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The Art Supplies I Actually Buy for My Kids
13
items No plastic packaging nightmares, no "why won't this wash off the wall" moments. These are the art supplies worth having in the house.
Sections
5
Toddlers (2-4): mess allowed, mistakes expected
Everyday drawing and colouring (5-8)
Budding artists (9-12)
Keep the mess contained
The showstoppers (gift-worthy)
Toddlers (2-4): mess allowed, mistakes expected
This is my go-to for restaurants and long car rides. Just water, no ink, no mess, and somehow it never gets old for them even though it's the same four pages every time.
Melissa & Doug Water Wow!
I was skeptical of the "washable" claim until I actually tested it on a white t-shirt. It held up. That's the whole review.
Crayola Washable Finger Paints
I switched to these after finding one too many snapped crayon halves under the couch. They're shaped like little pebbles, so tiny hands actually grip them properly instead of just squeezing and cracking them in two.
Crayon Rocks
Everyday drawing and colouring (5-8)
The washable ink sold me, but the fact that they click together into towers is what actually keeps my kids busy. Colouring's done, and now they're architects for twenty more minutes.
Faber-Castell Connector Pens
A bit of glitter turns a rushed five-minute doodle into something they want to show everyone at dinner. Cheap trick, works every time.
Ooly Chunkies Glitter Crayons
Budding artists (9-12)
This is the set that changed how my kid talks about their own drawings. Colour it in like a normal pencil, go over it with a wet brush, and suddenly they're calling it a "painting," not a "colouring."
Faber-Castell Watercolour Pencils
Small enough to toss in a backpack, good enough that it didn't get abandoned after week one like every other "creative" gift has.
Sakura Koi Watercolour Field Sketch Set
Not a glamorous pick, but this is the thing that quietly turned "messing around with pencils" into "practising." Buy this before you buy anything fancier.
A proper sketchbook (Canson or Strathmore)
Keep the mess contained
The least exciting item on this list and the one I'd replace first if it wore out. It's saved my rug more times than I can count.
A vinyl splat mat
The day this arrived was the day my kids stopped shouting "where are the good markers" from the other room. Genuinely underrated purchase.
Rolling Art Cart | Storage & Craft Organizer
The showstoppers (gift-worthy)
Black cards you scratch away to reveal rainbow colour underneath. I bought these as a "just in case we're bored" backup and they've outlasted almost every toy from that Christmas.
Djeco Craft Scratch Cards - Encounters
Yes, it involves a screen, but it's the one screen thing where they're actually drawing, building and problem-solving instead of just watching. I stopped feeling guilty about it pretty fast.
Osmo Genius Kit (for tablet-based drawing games)
This one's had more staying power than I expected. Tracing their favourite characters under the light somehow feels like a "real skill" to them, so they'll sit with it far longer than regular paper.
Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad - Pink, Drawing ...