Are math manipulatives poisoning your children?

Are math manipulatives poisoning your children?

In homes and classrooms across the country, parents and teachers use math manipulatives to engage children in active, hands-on learning. They are colorful, tactile, and designed to aid understanding. But many of these tools, especially those made from painted wood and plastics, can contain harmful chemicals that pose serious health risks to developing children.

What parents and educators need to know: Phthalates are a family of industrial chemicals used to make plastics soft and flexible. They are found in many children's products, including plastic manipulatives, vinyl mats, and painted wooden toys. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, meaning they interfere with the body's hormonal systems. Children are particularly vulnerable because their bodies are still developing and they are more likely to mouth objects or absorb chemicals through skin contact. Lead-based paints, while banned in the United States for residential use since 1978, continue to appear in imported children's products and educational materials manufactured overseas. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued recalls of children's products containing elevated lead levels as recently as 2023.
What the research says about chemical exposure and child development: A landmark study by Swan et al. (2005, Environmental Health Perspectives) found that prenatal phthalate exposure was associated with significant alterations in male reproductive development, establishing phthalates as a serious developmental concern. A 2021 review in The Lancet examining data from more than 200 studies concluded that phthalate exposure in children was associated with increased risk of attention deficit disorders, reduced IQ, and disrupted thyroid function. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement in 2018 specifically warning that phthalates and other additives in food contact materials and children's products pose measurable risks to child health and called for stronger federal regulation. Montessori's principle of the prepared environment is directly relevant here: Maria Montessori insisted that every material placed in a child's environment must be chosen with the utmost care, not only for its educational value but for its physical safety. She wrote that the environment must be a place of health, beauty, and order. A manipulative that teaches mathematics while exposing a child to endocrine-disrupting chemicals is a contradiction of everything the prepared environment stands for.

What Chemicals to Watch For

When evaluating math manipulatives and educational materials, the following substances are the most common concerns:

  • Phthalates (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP): used to soften PVC plastics; found in flexible plastic manipulatives, vinyl mats, and soft plastic counters
  • Lead: found in paints and surface coatings on wooden and metal manipulatives, particularly those manufactured overseas
  • Bisphenol A (BPA): found in hard polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins; an endocrine disruptor linked to developmental and behavioral effects
  • Cadmium: a heavy metal found in some pigments used to color wooden and plastic toys; toxic to kidneys and bones
  • Formaldehyde: used in some wood composite products and adhesives; a known carcinogen

What to Look For When Buying Manipulatives

Questions to ask before purchasing
  • Are the materials tested to ASTM F963 (the US toy safety standard) or EN71 (the European equivalent)?
  • Does the manufacturer publish third-party safety test results?
  • Are the plastics labeled as phthalate-free and BPA-free?
  • Are painted surfaces tested for lead and cadmium?
  • Are the materials manufactured in a country with strong chemical safety regulations?
  • Does the company have a published zero-tolerance policy for toxic substances?

How ShillerLearning Approaches Safety

At ShillerLearning, we recognize that the materials in your child's hands are as important as the lessons they teach. Our math manipulatives are rigorously tested for toxic substances, including phthalates, lead, BPA, cadmium, and formaldehyde. Our zero-tolerance policy means that every material used in your child's education meets or exceeds applicable safety standards.

ShillerLearning manipulatives are tested for phthalates, lead, BPA, cadmium, and formaldehyde. Our zero-tolerance policy for toxic substances means you can trust what is in your child's hands.

The next time you consider the tools you are using in your classroom or at home, ask yourself whether they are truly safe. Prioritize education that values health as much as it values learning. Your children deserve nothing less.

Safe, Tested Montessori Math Curriculum

Math Kit I

Math Kit I
Pre-K to 3rd Grade

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Math Kit II

Math Kit II
3rd to 6th Grade

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