The Best Toddler Art Supplies to Always Have on Hand
Looking to make an arts and crafts kit for your toddler? In search of some of the best non-toxic art supplies for your little Picasso?
It’s never to early to introduce your little to the world of art. After all, art inspires imagination, creativity, and even promotes learning and development.
But, some art supplies are just too tricky for little hands or too toxic for toddlers that put everything in their mouths. So, what are some great, non-toxic options that are perfect for early childhood?
In this post, we’ll cover 13 of the best toddler art supplies that are fun, safe, and easy to use. And, of course, #momapproved!
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13 of the Best Art and Craft Supplies for Toddlers
Cultivate creativity early on with these 13 art and craft supplies that are perfect for toddlers.
Adjustable Art Easel
Every artist needs space to create. And, this wooden art easel by Melissa & Doug makes the perfect art zone for toddlers.
We got this exact easel for our toddler for her second birthday, and her and her brother use it almost every single day. It comes with a dry-erase board, a chalkboard, a locking paper-roll holder, four clips to hold their artwork in place, and two plastic trays to hold paint, chalk, and other art supplies.
It has an adjustable height, so it will grow with your child, and it’s also large enough for multiple children to use at the same time.
It doesn’t come with any utensils, but you can always grab the accessory set, which comes with a roll of easel paper, chalk, paint, paint brushes, and no-spill paint containers.
No Spill Paint Containers
Even if you don’t go the easel route, I would still recommend getting some no-spill paint containers for your tiny tot. This set comes with 10 cups in assorted colors, a matching paint brush for each, and covers to keep your paint from drying out.
These are a great size for toddlers, as they’re not too big, but they’re also not too small where you have to be refilling the cups every 5 minutes. They do a great job at containing the mess (for the most part) and make clean up easy peasy.
Non-Toxic FingerPaint
Finger painting is classic fun, and with this non-toxic washable finger paint set, even the youngest of toddlers can paint without you having to worry. This 6 color set is made of cellulose from plants, making it a nice, safe option for babies and toddlers.
It even has an added bitter taste to deter your littles from eating it. So, let your littles dip their fingers and start painting!
Long Sleeve Art Smock
Smocks make a great gift for littles who love to paint. These long sleeve art smocks will keep your toddler’s clothes clean while they create.
They’re non-toxic, BPA-free, and easy to clean. You can even just throw them in the washing machine. They also have 3 spacious pockets in the front, so your toddler can carry around their markers, paint brushes, or even their sippy cup.
These smocks aren’t just great for painting though. You could also use them as bibs or aprons for cooking.
Jumbo Triangle Crayons
These jumbo triangle crayons by Melissa & Doug are an awesome tool for writing-readiness. These easy grip crayons for toddlers help them learn how to hold writing utensils correctly.
They’re also super durable. We’ve had this set for almost 2 years now, and they’ve stood the test of time against my rough toddlers. I like that they come in a portable, sturdy carrying case. Super easy to slip them into the diaper bag for on-the-go entertainment.
Dot Markers
Dot markers aren’t just for Bingo. They also make a great addition to your kids’ art and crafts supplies.
We have this set for our toddlers, and they’ve really been a hit. They’re easy for little hands to hold and come with an apron and pages specifically made for your little to dab their dots on.
These are a great tool for teaching your toddler their colors and work on matching with the caps. I would keep the caps away from really young toddlers though, as they might be inclined to put them in their mouth.
Safety Scissors
Safety (or blunt) scissors are great for young kids just learning how to use scissors. And, this pair works for right and left handed toddlers.
Around 2.5-3 is a great time to introduce scissors. It will keep your toddler busy for quite awhile and help develop their fine motor skills.
Purple Glue Sticks
Cut out some various objects, animals, and people from magazines or old torn up books and let your toddler practice gluing to some construction paper.
These disappearing purple glue sticks are washable, non-toxic, and make it easy for your toddler to see where they are placing the glue.
If you’re really brave you could squirt some colorful glitter glue out and give your toddler a tongue depressor or popsicle stick to spread it.
Contact Paper
You’l find that a lot of toddler crafts use contact paper, so it’s best to always have some on hand for those rainy days.
Contact paper is self-adhesive, so it’s easy for toddlers to stick objects to, such as leaves or colorful tissue paper. You can come up with some pretty adorable sun catchers for almost any occasion with contact paper.
Water Wows
If mess-free is your game, then you and your toddler will love Water Wows. They even make great airplane activities.
Fill the “pen” with water and pictures will reveal as your toddler “paints” over them. As they dry, they will go back to blank, so your toddler can do them over and over again.
All the Stickers!
It’s always nice to have a value pack of stickers on hand when you have young kids. They’re great for super simple and mess-free craft ideas.
I can just give my toddler a sheet of paper, a sheet of stickers, and some crayons, and she’ll be busy for at least a half an hour.
We like these sets, because they’re non-toxic and easy to peel and stick. They’re also great for teaching toddlers about nature, animals, and various other subjects.
If you’re not a fan of buying stickers all the time or you find your toddler continuously placing them where they’re hard to get off, then you could try some reusable sticker pads instead.
Stampers
My toddler LOVES to use stamps. She’ll fill up papers, boxes, and sometimes her body with stamps.
Melissa & Doug have wooden stamp sets that are perfect for beginners. You can get stamps with animals, vehicles, and even Disney princesses.
They’re great for learning language and developing hand-eye coordination.
Storage Organizer
Now, you have to have some where to store all these wonderful arts and crafts supplies. And, with this mobile organizer, everything will have a home.
This storage organizer comes in a 6 drawer, 10 drawer, or even 20 drawer option depending on your needs. The wheels make it easy to roll into the closet when not in use, so you won’t find art when and where you don’t expect it. We all know how unpredictable toddlers can be. 😉
Around the House Art Supplies
Along with these 13 art supplies, there are a few household supplies I recommend keeping for endless creativity with your toddler’s arts and crafts:
- Paper plates: Awesome for making masks or painting the earth.
- Toilet paper rolls: A necessity for creating binoculars.
- Paper towel rolls: Use these to create a “ball wall” with pom poms or make a telescope.
- Cut up sponges: Super fun to paint with.
- Popsicle sticks: Use these to help spread paint or glue, or use to make a house.
- Various kinds of paper: Construction paper, tissue, paper, and even Post-it notes are great for toddlers to color on.
- Boxes: Boxes are also great to color on! They’re also fun to make a boat, box car, or tunnel out of.
- Cookie cutters: Cookie cutters make awesome stencils and also come in handy when playing with Play-Doh.
- Dye-free food coloring: The perfect tool for edible painting, shaving cream fun, making homemade play-dough, or dying Easter eggs. Just say no to those nasty artificial additives and stick with the natural, dye-free versions.
A Budding Artist
With these 13 art supplies, you’ll have a budding artist on your hands in no time.
Your toddler will love making arts and crafts with stickers, stamps, fingerpaint, dot-a-dot markers, and easy-to-grip crayons. They’ll have an easel to create their very own art space and a smock to keep their clothes clean. You’ll love these mess-free options and being able to keep everything organized.
So, jump in and explore the world of creativity with your toddler.
What About You?
What are some your favorite toddler art supplies? Share what crafts your toddler loves to do in the comments below, and be sure to share this post with other toddler moms.
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I love all of these ideas! Will be saving this for later! We are just starting to get more and more into arts and crafts!
Thank you Jordan! Arts and crafts are so great for toddlers, even if it is quite messy! Lol.
My toddler is just starting to really enjoy art. Dot markers are her favorite and she plays with them every day. I’ve been too scared to deal with paints yet but I love your suggestions of no-spill paint containers and a long-sleeve art smock. Maybe we’ll try out painting soon.
That’s great to hear that your toddler is starting to like art. It’s so good for the soul. 🙂 When my little girl was younger, I would lay out a ton of newspaper all over her little kids folding table, and that also seemed to help contain the paint mess.
Are the dot markers washable? We were using real bingo markers and they were not.
Yes, they are washable. 🙂
The Water Wows sounds like quite the fun activity! My kids love to color and paint, I gotta get my hands on those. Some great products here for kids! Loving this list, thanks for sharing!
Water wows are perfect for traveling, restaurants, or anytime you don’t want to deal with mess. We’ve got quite the collection of them. I hope your littles like them as well!
Dot markers are our favorite supply! They are so great for Little ones since they don’t spill! And they last forever!
We’ve only had ours for 6 months, but they’re still going strong!
Great post! I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough for crafts. She is still at a stage where she wants to eat everything but I think we could try those water wows!! Great art ideas for little ones!
Such a fun age! We love to do edible painting with yogurt and natural food coloring at that age. My little guy still puts everything in his mouth as well, but does very well with the Water Wows.
This is such a great list! My youngest turns two this weekend and I couldn’t figure out what to get him. I definitely am thinking of getting him an easel and those spill-proof paint cups are a MUST have! Thanks for these awesome suggestions!
Happy 2nd birthday to your little man Ashley! The easel sure was a hit for our little on her 2nd birthday. 🙂
Wow, what a great comprehensive list of art supplies for toddlers! I definitely agree with Water Wow! – no mess plus reusable makes for a happy mama. I will need to try the no-spill containers!
Water Wows are seriously great! Perfect for traveling, church, waiting rooms, restaurants. Pretty much anytime you need to keep your toddler busy and quiet. We have a whole container full of them!
I am loving these ideas for art supplies for my toddler! We will be trying out those no-spill cups for sure… thanks for the ideas!
I hope you like them! I know our floors have sure appreciated them!
We have most of these supplies! This is a great list! Thank you for sharing this.
Great minds think alike! Thank you for the kind words Andrea.