Best Art Supplies for Kids (Keep These on Hand!)

An excellent value and quality easel and assembly will only set you back 5 minutes. Sturdy and a well-thought out design, with white board on one side, chalk on the other.

Amy S.:  Are my kids the only ones who hate using regular crayons? At least in the hands of my 3- and 5-year-old boys, basic crayons seem difficult and unsatisfying to use. They’re always breaking and it’s tricky for younger kids to lay down vivid color. These gel crayons, however, are super fun to draw with. The colors are rich and vivid, and with a just a light touch they go down smooth and thick. The neon colors have a beautiful translucent quality. The chunkier body of these crayons makes them fairly easy for little hands to manipulate. Yes, they’re more expensive than a 24-pack of Crayolas, but they’re also way more exciting to use.

Alexandra F.:  It's worth getting these larger bottles of finger paint to keep on hand with toddlers and preschoolers - we used ours all the time! Vibrant colors are fun for painting, and they are non-toxic, as well as easy to clean up.

Looks like a pencil, writes like a crayon, acts as paint with water. These are a multi-use medium that can be used on many surfaces, ranging from paper to glass and plastic. Vibrant and smooth application, but easy to clean up and suitable for young children. Stabilo is a German art supplies company that is enormously popular overseas, for artists and kids alike.

Kristy Pepping:  Do-A-Dot Art markers work by pushing down on the tip to produce a dot of color. These markers are like a liquid paint, but they are washable! They are great for little hands and a perfect learning tool for little kids.

An excellent addition to your at-home easel, these cups help your young artist keep their work tidy. There are attached lids to prevent paint from drying out. Additionally a carrier can be purchased. Fine motor skills are needed to effectively put paint brushes into the container without damaging the bristles.

Beth Wood:  This pack of brightly colored masking tape is great for kids arts and crafts projects.

Erin P.:  Wiggle eyes bring any art or craft project to life!

C. Wal:  This is an excellent paint product for kids of any age. These function like glue sticks, but have a beautifully vibrant and smooth application with zero flaking when dry. Very little pressure is needed to apply bold color, but not easily smooshed. Great for poster making, decorating box forts, basic paper, easel painting, and anything else you can dream up. Very washable and no paint brushes necessary.

Sold in extra thick, thin, or standard and other colors. The product needs to be securely closed, or they will dry up. Otherwise, they will be long lasting and loads of fun.

Kelly R:  My young artists really enjoy watercolors. Easy to use, easy to set up, and easy to clean up!

Beth Wood:  Children can use these kid-friendly scissors with different edging shapes to cut and edge paper on their art projects.

Erynn:  We got this after my boys (and I!) struggled with oven-dry clay--it tended to dry out on its own, but not thoroughly enough! This clay is soft and pliable but less messy than other varieties we've tried. The fact that it comes with a few tools and resealable bags means making clay creations is easier than ever. The range of colors is super fun, too.

Alexandra F.:  I’ve learned to keep a huge roll of white paper ready for all sorts of uses! It can be used on an easel, certainly, but I usually just roll it out on the floor and let my preschooler have at it with washable paints, crayons, markers, etc. He loves the huge canvas for his work! I’ll also use painters tape to tape a huge piece up on the wall for a different angle for him to work on.

Alexandra F.:  My preschooler loves cutting paper, and using scissors regularly has helped him develop his fine motor skills. It's also helped him become more independent, as he is now able to open many of his snacks on his own by cutting otherwise hard-to-open wrappers.

The foundation of so many art projects, you'll always want to have at least a couple of glue sticks in your art supplies bin.