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Why Invest in Art Supplies for Your Kids?
In a world where screens dominate our daily lives, it's more important than ever to encourage children to explore their imagination and unleash their creativity through hands-on activities. One of the most beautiful and accessible ways for kids to express themselves is through art. Whether they're doodling in a sketchbook, sculpting with clay, or painting a vibrant masterpiece, art allows children to communicate, problem-solve, and develop their fine motor skills in an engaging and enjoyable way.
But where do you begin when it comes to providing kids with the right art supplies? With a wide array of options available, it can be overwhelming for parents and caregivers to navigate the ever-expanding world of kids' art materials...and let's be honest, there's a lot of crap out there!
As an art teacher AND a mom to three artsy young daughters, I've burned through my share of the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to art supplies. Everything I have listed in this guide is something I have used and can vouch for in terms of quality and appeal to young artists. This comprehensive guide will help you choose the best materials to ignite your child's artistic passions and set them on a creative journey that will last a lifetime, no matter their age or artistic ability. Also, it might buy you a few hours of peace and quiet and who hates that?
I've separated the guide based on age groups but keep in mind that many of these supplies will work great across the board.
Favorite Preschool Age Art Supplies:
Do A Dot Art! Markers
I have owned the same set of these markers for years now and they DO. NOT. QUIT. Honestly, these things are incredible. They don't dry out ever, are filled with enough ink to last a lifetime, AND I have yet to find a kid that doesn't love them. I know they have a higher price tag than your average kids markers but when I tell you these things will last, you can believe it.
Beads
Beads are the secret key to toddler bliss! Obviously they are small in size so wait until your child is past the stick-every-possible-thing-in-mouth-phase, but as soon as you are able you NEED to put a couple pipe cleaners and a pile of large-hole acrylic beads in front of your child. Your mind will be blown watching their tiny little hands figure everything out. If you haven't done this yet I'm honestly so excited for you. Go read a book. Finish that email. The world is your oyster!
These animal beads are also, incredibly cute so I had to link them.
Pipe Cleaners
Pipe cleaners are the perfect "starter string" to go along with your beads, but also are just a whole lot of fun for children of all ages! I like grabbing sets like this one that include puff balls and adhesive googley-eyes (trust me, you want them in sticker form and NOT the glue on kind) then seeing what kind of masterpieces my kids create.
Stamps
Stamps are like a fun little magic trick to young kids. The only downside to stamps is that kids have an annoying habit of leaving the lids off of the ink pads, so my recommendation is buy extra pads and put things away as soon as art time is over. I love this Melissa & Doug set because the stamps only create outlines and your little artists can grab some extra colored pencils to fill in the rest.
Favorite Elementary Age Art Supplies:
Decorative-Edge Crafting Scissors
I know glitter gets a bad rep (and you won't find it in this product guide) but not enough people talk about the teeny tiny pieces of paper you find all over the place when kids start learning to use scissors. It drives me absolutely INSANE, but I recognize its a necessary evil. Preschool to elementary age children LOVE using scissors and it is such an important skill for them to practice. These decorative scissors are a fun and safe way to introduce them to cutting so they can build those fine motor skills for later. Just keep a broom handy.
Magic Stix Washable Markers
These markers are a somewhat recent discovery for me and I am OBSESSED. They are triangle-shaped so they don't roll onto the floor, they have the best case ever, are 100% washable, and claim to dry out slower than average markers. I can't verify for certain this last part because we've been pretty diligent about putting the lids back on lately, but that is a huge plus if true! Only downside is some of the more popular colors are running out of ink quicker than I'd like, but that can't really be avoided with markers. I plan to repurchase very soon.
Crafting Hole Punchers
These go great with a glue-stick and make for a fun card-making or scrapbook activity. My kids burn through stickers like nobodies business and I love these hole-punchers as a replacement. They're also a great way to get use out of that pesky scrap paper!
Astrobrights Color Paper
A wise preschool teacher once told me "not all cardstocks were created equal" and boy was she right. In this last year of teaching art I have tried all types of paper for general crafting and painting and coloring and by far, the astrobrights brand is my favorite. The paper is sturdy and smooth and the colors are very vibrant.
Air Dry Modeling Clay
I have found that sculpting uses a completely different part of the mind than most art mediums. It is a sensory experience, it teaches kids about physics, mathematics, attention to detail, and it is SO much more than play-doh. There are a few options here... the Mondo Llama brand at target is probably my favorite right now, but Crayola is great to work with too (but doesn't have a great color selection), and I was really surprised with the quality and price of this set from amazon. This is also an activity that would be fun for mom to join in on if you're looking for a bit of bonding!
Crayola Watercolor Paint Set, 16 Washable Colors
Mr. Pen Paint Brushes 10 Pc. for Acrylic or Watercolor
Kids are unfortunately really harsh on brushes when they're starting out. It used to drive me absolutely insane but I've come to accept it's the way things are (and have gotten the eye-twitch under control). Because of that, I just don't think it's worth spending real money on brushes at this point. This set from Mr. Pen perform well and are a decent option until your child matures out of the smashy-scribble phase of painting!
Middle-School Age (and Beyond!) Art Supplies:
Van Gogh Watercolor Paint Set Pocketbox
This is where I will allow myself to get a little snootier. In my professional artwork I almost exclusively use watercolor tubes and make my own pans, but I recently taught an adult and teenage watercolor class and needed to find something more affordable and convenient, while still being excellent quality. This pocketbox set from Van Gogh hit all the boxes! My advice is that a truly great watercolor set is not about having all the colors, it's about having the RIGHT colors in the right formula to make works of art. That's exactly what this set is, and it's an EXCELLENT starter set.
UCreate Watercolor Paper - 50 Sheets
Watercolor paper is another tender subject for me because my loyalty forever and ALWAYS will be to Arches Cold Press 140lb Paper. That being said, when your child is just starting out practice makes perfect, and this paper from UCreate is excellent for practice. It is thick and durable and is my favorite paper to use in my art classroom. It's meant for watercolor but because of it's thickness works great for acrylic and gouache projects as well.
Micron Pens
Micron is basically the only type of pen used by watercolor artists, and I've been using it since high school. This is the definition of a trusted brand. These pens never leak, are 100% waterproof, and come in a variety of thicknesses. They will work great with all your watercolor projects as well as for general drawing. Honorable mention to Gelly Roll Pens which are JUST as good as your middle-school self remembers. They are also waterproof and and I actually prefer their texture over the micron's, but alas, they only come in one size.
Prismacolor Drawing Pencils with Eraser
Prismacolor is another brand I've been using since high school. This pencil set includes everything your artist needs to get started with sketching. This set really only has the best of the best with a huge variety of pencils, a steel sharpener, and two types of erasers. If you're willing to spend the money, Prismacolor is also the only way to go when it comes to artist-quality colored pencils.
Hardcover Spiral Sketchbook for Drawing and Mixed Media
It all begins with a sketchbook. If your child is truly interested in art, I say make sure to get them something durable that they can treasure for a life time.I still have a couple old sketchbooks from high school and am so grateful those early incredibly embarrassing drawings were made in something that withstood the test of time. I recommend, hardcover, leather, and I prefer spiralbound so it will easily lay flat. This is the sketchbook I'm currently using and it works great!
Arteza Alcohol Markers - Set of 60
Final Thoughts...
I hope you found this guide helpful! There are about a million things I could write about why you should invest in art supplies for your kids...and I'm not being hyperbolic. I just am really that passionate about it! Art is therapy, art is creation, art is exploration, art is expression... it is emotional, it is fun, it is intelligent, it is just really all the things! And with summer starting, and you are planning for a home full of bored kids there is no better trick to save their sanity, as well as your own. Happy creating!