Here we are at
part three of my
series about my
favorite art supplies
to keep on hand for your kids.
(I’m sorry they are SO LONG!)
If you missed part one:
Favorite Supplies for Toddlers click here.
Here’s part two:
I still recommend the supplies
from both lists
for the Toddler years (ages 2-3)
and
the Preschool years (ages 3-5)
for School-Age children (ages 5-12)
but I like to add some more
“sophisticated” materials
to the mix.
1. Love, love, love
Caran D’Ache
Water Soluble Artist Crayons
Draw with them like colored pencils
or regular crayons,
then add some water
with a nice paint brush
on good, student grade (or nicer)
watercolor paper
to achieve a lovely,
watercolor-effect.
(I used to add these to my Monoprints
in college all the time!)
2. Sharpies
Yes, I know, these are not “green”
or planet friendly
and they are certainly NOT non-toxic!
USE IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA
like the backyard.
but…
you can get such cool effects
If you know of a green alternative
for my beloved Sharpie markers
I would love to hear from you.
(My guilty conscience needs a break!)
for my beloved Sharpie markers
I would love to hear from you.
(My guilty conscience needs a break!)
3. Acrylic Paint
with my girls because it goes on sale
at Michaels ALL the time!
I also use
for projects like this….
Poured Paint Backyard Gazing Balls
and
Painting Fairy Houses
4. NICE Paint Brushes
You don’t have to break the bank but,
kids this age should have some
“nice” paint brushes
in a variety of sizes.
(save those Michaels half-off coupons!)
At least one Fine brush
for detail work,
a Medium brush for most painting
and
a Large Brush for covering large ares.
Teach them to wash out their brush
as soon as they’re done painting
(don’t let it dry out)
Sculpt the bristles back into a point
while they’re still wet
(like styling it’s hair
or combing out tangles!)
Always store your brushes
upright in a jar or glass to dry
(not on their heads!)
Keep in a jar or a brush roll
(like those fabric crayon rolls
everyone is making now!)
5. Kite Paper
This beautiful,
colorful, translucent paper
is WONDERFUL for window projects
like…
We get our Kite Paper from Palumba here
Fun for pretty paper airplane making too!
6. Oil Pastels
I call them
“Magic Crayons”
I love the way you can blend
colors with these creamy crayons.
They CAN stain clothing.
If you buy the adult kind, they are not
non-toxic but children’s pastels are available.
I use:
and
Watercolor resists beautifully
over Oil Pastel.
7. Assortment of Beads
and
Elastic Thread
To make necklaces,
friendship bracelets,
doll accessories,
eye glasses chains, etc.
Don’t forget things like:
recycled cut-up drinking straws
alphabet beads
buttons
home-made Magazine Paper Beads
home-made clay beads
silk flower petals
8. Yarn
Great for finger weaving,
hair for dolls,
belts and ropes for imaginative play
knitting,
or weaving on a loom!
9. Small Loom
perfect for quiet afternoons…
You can use a store-bought Lap Loom
like ours….
or
with a piece of cardboard.
We’re planning to make an OUTDOOR Loom
for our backyard this summer!
(Eek -Exciting!)
10. Blank Books
Kids this age love to write
and illustrate their own
books and journals.
Encourage this
by providing them with an assortment
of store-bought and home made blank books.
Sketch Books
Moleskine Journals
11. Their OWN Stash
of White Paper
I like to give school-aged children
an entire package of white office copy paper.
and
12. Good Student-grade
Watercolor Paper
and…
if they really like to watercolor
Good Watercolor Paper
13. A beginning Sewing Kit
Learning basic hand sewing and stitching
is a foundation skill
that will last a lifetime.
Embroidery Floss
Needles of various sizes
Embroidery Hoop
Muslin/Cotton fabric
Burlap
Yarn
Small sharp scissors
A threading tool (to help
them thread their needles)
Buttons
You can make your own Needle Book.
Christmas Tree Button Sewing Lesson
14. A place of their own
to keep their art work
An Underbed Storage Box
Accordian File Folder
(from an office supply store)
A Drawer…
Both of my girls have their own “Paper BOX”
under their beds to keep art work,
school projects,
home made books, etc.
We go through and purge/recycle
the boxes once or twice a year
to weed out what we really want to keep.
After a year,
I find that they are a lot
less attached to some of the work,
then you keep just a few of the
really special pieces
that are representative of that age or school year
for
scrapbooks,
framing/displaying,
memory boxes,
etc.
15. Modeling Clay
Kids this age may feel that they are
“too big” to play with play-doh
but they will love working with clay
(especially clay that can be
baked in the oven
to harden/cure)
Model Magic
Sculpey
Sculpey Brand “Pluffy” Clay
16. Mod-Podge
This water-soluble product
is perfect for collage,
sealing
Family Photo Collage on Canvas
17. Legos
Legos are wonderful for school-age children.
They construct
3-Dimensional sculptures
and
buildings (Architecture!)
They learn math and counting.
It builds fine-motor skills.
You can make an idea book
like we did here.
18. Flower/ Leaf Press
Make your own to save
those beautiful blooms and leaves
collected in the backyard
and on nature walks.
Great for collage and pictures!
19. Scraps
Fabric,
Felt,
Ribbon,
Yarn,
Cardboard,
Paper,
Tissue Paper,
Aluminum Foil,
Bubble Wrap
A wonderful resource for kids to
use as they need.
20. An INVENTION Box
A wonderful resource for
imaginative construction and 3-D work.
This is our catch-all for odd bits and pieces
that can’t be recycled but we don’t want to
toss in the landfill!
21. A Color Box
I always had one of these
for each table of students
in my art classroom.
A color box is a great way to
recycle smaller scraps of colored paper
leftover from big sheets of paper.
Small scraps of colored paper
I like to provide my girls
(and myself!)
with a small box
(a kid’s shoe box works well for this)
containing a spectrum
of colored paper
(scrapbook paper/construction paper)
cut into small rectangles
(approx. 4″x6″)
for various projects.
This is nice for kids to use when doing collage
and various projects
but doesn’t have as much waste as giving
kids big pieces of paper
(that they cut one tiny shape out of the center)
Source: Pink and Green Mama
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