Add These Three Art Supplies That Will Inspire Kids!

Our schools give us long lists of art supplies for school use, but what should you have at home to both complete homework projects and to inspire spontaneous art creations?  Many of the items are the same – pencils, markers, scissors, crayons, colored pencils, white glue, glue sticks and paper.  But here are three inexpensive items that I like to see in every art box at home:

My Number 1 recommendation is a box of Oil Pastels.  While oil pastels are crayon-like, they have a softer, richer texture and are available in more vibrant colors.  They glide on the surface and create bright effects. Kids of all ages love the soft feel of oil pastels and the wonderful artistic effect.

The second item I love are watercolors.  Crayola makes wonderful washable watercolors (for about $2.50). You’ll need to purchase some inexpensive watercolor brushes as well as strong study paper. Strathmore makes a product called Paint Pad ($2.99) that is a good, inexpensive choice. Kids get frustrated with watercolors if painting on thin paper (like computer paper) because the watercolors cause the paper to wrinkle and curl distorting their painting so make sure to have some paper designed for paint on hand.

Another favorite is tape. Kids can use tapes to decorate projects, make crafts, create designs, build sculptures and a host of other creative pursuits. Today there are a plethora of choices; Washi tape, Duct tape, masking tape and others.  My personal favorite is Japanese Washi Tape.  While this is quite expensive, Scotch has created its own version of Washi Tape for about three dollars. The rolls come in many colors, patterns and sizes.  Duct tape is also a fun choice for kids 6 and up as it is hard to manage for preschoolers.

Add these three items to your art box and see what creative uses your kids will discover!