Thoughts on Art Supplies to Spark Some Gift Ideas for Kids
Dec. 13, 2023
I'm a big believer in the importance of art for children starting at young age. Buying art supplies for kids can be a little tricky though. You have to take into consideration how old they are, their skill level, and how messy the art supply is. Let's be honest, parents sometimes cringe when something thas glitter.
While I have grouped the supply ideas into age groups, in my opinion, supplies should be based more on skill level and passion over age. Skill level and passion can only be gauged on an individual basis, so categorizing by age groups was the next best option. 😅
I encourage you to prioritize taking into consideration your child's skill level and passion for art above age. You may find yourself buying supplies from a different age group, and that is ok. Some children develope an interest in art at a very young age and start to hone their skills very quickly due to the amount of time and effort they have poured into their art. They may be asking for supplies I put into an older age group. Other children start to take an interest in art at an older age.
I also understand that budget needs to be taken into consideration. Art supplies are a luxury and can be very expensive. I've tried to provide options that do not require you to sacrafice an arm and a leg in order to obtain.
AGES 2-4
Creating art is an excellent way for children to work on developing their fine motor skills while also giving them ways to creatively express themselves. Children are learning how to grasp things like crayons or markers in their hands and how to control their movement in order to get the desired result they want. Since they are still learning, there's a good chance that they won't always be coloring on the item you want them to color, which means the supplies need to be washable. Crayola has some excellent options for children starting at ages as young as 1 with their "My First" line. Their Washable Crayons* and Washable Markers* are excellent options for children of this age. You can rest assured knowing that you can wash any marks off of walls and carpets while they learn how to hold a crayon or marker in order to make marks on their paper. If you are really brave and have both the time and energy to set up station for your child to fingerpaint, you can try Crayola's Fingerpaint Kit* from their "My First" line. It comes with blue, red and yellow paint along with 10 large sheets of paper.
Of course, your child can always color on loose paper you already have, but some other great options are coloing books! You can find options with characters from some of their favorite shows such as this Bluey coloring book, or you can find options that have animals or Disney characters. The options are endless when it comes to coloring books.
AGES 5-8
Big sets like the ones in the images below I would recommend avoiding if you are gifting art supplies to children ages 8 and up. Young kids love these due to the bright colors, the sheer quantity of items, and the professional looking storage they come in - it makes them feel official. However, sometimes, when they go to actually use the supplies, they are left a little disappointed when they find some of supplies are completely unusable (I'm talking about you, markers).
Instead, I would recommend getting a set of Crayola Supertips Markers, Crayola Color Pencils, and maybe Crayola Crayons if you are looking to gift an "art supply kit" to a young child. You can get all 3 of those linked options from Target for less than $25 after tax. There are smaller packs of each option that you can get for even cheaper. For watercolor paints, you can try this Shuttle Art 43 Pack Watercolor Paint Set* from Amazon that comes with a wide selection of paint colors, 6 different paint brush types, and a pad paper for a budget friendly price.
I honestly can't recommend coloring books enough. It is an excellent way for children to experiment with using markers and color pencils together, or learn how to smoothly blend color pencils. There is such a wide variety of coloring books out there, making it easy to find options that will interest your child. Dover makes some excellent options if you are looking for options outside of Dinsey or Superhero theme. They have options ranging from Dinosaurs* to Horses* or Cats*, and even to Life in a Medieval Castle*.
If your child loves to paint, and you feel comfortable with them using acrylic paint, I think the Apple Barrel Acrylic Paints* are great for children. They will last for multiple projects, and if a specific color runs out, it is easy to get a new bottle. If you aren't wanting the linked set of 16, you can also buy the individual paint bottles from a Walmart. A cheaper set of paint brushes* works great for acrylic painting projects with kids in case the acrylic gets dried on the brush to the point you can't clean it.
The beauty of acrylic paints is that you can paint on multiple types of surfaces, which is also why you should most definitely supervise your child while they are using these paints. Paper, canvas, wood, ceramic, rocks - the options are endless. For something fun and different, you could consider getting wood objects such as these Insect and Flora Wood Cut Outs* or these Ocean Themed Wood Cut Outs*. Pre-drawn canvases, similar to these* could be a fun way for you child to learn how to paint within the lines, especially if they like to choose their own colors to paint with instead of being restricted to using specific colors like with paint by numbers. For children who want to paint their own masterpieces, this set of 5x7 mini canvas boards* are a great option that won't take up as much space as stretched canvases. Paint kits with ceramic sculptures have become very popular. You can find individual ceramic pieces like this llama* to paint on with the acrylic paints.
Scratchboard art supplies are a fund and unique supply idea. I remember being gifted a scratch art kit from one of my grandmas. The scratchboard had a horse trotting in a grassy field with a wooden fence. Blick has some great scratchboard art options for a really affordable price. The scratchboard art was unlike anything else I had ever had before, and I remember it fondly.
AGES 8-12
Previous supplies from the previous age group are still great options, but maybe you have an older child who is starting to get more serious about art and they are wanting to upgrade from their Crayola supplies. This Strathmore Drawing Sketchbook* would make a great sketchbook, and you can pair it with Staedtler's Pencil Set* and the Prismacolor Scholar Color Pencils*. These would be great options to start upgrading the art supplies for your child as they continue to develope their skills.
If your child enjoyed painting with the acrylic craft paint and is hoping to try out some tube paint sets, Arteza has some great options for starting out. You could try their 24 Count Set or you could try their Acrylic Paint and Tool Art Set. I am not as familiar with acrylic painting supplies since I do not work in acrylics, and therefore, my knowledge on the various supplies is limited. The mini canvas boards previously mentioned would still be a good surface to paint on with acrylics, but your child might be interested in painting on stretched canvas as well. Blick offers some canvases sold in 2 packs in various sizes.
AGES 12+
You now may feel more comfortable with buying higher quality art supplies so that your child can continue to hone their skills without having to fight to make the supplies work for them. While the supplies do not make the artist, there are some cheap supplies that can definitely hinder an artists growth. Watercolors and watercolor paper are a prime example of this.
If your child has taken an interest in watercolors, now would be a good time to start upgrading their supplies so they can continue to hone their skills. If it is in your budget, a great set of watercolors that will last a long time is the Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolors.* You can pair this with Cansons XL Watercolor Paper*. I recommend going no lower than 140lb. for paper weight when it comes to watercolor paper. The Princeton Snap Paint Brushes* would make a great addition if you are wanting to add a couple additional paint brushes to their supplies. Your child may also be interested in trying out watercolor pencils at this time as well. The Prismacolor Set of 12 Watercolor Pencils or even the Set of 24 would both make good introductory sets.
If your child has enjoyed using watercolors, they might also enjoy testing out gouache paint, which is like a mix between acrylic and watercolors. It can be watered down like watercolors, but can also be used without water. It is opaque like acrylic, just with a matt finish. Your child can use gouache on the watercolor paper listed above and can use the paint brushes listed above as well. Arteza has some great set options for starting out, such as this Set of 24 Assorted Gouache Paint*.
For color pencils, I would recommend upgrading from the Prismacolor Scholar set to the Prismacolor Premier Colore Pencils*. These come in a variety of sizes wiht varying price points. If your budget only alots for the 12 count set, I would encourage you to consider what your artist likes to draw before selecting which 12 count set to get. The Botanical Set* is a great option if you aren't sure. These colors are little nicer than the standard Assorted Set. The 48 Count Set and 72 Count Set* are also great options if you have a higher budget.
Maybe your child has a passion for drawing manga style art. If that is the case, they be interested in some different art supplies. This Micron 8 Pack Set or this Micron 6 Piece Set* would be great if they are wanting pens for inking their drawings. The Ohuhu Markers*, while they may seem more expensive, are a great substitution to the well known, and more expensive, Copic Markers. The brush tips make these very enjoyable to use and are perfect for the illustrative manga style art. For additional details, the Prismacolor Color Pencils will layer nicely over the markers. While any Prismacolor Set would work, your artist may enjoy this specific Prismacolor Manga Color Pencil Set*. It's important to make sure you have the right kind of paper for using alcohol markers like the Ohuhu's as some papers end up pilling up and sometimes tearing when markers are laid down. Your artist may enjoy Strathmore's Marker Paper Pad* if they are wanting to use alcohol markers. These supplies are not strictly for manga inspired art, but they are commonly used for this style of art.
If you are wanting to get an "art kit" that comes with a few different supplies for them to test out to see what they like, this Prismacolor Set comes with 12 color pencils, 12 watercolor pencils, a drawing pencil, a pencil sharpener, a kneaded eraser, and 6 markers. It's a great set option that I think is perfect for older children pursuing art that is looking to test out various supplies. This set does not include a paint brush, so I would recommend purchasing this Princeton Snap Round Paint Brush* to pair with this for them to use with the watercolor pencils.
FINAL THOUGHTS
While this isn't the end all, be all list of supplies, I hope these suggestions can help spark some ideas of art supplies you can gift your child. There are so many more supplies out there, and if I tried to highlight all of them, not only would this post would never be finished, but you all wouldn't want to stick around to read it all. I am sure this already getting long as it is.
If your child is pursuing selling their original art, it is time to consider lightfast supply options. Some of the supplies listed in the Ages 12+ section do have lightfast ratings. You can shop My Supplies page to find lightfast supplies or look through my 2023 Ultimate Art Supply Gift Guide post for more professional quality supplies and more paper/sketchbook suggestions.
*All linked items with asterisks next to them are affiliate links. I receive a small commission when you purchase from these links. I am not sponsored by any of these brands to promote them. Thanks!
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