Must-Have Art Supplies for Kids: A Simple Starter Kit for Creative Play

If you’re out of creative practice and find yourself parenting a tiny artist, relax—you don’t need a full studio or expensive tools. A handful of versatile, inexpensive, easy-to-clean art supplies can support hours of creative exploration. This basic list of essential art supplies for kids uses materials you may already have around the house, and everything fits into a small bin or two.

These kid-friendly art supplies cover drawing, painting, cutting, sculpting, and general making—perfect for preschoolers, and early elementary artists.

List of 11 (or 12) Essential Art Supplies for Kids:

Kids’ Scissors: Durable, safe, kid-sized scissors to help build fine-motor skills and confidence.

Glue Stick: Less mess, fast-drying, and easy for kids to control. A must for collage and paper crafts.

Tape (Masking or Clear): I love clear tape for collaging and journaling. Masking tape or painters tape is useful for taping large paper down to cover surfaces or draw on

Paper (Computer Paper or White Butcher Paper): White paper is the most flexible surface for drawing, painting, and open-ended art projects. Reams of computer paper are more cost effective than sketchbooks. Butcher paper os great for larger scale projects: tape down a sheet and let their imagination run wild.

Pencils: Plain yellow school pencils are totally fine—reliable and affordable.

Construction Paper: I prefer brightly colored card stock over construction paper. The colors tend to be more vibrant and it's more versatile and long lasting.

Black Felt-Tip Pen (Paper Mate Flair): Makes bold lines, water soluable, professional looking, but affordable. A winner.

Colored Pencils: There are many colored pencils out there and this is the one supply I would splurge on a nice set if you can. The cheap colored pencils just won't cover or blend the same. Caran d’Ache Aquarelle pencils are my favorites: soft, vivid, and can be activated with water for a watercolor effect or for blending. Splurge on a small set—quality beats quantity here. Also, a set will last you for years. I've had my set for over 20 years. You can update colors individually as you run out or customize.

Washable Markers (Pentel or Crayola): Pick a pack with appealing colors. Washable markers are essential for younger kids and quick cleanup. I don't think it's necessary to splurge on fancy colored pens, but it can be fun to play around with different brands and find one that you like/

Recycled Materials Box: Save cardboard boxes, egg cartons, bubble wrap, clean containers, used styrofoam veggie containers, old newspaper for paper mache—all these are free, eco friendly sculpting materials you’d otherwise throw away. I keep a big box in my basement and throw in interesting items once in a while.

Watercolor Pan Set (Angora 14-Color): Watercolors are another supply that rance from really cheap and crappy to professional quality and outrageously expesnsive. Angora watercolors, however, are a reliable, vivid watercolor set that offers great color payoff without the price tag of professional paints.I highly recommend.

Water Brush (Optional bonus): For super easy painting cleanup, water brushes are awesome. You can find them at any art supply store or online. Pentel is one company that makes them. They're paint brushes with a resevoir for water attached. Great for painting on the go because you don't need a separate container for water and they don't spill.

If you keep nothing else, this list alone is enough to create a mini kids’ art studio that invites creativity daily. These supplies are budget-friendly, beginner-friendly, and endlessly versatile for open-ended projects and process-based art.