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.
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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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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More Crafty Ideas for Kids
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Kids Craft Supplies Box
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.
This post was originally published on March 23, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.
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.
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. 🙂
I have never heard of Art Adventures at Home. Gonna have to check that out. Thanks!
Paper bags, toilet paper rolls, and socks…can all be used to make different puppets. I guess you could throw yarn in there too.
Thanks for the list. In the past I have just bought items randomly, but this is a good organizational tool.
Currently I have such supplies in two large plastic bins, which are in the kitchen (our kitchen is, I believe, larger than most kitchens – it measures about 22′ X 25′ – and is the center and meeting place of our home). When the grandkids come over going to the bins is often a first stop (unless the ‘princesses’ want to dress-up). We call the bins the INVENTOR’S BOX – and includes oatmeal boxes, TP and paper towel rolls, and other cleaned recyclable materials.
Thanks again for this checklist.
@just a granny, oooh, I like that – Inventor’s Box.
@Jessica Fisher, Here’s an inventor’s box story to share:
last Christmas, one of the 5 yr olds asked for scotch tape as a gift – she luvs (really luvs) to tape stuff together when she ventures into the inventor’s box- so that was an easy gift; the other 5-yr old wanted ‘Post-it-notes’ – so easy to buy for these two 5 yr old cousins.
The library is a great place to get kids craft books. My kids have fun looking for new projects!
I use an old dresser in the “craft room” I use that word loosly as it quickly turns into a strorage room. I labeled each drawer and keep it stocked with lots of stuff. A few things I didn’t see on your list plastic tablecloth, makes clean up a cinch, glitter our motto a craft project isn’t done if it doesn’t have glitter! To make glitter easier to clean up use a disposable pie pan or old cookie sheet to glitter than just pour back into the jar. By the way I have a 3 ds and 7 ds, my 7 yo loves to craft and I’ve been just turning him loose since he was one, I know it sounds crazy but he’s always been a good little boy, now the 3yo is another story! I have to be very present to let him near anything that is messy. And that leads me to my last tip, a magic eraser it will clean crayon, permanent marker and pens off many surfaces including your child, ask me how I know this!
I thought that our art cabinet was complete! Wrong!
We use craft designated cookie cutters for tracing, paint dipping, and playdoh. Also use pipe cleaners and foam sheets for lots of things. We have a small cabinet in the dining room that is designated as the “art cabinet”. What I really have trouble with is what to do with all the finished creations. My kids would love to keep EVERYTHING they make but that simply isn’t possible. So far I’ve resorted to having some things “disappear” after they seem to be forgotten but there has to be another way.
We take pictures of their artwork and then insert them into a photo book that we do for them every year on their birthday. That way they can look back at some of the creations they have made!!
Thanks for this great list, Jessica! I just shared it with our facebook fans!
I keep most of the same items on hand. I also keep stickers and craft foamies (buy holiday ones at the end of the season at Michael’s for a song). My dd (7) can craft for HOURS on end. Her Spring Break Plan ? Craft for 6 hours everyday. How’s that for fun??
Great list! I printed out your checklist. Thanks!
I was thinking the same question: how do you keep it organized – specifically the on-hand items? All my crafting supplies, for me AND the kiddos are all sorted and tucked away, but the RIGHT NOW stash is stuffed en masse in a disastrous side drawer…
@Kelly, I have them sorted into Sterilite boxes in the garage. Our “at hand” box is a jumble of mess. 😉
Stickers! My daughter is two and can’t get enough of stickers. Happily, she’s not very picky about type yet — she’s perfectly content to stick freebie return address labels onto pieces of paper.
Do you have a good method for organizing all your supplies? I feel like mine are scattered all over the house.
@Kate, We’ve got my four-year-old daughter’s craft supplies (and she loves them) in a three-drawer rolling plastic cart (one drawer for paper/coloring books, etc.; one drawer for stickers and writing/coloring utensils — pencils, crayons, colored pencils; one drawer for miscellaneous — Play-Doh molding and rolling supplies, foam paintbrushes, odd little things). Plus we have a large plastic storage box for the things that are too big to fit into the rolling cart (Melissa and Doug stamp boxed stamp sets; foam stickers – we store them by theme in empty wipes boxes; the hand loom she got from my aunt, etc.).
@Kate, I have them organized by type in sterilite boxes in an armoire in the garage.