Our eldest daughter Lilly is ALL about art at the moment. She will sit and draw or create for hours sometimes! Over the years, we’ve tried many different brands and supplies and today I’m here to share some of my favourite art supplies for toddlers and preschoolers.
When it comes to art supplies, sometimes it can be really hard to choose what brand to go with. And personally, I think this is one area you should spend a little more with. A good quality art supply will make all the difference! I have two favourite brands which are Faber-Castell and Micador.
Faber-Castell Jumbo Markers
These Jumbo Faber-Castell Markers are my absolute favourite for little hands! Lilly often uses these thick markers to draw with but they’re also perfect for when her 2 year old sister Audrey joins in as well. They come in a 10 pack and they’re my go-to for simple drawing invitations.
Faber-Castell Oil Pastels
We love using these Faber-Castell oil pastels for our Primerry Kids Art Lessons! Lilly will often use them to draw her scene before using watercolours to finish off her piece. We have extra packets in the cupboard so that we never run out! If Lilly is using watercolours, we will always grab the oil pastels or crayons for any drawing.
Micador Watercolours
Speaking of watercolours, we absolutely LOVE our Micador palettes! The 36 set are perfect for older children and the 12 set are a great size for toddlers. We go through these quickly but they are so vibrant and are definitely a staple supply for us. In fact, we often take them away on holidays too!
Non-spill Water Pots
We got our non-spill pots from Riot before they shut down but we’ve found similar at places like Officeworks. We keep them in a tub with the watercolours and paintbrushes so they’re ready to go when we need them.
Works at Play Powder Paints
We’ve had these powder paints from Works at Play for a few years now and they last for so long! All you do is mix them up in a little jar of water and they’re good to go. It also comes with a craft paste mix to make a thicker finger paint.
I remember using the powdered watercolours when I was teaching and they were always so rich and vibrant. We’ve got ours made up in a Wooden Paint Jar holder* from Growing Kind so it’s super easy to get out and use. I also grabbed coloured brushes to match so the kids didn’t mix the colours too much.
Castle and Kite Dot Markers
We’ve tried a few brands of dot markers but we always come back to the Castle and Kite brand. I love that it doesn’t matter how rough the kids get, they don’t splatter ink everywhere like other brands have! These are wonderful for developing hand-eye coordination.
Clever Patch Eye Stickers
These Clever Patch eye stickers are an absolute favourite item that we often have in our art stash. It’s amazing how something so simple can add another layer of fun to our art sessions. I usually cut a few lengths off the roll and keep the rest in our storage cupboard.
IKEA Frames
We have our artworks hanging very proudly on our play room wall. We’re often asked what sort of frames we use and how they’re attached to the wall. These FISKBO frames from IKEA are actually acrylic instead of glass making them incredibly light. We just attach them to the wall with Velcro 3M tape so we can easily switch old art out with new art.
Okay, but what about storage?
We recently grabbed an IKEA TROFAST unit which now lives right next to our dining table. It’s filled with lots of different art and craft supplies so that Lilly can access them totally independently whenever she wants to create!
I’ve labelled the tubs with my Cricut Explore Air 2 using removable vinyl so I can switch the labels up as she grows and her interests change.
I’ve also got a little bamboo caddy from Aldi (similar to this Temple and Webster brand caddy) which we have all the day to day supplies in. These are all Faber-Castell brand as well! I sure we have colouring pencils, tripod pencils for writing, crayons, connector pens and felt tips as well as scissors, glue and a sharpener.
We love Faber-Castell because their quality is superior meaning they last longer too! The colours are beautiful and bright AND they are one of the first stationery companies to have a 100% carbon-neutral production.
Faber-Castell are easy to find from most leading supermarkets and department stores making them an absolute favourite for stocking our art and craft area!
I hope this has given you some ideas if you’re looking for quality art supplies for your little learners! These products are all ones that we use over and over because they are great quality, they’re affordable and they’re perfect for little hands.
