Quite a few friends have asked me for some art supplies recommendations lately, so here goes!
I’m always happy to take questions or offer suggestions. My close friends text me from Michaels all the time with emergency art supply questions! Just shoot me an email at harborcreativearts@gmail.com or find me on IG (@harborcreativearts).
Paper:
A paper roll is great because you can roll it right along the table or floor for a big piece to color on.
My favorite watercolor paper is Canson XL! It’s reasonably priced and can hold lots of layers of any kind of paint. The 9 x 12 inch is on sale right now for a great price but if you have a place to store it I recommend one of the bigger sized pads. (Tip: Leave the big papers out or take it out again, after the artist draws or paints on it. Offer or suggest different supplies for your kids to add more layers with. Then try putting it in a cheap white frame!)
This colored construction paper is super bright, and typically pretty fadeless. It comes in great colors too. (Tip: Try using the “construction paper crayons” below on it.)
Paint supplies:
Crayola washable kids paint is great for really young kids or if you’re really afraid of a mess. It’s super washable but comes in great colors.
Crayola brushes are durable and come with four different useful sizes.
If you’re looking for something a little more unique for your young artist, splurge on a set of these semi-moist tempera cakes. You brush them with water before you use them to “activate” them, they are nice and bright, but can be more transparent the more water you add to your brush. The colors of the paint cakes are deceiving because the color looks so much brighter and prettier when you paint with it.
Fun things to color with:
Tempera sticks are awesome. They are really great for the 7 and under crowd but even my middle school students love them. They work like a glue stick but they are paint and it dries pretty quickly. Just make sure you put the covers on them when you’re done. Baby wipes easily clean them off of most surfaces. Kwik Stix are another popular brand.
Kids 6 and older will love oil pastels. They probably use them in their school art class too. If you don’t know what they are, they are kind of like a mushier, slidey crayon. You can also paint right over it with watercolors and the oil pastel resists the paint and peeks through. (Make sure they don’t get stepped on, it will track all over your house.)
Construction paper crayons are super cool. The colors vary from regular crayons – more pinks, turquoises, white – and they show up on any color paper, including black!
Bonus crowd pleasers (and great for TWO years old and up):
Do a dot markers – builds dexterity.
Foam stickers – these entertain every child. Try bringing them to a restaurant to entertain the kids too!
Colored Masking tape – there are endless activities you can do with this. We LOVE Bam Tape. Their Instagram has great ideas too.
