Colour My Life

This year, ditch those water balloons and squirt guns and help your child enjoy Holi in ways that are not only unique, but safe too.

- Shubhreet Kaur & Sudeshna Roy

HOLI, THE LIVELY festival of colours, is doused in fun, mischief and mayhem. But the chemicals in the colours used, the ferocity with which it’s played, chances of injury, etc. are all concerns that make you apprehensive as a parent, not to mention the worries you may undergo if your child has a history of skin allergies given that nowadays most Holi colours available in the market contain industrial dyes that are toxic. Dry colours include lead that is highly dangerous for children and pregnant women, chromium that aggravates asthma, copper that affects the eyes, skin and respiratory system, and mercury that can damage the kidney, liver or even cause skin cancer. Most water colours also include another highly toxic chemical called Gentian Violet, which can cause severe skin allergies and eye problems.

Even if you use organic colours, it’s very difficult to control how Holi will be played outside. So, why not change the way you celebrate it? Instead of squirting colours at others, celebrate colours in different ways. Here are ideas that your little one will love.

1 Cling Wrap Painting