Elseware Unplug Lets You Paint with Potatoes and Knead Your Way to Inner Peace

Ah, summer. That magical season when the school bell stops ringing and your children begin a full-time internship in chaos. You suddenly become a camp counselor, snack curator, and screen-time negotiator—often before you’ve had coffee. Enter Elseware Unplug, the brand that dares to ask: “What if your kid’s first art masterpiece wasn’t on the living room wall… in permanent marker?”

All-Natural Finger Paints

Let’s start with the All-Natural Finger Paints from Elseware Unplug—a TikTok sensation and the only product I’ve ever bought because a 7-second video with a ukulele soundtrack made it look “wholesome.” These powdered paints are made from food-based ingredients such as potatoes, rice, and beans. As with any children’s art material, follow the current label directions and supervise use.

Mixing the paint is easy: combine equal parts powder and water, which somehow transforms into a silky-smooth, rainbow-colored potion that looks like it belongs in a smoothie bar. They advise mixing only what you need for a single session, and honestly,

Analu Therapy Dough

But what about you, the adult who bravely supervised an entire art session without crying into a dish towel? Allow me to introduce Analu Therapy Dough by Elseware Unplug, aka the stress ball’s artsy, well-adjusted cousin. Made with vegetable pigments and essential oils, this dough is meant to be inhaled, exhaled over, squished, massaged, and—presumably—judged by any nearby dog who doesn’t understand holistic healing.

After five minutes of kneading the lavender blend, I found the repetitive motion pleasant and easy to focus on. The scents are gentle, not overpowering, and the texture is soft but not sticky, like Play-Doh if Play-Doh underwent therapy and earned a master’s degree in mindfulness.

It’s also quiet. Blessedly, wonderfully silent. If your child has ever brought home a fidget spinner that clicks, squeaks, or somehow summons bats, Analu is the peaceful alternative. It may appeal to families looking for a quiet tactile activity, though individual preferences vary. Plus, the trio of scents—lemon, lavender, and peppermint—comes packaged in adorable wheat straw bioplastic jars that make you feel like you’re doing something good for the planet, even if your kid just finger-painted the dog.

What We Found

In a world oversaturated with screen time and overstimulated brains, Elseware Unplug offers something radically simple: permission to make a mess, breathe deeply, and reconnect—with color, with creativity, and maybe even with your sanity.

For another screen-free activity option, see our Project Genius Puzzles review.