Coloring

 

Top Row 

Triangular Crayons in Storage Container – Triangle shaped crayons are excellent for teaching kids proper grip and keeping crayons from rolling off the table.  I also like that the big storage container makes it easier for kids to get them out and clean up on their own.

Dry Erase Crayons & White Board – These are great for traveling.  We also like to use the crayons for the laminated “busy bag” sheets we find and make from Pinterest.

Watercolor Colored Pencils – Allows for more beautiful blending than regular colored pencils and readers have commented these are great to use for face painting too.

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Oil Pastel Crayons – Professional quality at kid prices – brilliant hues that blend very well for teaching kids about color theory.  Plus, they’re a super affordable and fun step up from regular crayons.

Natural Crayon Rocks – My daughter really enjoyed using these when she wasn’t old enough to grasp traditional crayons.

Jumbo Drawing Pad – This is made for an easel but is also awesome to use on a table or even on the floor.

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Do-a-Dot Rainbow Art Set – These are essentially BINGO markers but you see them all over good daycares and preschools because young children love coloring with them and they’ve very easy to use.

Crayola Washable Markers – Eventually your kids will graduate to standard markers, and when they do you’ll want to be sure they are washable!

Easel Paper Rolls – An entire afternoon can be filled up by rolling these out, wall-to-wall, on the floor and letting the kids decorate however they choose.

 

Painting

 

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Jumbo Paint Brush Set – Oversized and perfect for introducing your little ones to painting.

20 Piece Kids Brush Set – We bought this set on a whim but were really pleased with the assortment. The variation in brush size and type extends the kids interest in painting.

Little Hands Funky Brushes – Big and chunky brushes makes it easy for even the littlest hands to create fun textures.

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Giant Tempera Washable Paint Cakes – Our toddler group uses these.  They’re washable, long-lasting and really easy for the kids to use.

Washable Liquid Tempera Paints – If you’re serious about regular art time for you kids, going bulk like the preschools is a much more economical choice.

Watercolor Paint Set – Watercolors are our absolute favorite way to paint.  Since they’re low-mess, we can dive in at a moment’s notice.  Just in case you’re not ready for the giant version above, here’s a quality set in a more manageable size.

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Spill-Proof Paint Cups – A very wise investment.

Art Easel – These are great enticements for getting kids to create.  We actually have the tabletop version, which works well if space is an issue.

ABC Painting Sponges – A nice way to add another level of learning into art time.

 

Manipulables & Stamps

 

 

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Deluxe Alphabet Stamp Set – Great for letter recognition and letter obsessed kids.

Play Doh Barrel – We have this, use it everyday, and for my money it’s the best collective Play Doh collection out there.  Plus the barrel is super handy for cleaning up.

Pipe Cleaners – A multi-colored pack of pipe cleaners can be used in so many different ways.  It’s a must-have for the art closet.

Middle Row

Art Lab for Kids – 52 Creative Adventures in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Paper, and Mixed Media-For Budding Artists of All Ages

Playfoam Combo 20 Pack – A mess-free manipulation toy perfect for preschoolers (and bigger kids too!).

DwellStudio Stamp Set – I’m a big fan of Dwell Studio and I love this fun kit.  It includes stamps, ink pads and pencils in a zoo, farm, city or owls motif and I think it’s a go-to gift for birthday parties.

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Glue – Every good art kit needs some good washable glue.  The little ones do especially well with a large glue stick.

Safety Scissors – Our 3 year old loves this Melissa & Doug two pack, one straight and one zig-zag. Our 2 year old loves this Alex spring set because the spring makes it a lot easier for her to cut on her own.

Ed Embelerly’s Complete Fingerprinting Drawing Book – We put this on our Easter wish list for the grandparents last year and got it.  Such a fun and easy way for parents to do art with kids and for big kids to make cool stuff all on their own.

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