Best Art Supplies for Kids (From a Mom of 4)

⭐ Favorite Overall: KingArt Mixed Media Gel Sticks (24 Colors)

Best for: ages 2+

These are the creamy crayons we started with when our first was 1 and have been using every since. They glide on like a soft crayon, and because they’re water-soluble, you can go over the color with a wet brush and it turns into paint. My younger kids love them for the bold color (way more satisfying for a 2 year old to try and color with these than regular crayons because it only takes a little pressure to make a mark on the paper), and my older kids use them almost like watercolor. We’ve been using these for almost a decade for ages 2-11.

Beeswax Crayons

Best for: ages 2 to 5

Beeswax crayons are the crayons I’d hand a toddler first. They’re made from natural beeswax, so the color goes on rich and smooth, and they’re sturdy enough to hold up to little hands pressing hard. They’re less messy than the creamy crayons and the perfect first crayon set.

Dot Markers [CONFIRM BRAND]

Best for: ages 3 to 6

Dot markers are our favorite for little ones, and they replaced stamps and ink pads at our house because they wash off so much easier. Little kids can make a whole picture just by dotting, and there’s no ink pad getting smashed into the table. I love that the dot takes the pressure off of drawing something realistic and encourages more abstract creating.

Washable Markers [CONFIRM BRAND]

Best for: ages 4+

These are the backbone of your 4-8 year old art set and great for when you (the parent) aren’t up for a whole crafting afternoon or a lot of cleanup. They’re potentially a little messier than crayons but my kids are always far more excited about coloring with markers than regular crayons.

OOLY Sparkle Gel Pen Set

Best for: ages 7+

Perfect for doodling or writing notes. The colors pop, they show up on dark paper, and they feel a little more grown up than markers. We have and love this set and often add it to birthday gifts.

Caliart Dual Tip Artist Markers (81 Colors)

Best for: ages 9+

When my older kids wanted real artist markers, this set was the upgrade (after they first used them at our neighbors). Each marker has a fine tip and a wide chisel tip, and the set comes with a colorless blender for smoothing colors together. These are permanent, so I’d keep them for older kids and out of reach of the littles.

Water Wow Books

Best for: ages 3 to 6

Water Wow books are our go-to for mess-free art. Kids fill the pen with water and the color appears as they paint, then it dries and they can do it all over again. [ADD: where you use them most, like restaurants, the car or church.]

Kwik Stix Solid Tempera Paint (12 Colors)

Best for: ages 3+

Kwik Stix are solid tempera paint in a twist-up stick, so kids get the look of paint without water cups or brushes. They dry fast, which means fewer smeared masterpieces on the way to the fridge. We first found these because a preschool teacher requested them for her classroom. If they’re a prek teacher’s favorite, you know we needed them at home, too.

Ooly Chunkies Paint Sticks (Pastel Set)

Best for: ages 3+

Same idea as Kwik Stix, in a soft pastel palette. The pastel colors are a nice change from bright primaries, and the chunky sticks are easy for little hands to hold. These are particularly great for girls coloring princesses or ponies.

Watercolor Paint Set [CONFIRM BRAND]

Best for: ages 4+

Watercolors are one of the easiest ways to paint with kids, because the cleanup is so much simpler than any other kind of paint. We’ve had a few cheap sets from Target but like this midrange one from Amazon best.

Prudiut Watercolor Paper (120 Sheets, 5×7)

Best for: ages 4+

Regular printer paper curls and tears the second it gets wet, so real watercolor paper makes a big difference. I love using this size for quick painting sessions or mailing the final products as cards to grandparents …but we also have full size sheets which the kids love best.

Tabletop Paint Board

Best for: all ages

This is a newer addition to our art supplies but it has made ahuge difference int he last year of watercolor painting at home. I think this silicon mat would also work well (I just ordered so I’ll report back).

Paper Junkie Mini Blank Books (48 Pack)

Best for: ages 4+

We love having tiny notebooks around for the kids to make their own books. This pack has 48 little 4×4 books in six colors, so nobody has to ask before starting a new one. I used one of these to write 20 things I loved about my son for his 7th birthday… and the following mothers day he used one to make the same thing for me!

Hardcover Blank Story Books (12 Pack)

Best for: ages 5+

For bigger stories, we use blank hardcover books. Each 6×8 book has 44 blank pages, and the hard cover makes a kid’s story feel like a real book on the shelf. They also make a sweet gift for grandparents once they’re filled in.

Craft Paper Roll [CONFIRM BRAND]

Best for: all ages

A roll of craft paper is one of the most-used things in our art supplies. Roll it across the table for a group drawing session or tape up a big sheet for painting. We also love using this as a table runner for special occasions. We’ll decorate it for birthdays, back to school dinner, or the kids thanksgiving table.

How-to-Draw Books [CONFIRM TITLE]

Best for: ages 5 to 11

How-to-draw books teach kids to break a picture into simple shapes, and they build a lot of confidence for the kid who says they “can’t draw.” We also love the kids art hub on youtube for simple art tutorials but this is a great screen free version.

Jumbo Craft Supply Box [CONFIRM BRAND]

Best for: ages 4+

I love the creativity an open ended set like this gives. There isn’t a specific project to make so the possibilities are endless. We think a hot glue gun really helps you get the most out of a set like this.

Tip: If you have random odds or ends that could be used to hot glue into a project, store them in this box (or a separate one) and bring it out every month or two and let the kids create some abstract sculptures.

Mini Glue Gun [CONFIRM BRAND]

Best for: ages 7+ with supervision

A mini glue gun is what turns the craft box (above) into real creations. Hot glue holds things together in seconds, which is a lot more satisfying for kids than waiting on school glue to dry. We start using this supervised around 5 and by 7 or 8 my kids can use this on their own (while I’m doing something else in the same room).

Kid Scissors [CONFIRM BRAND]

Best for: ages 4+

A good pair of kid scissors that actually cuts is all you need. Skip the decorative-edge sets and go with Fiskar. This is the brand the school always requires and is the best for little fingers (there are larger sizes for older kids).

Washi Tape Assortment [CONFIRM BRAND]

Best for: ages 5+

There are lots of different ways to use this colorful tape. Washi tape lets kids decorate notebooks, cards and craft paper without any glue. It tears by hand, so even the younger kids can use it on their own. We also love using it to build “roads” for hot-wheels cars to drive on and tape art to walls.

3D Puffy Stickers Variety Pack (1,000+ Stickers)

Best for: ages 3+

A giant sticker pack is one of the easiest ways to keep little ones busy, and puffy stickers are perfect for decorating the mini blank books, cards and craft creations. This pack has 40 different sheets with animals, stars, hearts, dinosaurs, cars and more, so there’s something for every kid and it lasts a long time. Plus you can’t beat the price.

I have these on hand for adding to craft projects but also to bring on the plane, keep a child entertained at church/doctors office, or add to a birthday present.

Play-Doh

Best for: ages 3+

My one tip is to not bring out the full set at once. Oh, and consider getting a plastic placemat to use under it (we’ve had these forever).

Play-Doh Set

Best for: ages 3+

Play-Doh is fun all on its own (with a placemat) but this little set gives you a few tools that expand play. If you’re stocking your house, the set above is a great basic but this one is better for a first intro to Play-Doh or as a gift.

Air Clay

Best for: ages 5+

Air-dry clay is the next step up from Play-Doh. Kids sculpt something, leave it out and it hardens on its own with no baking. We first found this at a playdate last year and its been a hit ever since.

Fuse Bead Kit (72 Colors)

Best for: ages 6+

Perler beads are a favorite at our house. This kit comes with 72 colors, pegboards and ironing paper, so kids can go from design to finished piece with nothing else to buy. An adult handles the iron.

Paint by Sticker Kids: Unicorns & Magic

Best for: ages 5+

Paint by Sticker books are a great quiet-time activity. Kids match numbered stickers to the page to build a picture, and this one has 10 pictures plus glitter stickers. We also love gifting this one.

Crayola Jumbo Sidewalk Chalk Bucket

Best for: all ages

This is great for getting everyone outside (even if it means the driveway is extra colorful). We like the jumbo set because there is fewer fighting over colors among siblings or friends.

Melissa and Doug Ice Cream Chalk Set

Best for: all ages

We got this as a gift and it is SO cute! If you’re stocking your regular family art supplies, I’d stick with the Crayola set above but if you’re looking for a gift, this set is going to be more fun to unwrap and will still get plenty of use.