10 Kids Art And Craft Supplies Absolutely Necessary To Get You Started

303 Shares

Inside: How to tackle kids craft and art supplies and what do you actually need to have on hand for start.

One of biggest mistakes I ever made was allowing my daughter to have access to ALL of our art and craft supplies for her quiet time – without supervision.

She enjoyed creating same as I enjoyed sipping my cup of coffee in peace of the afternoon. Until one day… when I walked in her room … and discovered ….

… silver glitter sprinkled all over her bedroom, piles of glitter on the floor, including sprinkled nightstand, bed, book shelves… her clothes … hair… and everything her little hands touched.

Can you imagine shocked expression on my face at that very moment? I didn’t know would I cry or laugh out loud.

Her sweetest ‘sorry’ didn’t make the mess disappear but it did helped me realize it isn’t entirely her fault after all.

That was lesson to learn from. Made me think smarter and plan better.

Essential craft supplies to get you started with creative activities

This post may contain affiliate links.

So, where do you even start when it comes to art and craft supplies? I understand it can be overwhelming to gather all the supplies. Have them on hand sometimes seems like a nightmare. And if you do have them stocked up, how do you organize them?

These are the questions that come to every parent who wants incorporate creativity in to family life and raise creative children.

Here is the truth.

It doesn’t have to be overwhelming at all.

You can easily gather basic supplies, organize them and have accessible for every day use or whenever you want your child to do art and crafts.

3 most common myths about kids art and craft supplies

1. Art and craft supplies are expensive

I want to reassure you, art and craft supplies don’t have to be expensive. There are some essential craft supplies that are absolute necessity but the trick is you don’t have to buy everything at once. Buying a bulk definitely adds a sum and can be scary. So I recommend buying one supply at a time if you are on a budget.

Dollar store can be very resourceful too. They carry variety of Crayola brand supplies and you would be surprised if I tell you that I regularly find great deals on Amazon that even beats dollar store.

For example I love Crayola brand because there are good quality, non-toxic, relatively inexpensive and washable, so I always take a peek if they have any great deals while I shop at Amazon.

And if we are gonna talk about inexpensive art supplies, my favourite are household items and supplies that can be used for art and crafts or our own DIY supplies, like homemade play dough, finger paint or puff paint.

2. You have to be well stocked up

You heard of saying: “Less is more”?

Well, it is totally applicable when it comes to craft supplies. The less supplies you have, more creative child will be with experimenting and combining different materials or tools. You know how we all can easily become confused with too many choices, which leads to choosing nothing. In children you can see that when they become bored next to the numerous toys, games and books they have right next to them.

Keep it simple and thrive creativeness in your child.

3. I have to buy whole bulk packaging when I only need one piece (of paper for example)

While in most cases this is true, some tricks can help you. Here are some ideas.

Use coupons, like in Michales, and you can get that packaging in a half of a price.
You can arrange buying and splitting bulk packaging with other parents.
Be creative and substitute material you need with similar material that you already have on hand.
Check out kids craft kits that can contain several different materials and ‘the one’ you need for your project.
Check in a thrift store. You would be amazed what can you find there.

At the end, buying in a bulk doesn’t have to be pain. You can use that same material for lots of other projects and you will be stocked for a while.

What art and craft supplies are absolute necessities

This list is to help you how to get started and make a plan which one you will get first. It doesn’t mean you must have them all in stock right away. Select one from each category and start simple. What will you choose depends on child’s age, developmental stage and personal preferences.

1. Paper – cardboard, construction paper, print paper, foam sheets…
2. Drawing tools – crayons, coloured pencils, washable markers, wax crayons
3. Paint – watercolours, tempera paint, finger paint, food coloring
4. Treasures or collage materials – pom-poms, goggly eyes, fabric and felt scraps, yarn, paper scraps, small rocks, pinecones, leaves, twigs….
5. Stickers, paper tape, washi tape
6. Scissors and glue
7. Paint brushes – big and small, sponges, q-tips
8. Play dough or modelling clay bought or homemade
9. Table protector – like old tablecloth, flannel sheet, art tray
10. Child’s apron – sewn, bought or old shirt will do fine

Eventually you will have lots of craft supplies on hand and plenty to choose from for a certain project. You can check out extended list of supplies with free printable.

Finally, one of the best things you can do is to limit number of supplies that are accessible by rotating them and changing occasionally. Take out 3-5 supplies that you will use and store the rest in a bin or closet. Replace them with new ones from storage about once per week.

This tips will help you to get started and stay organised, and hopefully, you won’t end up with a glitter sprinkled room 🙂

I totally support you on this important task of encouraging your child’s creativity, so if you have any questions I would be glad to help, just leave the comment bellow.

If you find this helpful and know parents who thrive to raise creative children like you do, be kind a take a few seconds to share it so they can benefit from this article too.