart from main lesson books and graphite pencils which are used a lot).

Spiral Garden has a lovely selection of Books, many suitable for Steiner educators and parents, as well as titles specifically for homeschoolers. We recommend: A Steiner Homeschool, Choir of Colours (Art - class 1 to 7) and other Golden Beetle Books. Otherways magazine and the book Life Learning are ideal for inspiration. And of course Seven Times the Sun - for all families, any time.

We always have lots of new products arriving and we look forward to offering you many delights this year, as our Spiral Garden grows.