Even before I became a mom, I fantasized about the day I would get to start drawing or painting with a son or daughter of my own. My parents are artists, and many of my earliest memories include sculpting with air-dry clay with my mother and watching my dad draw robots — guided, of course, by my detailed specifications. I can still smell the markers he used and feel the clay on my fingers. But decades later, the market for kids’ art supplies has a whole lot more to offer, and even the basics like Crayola crayons aren’t so basic anymore. So to help me (and you) pick a gift for a friend’s toddler, prepare for a baby’s first foray into finger paints, or equip a talented third-grader with the very best colored pencils, I asked nine experts about their favorite art supplies for kids of all ages.
Natalie Ebel, co-founder of Backdrop and mother of two daughters ages 5 and 1, says it’s important to think about safety first, especially when shopping for younger toddlers who may still be exploring the world through their mouths. She suggests looking for nontoxic materials and avoiding any small parts that could pose a choking hazard. “Be careful with small lids,” she warns, explaining that when she took a CPR and choking class, her main takeaway was “anything that fits through a toilet-paper roll is a choking hazard.”
Beyond that, the consensus among all of the artists and parents we talked to was that investing in simple high-quality materials that you can use in a lot of different ways is the best way to keep kids engaged and get your money’s worth. “It’s so much better to invest in building blocks that will get used over and over again,” rather than a bunch of novelty items you’ll only use once, says mom of three Erin Boyle of Reading My Tea Leaves, .
Drawing and coloring supplies
Crayola’s line of washable crayons and markers were the most frequently recommended art supplies by our panel of experts. “We’ve had a couple of close calls, and there’s nothing worse than finding a lid to a marker with no marker attached,” says Ebel, who loves Crayola’s washable markers for the peace of mind they give her. Jen Trolio, Strategist senior editor and mom of a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old, also mentioned the legitimacy of Crayola’s washable line. “When they say washable, they actually mean washable,” she says, adding that the markers, crayons, and paints are good quality and pretty affordable, plus they come in a wide variety of skin-tone shades. Ryan Freebern, senior engineering manager at Identity & A/V and a father of two, told us that because he is less worried about stains when his kids are using Crayola washable markers, he’s more comfortable giving them the freedom to be messy. And Maria Dueñas Jacobs, founder of Super Smalls, says she’s been “saved” on a number of occasions by the washable markers.
Another worry-free way to let kids explore with crayons is by giving them a set designed to be used in the bath. “If your kids want to draw on the walls, this is a great way to let them have fun,” says health and wellness entrepreneur Liv Lo Golding, a mom to a toddler with another baby on the way. She recommends these beeswax bathtub crayons because they are fragrance free, easy to hold, and contain only food-grade ingredients, making them a perfect choice for young kids and toddlers who may also use them to draw on themselves.
“I’m a colored-pencil enthusiast,” says Boyle, noting that her favorites are these vibrant Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 Pencils. “You can use them like a crayon, add water to use them like a watercolor, and they even work on whiteboards,” she says. The satisfyingly soft pencils are also chubby, making them easy to hold for little kids.
Boyle also recommends these Lyra colored pencils for “young elementary-school kids learning to grip pencils,” because they are easy to use, come in beautiful colors, and are extremely sturdy and long-lasting. In addition to the classic rainbow pack, she specifically mentioned loving this set of Skin Tone pencils for budding portrait artists.
“Nothing is more frustrating than a colored pencil that doesn’t really work, but these Prismacolor ones go on so smoothly,” says Ebel of her favorite Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. She uses them at work in the Backdrop studio for developing wallpaper collections, and her 5-year-old daughter Colette is also a fan — as is just about every artist, designer, art teacher, and creativity-inclined parent we’ve ever interviewed about art supplies. “My daughter used these in our studio last week and asked for a set for Christmas because they were so soft,” Ebel says. And Trolio bought a set of 48 Prismacolor colored pencils for her older daughter as a Christmas present when she first got more serious about drawing. I also love using Prismacolor colored pencils, specifically the black ones that I buy in bulk to use instead of a regular graphite pencil in my sketchbooks.
“In addition to Crayola markers, I also like Mondo Llama for a little flair,” says Ebel about Target’s in-house line of arts-and-crafts supplies. She pointed to these glitter ones as a favorite because they add some oomph to any creative project. Their bullet-tip design ensures precision in application, allowing your young artist to add detailed touches to greeting cards, scrapbooks, drawings, or sketchbook pages. But it’s not just the sparkle that earns Ebel’s praise. She calls them the best glitter markers she and her 5-year-old have used — and they’ve tried a lot.
Painting Supplies
Tze Chun, founder of UPRISE ART, recommends looking for art supplies that kids can open and close completely by themselves. Not only will this teach them independence (and keep supplies from drying out), Chun says it will also give them space to enjoy choosing colors and putting things back on their own time. Her top recommendation, Kwik Stix, is also a Strategist favorite and was mentioned by three other parents. The paint sticks “are a staple in our house and are great for younger and older kids alike,” Chun shares. Indeed, they are an ingenious solution for those who want the smooth application of paint without prolonged drying times and potential mess. Their kid-friendly design is a big plus: “Toddlers are still working on their fine motor skills, and the caps challenge them to fit the two parts together, but they don’t need a lot of strength to close them properly,” Chun explains. Kiwk Stix are also made with nontoxic materials, something Golding emphasized as a top priority when choosing what to buy for kids.
Like Kwik Stix, these Ooly nontoxic paint sticks provide worry-free playtime for both toddlers and their parents. But it’s not just safety that they bring to the table — Ebel is also a fan of their performance. “They have a beautiful, smooth application and look almost like a gouache,” she says.
Kid Made Modern Washable Paints are a standout choice for older kids, according to Ebel. She highlights their exceptional quality and vibrant, highly pigmented colors. They’re washable, too, so cleanup is a breeze.
Paper
For everyday use, Chun recommends the affordable paper rolls and pads from Melissa and Doug. Ebel also mentioned the big paper roll as a kid’s art essential. And both of them say the brand’s easel, which we have written about over and over again, is a solid buy.
Mixed-media paper is a versatile and economical choice for kid’s art supplies, according to Boyle. She frequently opts for Blick All-Media Paper. This type of paper has the weight to handle wet mediums or heavy coloring without buckling, making it a practical alternative to pricier watercolor paper. Boyle also notes that her family uses loose sheets more than pad-bound paper, leading to cost savings. Plus the thicker paper can be repurposed into cards, envelopes, and gift tags, giving your child’s artwork a second life.
Strathmore Drawing Pads feature heavy, acid-free paper that stands the test of time, says Chun, and their textured surface adds an extra dimension to the artwork. They are great for older children who want to take their work to the next level or for anything you plan to frame.
These Post-it Super Sticky Easel Pads are a hit with kids, as well as adults. “I’ve even found that the large Post-it paper — that we originally bought for work — is excellent for kids,” Ebel shares. “They’re sticky so we can hang them on the walls.”
Clay
Sago Brothers Air Dry Clay is a top pick for sculpture-making, according to Chun. “Air-dry clay is the best for creating sculptures,” she explains. “Whereas Play-Doh is about tactile play, air-dry clay is more about bringing an idea to life.” This set comes with a range of colors and a helpful booklet. As Chun notes, it also includes helpful instructions on a few of the basic skills, like rolling, pinching, and scoring.
As children grow older, their art preferences evolve, a development that Freebern has observed in his own family: “They’re 8 and 13 now and don’t spend a lot of time with Crayola products anymore,” he says, noting that “Sculpey (or other bakeable clays) are big with my 8-year-old at the moment.” This set offers 12 bright colors and can be used to create tiny sculptures as well as ’90s-inspired jewelry.
Crafting and DIY
If you use your imagination, art supplies can be found almost anywhere. Lange suggests going to the hardware store for some multicolored duct tape or painter’s tape. “I always keep a rainbow of colored tape around for costumes, projects, or even some strategic furniture repair.”
Trolio also emphasizes tape’s potential. “Maybe the most important thing, I think, is a variety of tape. My kids freaking love tape. They get Scotch tape in their Christmas stockings. They use colored masking tape for all sorts of stuff, including signs and posters — they make block letters with it. And they each have a roll of painter’s tape, which is what they are allowed to use to hang their work on the wall,” she says. If you like to display your kids’ art on the fridge, I’d recommend getting a roll of magnet tape as well. The magnet is actually pretty strong and it works for paper, photos, postcards, and lots of other things.
“I think stickers are an excellent, mess-free way for little ones to get crafty,” says Dueñas Jacobs who designs and sells several sticker sets featuring jewels, rainbow letters, and other sparkly things, through her popular kids’ dress-up brand Super Smalls. Her sticker philosophy is that they should be used for everything and everywhere. “They’re no longer just for decorating homemade cards — we love to use them to gem-ify anything from bike helmets and schoolbooks to water bottles, doll furniture, and everything in between,” she says.
Nearly everyone we spoke to suggested using old cardboard boxes to create sculptures that kids can sit or stand inside. “We are still playing with cardboard boxes,” says Lange, telling us that her 11-year-old recently attached some wheeled Magna-Tiles to the bottom of a box and drew controls on it to create a car. Like the Magna Tiles, this 50-piece tool kit transforms a simple box into a high-tech rocket ship or playhouse.
Art sets and kits
According to Chun, this craft library has enough variety to keep little kids busy but is curated enough to motivate them to use their supplies carefully so you won’t end up with hundreds of popsicle sticks on the floor. “I appreciate that all the materials in this extensive set have a great color palette as well,” says Chun, noting that some craft materials come in only primary colors. She likes that it works as a “perfect self-contained activity” and can be easily brought on a trip. Trolio is also a fan of open-ended crafting sets like this but would need the Kid Made Modern set designed for older children, which we have featured in a bunch of gift guides. “My kids are big on building stuff,” Trolio says, explaining that they often make costume components out of colorful pipe cleaners — for example, green glasses to go with an Encanto Mirabel dress.
If you’re looking for a cute gift set for kids who like to color, Karly Hiser, founder of Crann Organic offers this suggestion from one of her favorite brands, Eco-Kids. The sidewalk chalk, finger paints, and colored pencils are all nontoxic and ecofriendly. Golding also recommended sidewalk chalk and finger paints as must-haves for kids starting to explore their own creativity.
Lange bought a few paint-by-numbers kits during the pandemic that were a big hit with her now 11-year-old son. “I got the ranch house, and he got the succulent array from the same company. I have his painting on my bureau because he did what the kit said and then gave it something extra,” she says.
Our experts:
• Erin Boyle of Reading My Tea Leaves
• Tze Chun, founder UPRISE ART
• Natalie Ebel, co-founder of Backdrop
• Ryan Freebern, senior engineering manager, Identity & A/V
• Liv Lo Golding, health and wellness entrepreneur
• Karly Hiser, founder of Crann Organic
• Maria Dueñas Jacobs, founder of Super Smalls
• Alexandra Lange, writer and mom
• Jen Trolio, Strategist senior editor and mom of a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old
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