Kids Craft Supplies to Keep on Hand

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Help your kids become more creative and entertain themselves when you keep a box of kids craft supplies on hand. You’ll be amazed at how much fun they have on their own!

This makes a great Christmas or birthday gift for kids of all ages. Just adjust the supplies to suit the age and interests of the child. They’ll think they’ve found buried treasure.

assortment of kids craft supplies in a clear plastic tote box.

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Many kids can do crafts all the live long day. True, the oldest ones may bore after awhile, but middles and littles (ages 2 to 10) will surprise you at their stamina when it comes to creating.

Bonus: when contained and properly directed, this obsession can work in your favor, Mama, especially if you’ve got projects of your own to do.

Over time I’ve learned that kids don’t need a lot of instruction when it comes to kids crafts. Other than demonstrating a technique with a paint brush or with clay, I really only need to make the opportunities available to let them explore the art media at hand.

child's hands crafting with paper and pompoms.
Be sure to check out this simple Fall Wreath craft that your kids can easily recreate on their own!

One of the best things you can do as a mom to encourage creative play in your kids is to give them free reign in crafting. How to do that?

Keep kids craft supplies on hand!

You don’t need to buy special craft kits, though that can be helpful at times. Instead gather up a box of basic kids craft supplies within easy access so that when a creative moment hits, your peeps can get crafting quickly and without a lot of fuss.

When you have the kids craft supplies already gathered together, it’s so much easier to be a Yes Mom!

What Kids Craft Supplies to Keep on Hand:

You don’t need to stock all these items all the time, but having an assortment of art supplies on hand for kids to use can be super beneficial.

Pro tip: When grandparents ask what kids might want for Christmas and Birthdays, direct them to this list! They can even grab the free printable checklist below.

assortment of kids craft supplies laid out on a white counter.

Paper

  • white paper for drawing
  • colored cardstock
  • construction paper
  • watercolor paper
  • lined paper for writing
  • magazines for collage
  • tissue paper
  • crepe paper
  • poster board
  • coffee filters
  • tracing paper
  • graph paper
  • newspaper
  • paper plates
  • file folders
  • coloring books
  • shreds from the paper shredder
  • cardboard boxes
  • egg cartons

Tools

  • kid scissors
  • fancy scissors
  • stencils and templates
  • ink pad
  • brushes
  • ruler
  • sponges

Sanity-Savers

  • aprons/smocks
  • tablecloth/tarp
  • newspaper

Media

There’s nothing wrong with teaching kids the proper word for the materials used to create art.

  • drawing pencils
  • crayons
  • colored pencils
  • markers
  • watercolor pencils
  • poster paints
  • tempera paints
  • acrylic paints
  • watercolor paints
  • charcoal pencils

Fasteners

  • transparent tape
  • double sided tape
  • glue
  • glue stick
  • rubber cement
  • paper clips

Other

  • popsicle sticks
  • pompoms
  • googly eyes
  • foamies
  • clay/playdough
  • smocks/aprons
  • feathers
  • stickers
toddler paining an egg carton cut in the shape of a caterpillar.

Kids Craft Inspiration

Looking for some quick and easy inspiration? Check out these classic arts and craft books for kids:

:: Check out Easy Origami to teach kids how to fold and create shapes from paper.

:: I love the Little Hands art books. Some of our favorites are Paper Plate Crafts and the Little Hands Art Book. For bigger kids, try Making Amazing Art!

:: Have you or a grandmother moved on from scrapbooking? Let your kiddos dig into your supplies. They will have a blast!

flatlay of printable craft supplies checklist with crayons on a white table.

Get the Free Checklist

Want to fast-track your kids craft supplies box? Grab the free checklist. It’s perfect for creating your own treasure trove of supplies that kids can craft with.

Drop your email address below to get instant access to our free printable resource library.

There are so many great printables in the library! Check your inbox to confirm your subscription to the Life as Mom newsletter.

side view of kids craft supplies box with label.

More Crafty Ideas for Kids

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Kids Craft Supplies Box

This project is super simple, but provides loads of fun to children. Create a kids craft supplies box so that your kids can build, craft, and imagine all kinds of things. They'll have all the tools and craft supplies ready when you create a project box like this.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Equipment

  • child safety scissors
  • ruler
  • decorative templates
  • crayons
  • colored pencils
  • watercolor paints
  • glue or glue stick
  • plastic storage tote

Supplies
  

  • construction paper
  • white paper
  • colored cardstock
  • watercolor paper
  • lined paper for writing
  • magazines for collage
  • tissue paper
  • crepe paper
  • poster board
  • coffee filters
  • tracing paper
  • graph paper
  • newspaper
  • paper plates
  • file folders
  • pom poms
  • pipe cleaners
  • coloring books
  • label for tote

Instructions
 

  • Mix and match the supplies and tools that are age-appropriate for your child.
  • Place all the supplies and tools in a plastic tote.
  • Create a fun label to identify the tote.
Tried this project?Let us know how it went!

This post was originally published on March 23, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.

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21 Comments

  1. In addition to what you mentioned, I also kept in the garage a big plastic tub called the “inventor box.” I would put anything in it that could not be recycled or composted such as old electronic parts, shoeboxes, promo cds, the plastic boxes iphones once came in, and empty thread spools, etc. That way, when dioramas etc. came due at school, they could repurpose without me having to buy things to finish these projects. Sometimes they would just make things from this box for fun.

  2. We use rubbermaid drawers that are labeled. We have a bit of everything. We use Art Adventures at Home for our art curriculum. It helps teach art skills (drawing, painting, clay to crafts), refers back to real art pieces and helps you to help your kiddo assess the work. Most projects build off of another in a simple way. Great for when boredom kicks in as they get to learn new stuff. 🙂

  3. Paper bags, toilet paper rolls, and socks…can all be used to make different puppets. I guess you could throw yarn in there too.