What Teachers Might Want To Know About Gluten In Your Classroom

While this blog post is largely intended for art teachers, it is also pertinent for K-12 teachers, preschool leaders, and parents who work with or play with gluten-intolerant children.

From Discountschoolsupply.com

This blog post is also a lot more personal than I ever really get- because I can't have have gluten in my own classroom for my own health. Enough art teachers have asked about this that it is time to try to help.

From wheat papier-mâché to macaroni necklaces, there are all kinds of things in the classroom teachers use to make art that can, unknowingly, make children sick. 

There is no blame here. I make mistakes at this, too! It's a lot to digest at first, but I promise it gets easier. If this seems burdensome, think about elevators and tall buildings. An elevator or ramp makes your whole building accessible to the well-being and access of everyone; so does having a gluten-free creative space make your space safe for all students. 

One challenge is that most art supplies do not list ingredients. I have learned by trial, error, phone calls, and illness what to avoid.  Here are some common places gluten is found in an art room, and some substitutes.  Where rice flour is an easy substitute, consider going to a Asian food market to buy it. You'll want the finely ground stuff made from plain white rice, not from sticky rice. I buy it at a Thai grocer not too far away, and it is significantly less expensive than at a larger grocery store. Here is the one I buy:

Papier-mâché: 

Conventional:  Wheat flour+water is time tested and makes great art. Unfortunately, it also makes some people very sick. Some people will become sick even from the topical-to-mouth contact, even if they wash hands after, especially small children who might not be proficient handwashers. 

Alternatives: Elmer's papier-mâché paste is excellent and gluten-free. I mix mine in a blender and let is rest until the bubbles are out. It dries well and clear. It is highly paintable and lasts forever. I keep extra in a jar.  It is water soluble and doesn't clog your sink. Also, mixing Elmer's glue and water 50/50 works well, but needs frequent stirring as the glue sinks.

Sensory Bins:

Conventional: Bins of pasta, flours, etc., that kids stick their hands in to explore texture and physical properties.

Alternatives: Beans, cornmeal, cornstarch, rice, sand, and water.

Macaroni Art and Jewelry:

Conventional: Wheat pasta. Often used for making jewelry, or adding texture to a picture frame around an artwork, and many more uses.

Alternatives: Gluten-free pasta abounds! The rice type is often the least expensive. There are also endless more ways to add texture to picture frames (buttons, bits of wood) or to make jewelry (beads, stones) that everyone can use.

Fingerpaint:

Conventional: Many commercial fingerpaints and homemade recipes rely upon wheat flour. Since this is most often used with young children, the risk of ingestion is high.

Alternatives: You could probably buy it, but making it is likely much cheaper. Here is a simple recipe:

Mix 1/2 c rice flour, 1t. salt, and 1+c. water in a pot.

Heat until it thickens on a stove over medium-low heat, whisking constantly. 

Let it cool. Add more water if needed to get the consistency right.

Divide it into little batches. 

Add a few drops of food coloring to each cup to make a variety of colors. 

Store in tightly covered containers. Refrigerate or use right away, as the salt amount is not high enough to preserve it for months at room temp. 

Play doughs:

Conventional: Most commercial and homemade doughs, including the popular PlayDoh brand, contain wheat.

Alternatives: This commercially made one has excellent reviews. I make my own. Here is a simple recipe:

In a pot, mix 1c. rice flour, 1/2c. salt, 1T cream of tartar, 1T oil, 1c. water, and a few drops of whatever food coloring you choose.

Heat until it thickens and pulls away from the sides of pot on a stove over medium-low heat, mixing constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Let cool.

Knead well and store in an airproof container. Room temp storage is fine.

Art pastes:

Conventional: Most preprepared and homemade thick art pastes contain wheat.

Alternatives: Glue sticks or glue sponges are great. I use 1.41oz UHU glue sticks, and also keep glue sponges made with Elmer's in airtight containers. See a how-to here.

Sponges:

This is a big one, and often overlooked. If you have ever used your sponges to ever clean up art materials that contained gluten, like any of the above materials, then to have a gluten-free classroom the sponges must be discarded and replaced with new ones. Once, in my absence, my classroom was used for a wheat-paste papier-mâché project. It took me a few days to figure out why I was sick. A thorough cleaning of my sink and replacement of all sponges is all it took.

Tools:

If you have scissors, play dough tools, cookie cutters, brushes, wire tools, or anything else non-porous which have been previously used for gluten-containing materials, just wash them very well and they will be okay to use. No need to toss good tools!

Foods:

Many art rooms don't allow kids to eat in them anyway, but if yours is used for snack/lunch, etc., keep a separate set of sponges and wipes to thoroughly clean tables after children eat at them. Also, consider here how gluten-containing foods are often used for play- candies and cereals (like cereal necklaces) are important to be aware of. If children do have to eat in your room, consider designating a gluten-free table, just an many schools do for nuts/fish/eggs, etc.

Some adhesives:

Envelopes people lick often contain wheat-derived ingredients in the adhesive. Consider glue sticks instead if students are mailing letters or using envelopes. Or, you could use the type of envelope where you peel off a backing to reveal sticky adhesive.

Soaps and dish detergents:

Many brands contain forms of wheat. I once was sick for weeks until I realized it was the dish detergent I was using to clean my art tables contained wheat germ oil. Check labels, call the company, ask your janitorial department to check the soap pumps in bathrooms and by classroom sinks to find out about ingredients.

Wash your hands!

No one expects you to change your own or your students' diets. After lunch or snack, have students do a quick handwashing before they scamper off to hold community supplies and toys.

Hopefully this helps. Practice makes better! When in doubt, read labels and call companies. If you can think of other places and materials to consider, add them in the comments!

Note: Not a doctor, just an art teacher! My goal is not to educate on how gluten enters the body, but rather how to keep it out of an art room setting so that children can stay healthy in our learning spaces.