Best art materials for toddlers

For setup tips on what to do with these supplies, see our process art for toddlers guide.

The 9 essentials

Buy these once. They cover 90% of toddler art activities.

1. Triangle crayons — Crayola My First

$8 for a 8-pack. Triangle shape prevents rolling off the table and encourages tripod grip (good for handwriting later). Better for toddler hands than round crayons.

Alternative: regular Crayola crayons ($3 for 24-pack). Cheaper but they roll.

2. Washable markers — Crayola Classic 10-pack

$8 for a 10-pack. The benchmark for kid markers. Washable means they come off skin, fabric, and most walls. The thick "broad line" version is better for toddler grip than fine-line.

Alternative: Crayola Pip-Squeaks ($6) — smaller markers, more colors per pack. Good for kids 3+.

3. Tempera paint — Crayola or Lakeshore

$15 for a 6-color set. Tempera is THE toddler paint — washable, vibrant, mixable. Crayola Premier Tempera is the standard. Lakeshore Learning's "Crayola Free" alternative is also excellent.

Skip: acrylic paint (doesn't wash out). Watercolors (too pale for toddler satisfaction). Oil paints (toxic + permanent).

4. Brushes — multipack from Amazon

$8-$15 for a 12-pack of different sizes. You'll lose half within a year, so buy a multipack.

Skip the artist-quality brushes. Toddlers don't notice. Mid-grade is fine.

5. Glue — Elmer's Washable

$5 for the medium bottle. Glue sticks are easier ($4 for 6-pack of Elmer's) but liquid glue has more uses (collage, slime, mixing with paint).

Stock both. Toddler typically uses 2-3 sticks per month and 1 bottle of liquid glue per quarter.

6. Paper — butcher paper roll + drawing pads

$15 for a 1000-foot roll of butcher paper at IKEA or office supply stores. Lasts 6-12 months at heavy use. Plus a $5 jumbo drawing pad of regular printer paper for everyday drawing.

Skip: expensive watercolor paper for toddlers. Construction paper is fine but easily ripped.

7. Tape — painter's tape

$5 for a roll. Painter's tape (the green or blue kind from the hardware store) removes cleanly from paper, walls, and floors. Used for taping paper down, masking patterns, making "stop and go" floor lines, structures, etc.

Don't use regular masking tape; it leaves residue.

8. Vinyl tablecloth

$10 from Target or Amazon. Wipe-clean. Saves your dining table or counter. Folds and stores in a drawer.

Alternative: a plastic shower curtain on the floor for messier art.

9. Smock or apron

$10 for a basic kid smock. Or use an old adult t-shirt over the kid's clothes.

Don't skip this. Tempera paint washes from most clothes, but not all. Smock = no laundry stress.

The nice-to-haves (under $20 each)

• Watercolors: Crayola Washable Watercolors ($5). For kids 3+ who want more control.
• Stamp set: Melissa & Doug Wooden Animal Stamps ($12). Good for ages 2-4.
• Construction paper: 96-sheet pack ($8). Good for tearing collage activities.
• Stickers: $5 mixed sticker pack. Always a hit.
• Pipe cleaners: 100-pack ($5). Fine motor + 3D form.
• Pom-poms: 100-pack ($5). For sorting, gluing, pretend "snowballs."
• Googly eyes: $4 for a multi-size pack. Makes any object a "character."
• Bingo daubers: $10 for a 8-color set. Dot-marker fun for ages 2-4.
• Easel: $50-$120 for a double-sided easel (chalkboard one side, dry-erase or paper the other). Worth it if you have space.
• Playdough: 4-pack of Play-Doh ($5). Or homemade (recipe below).

What to skip

• Expensive watercolor sets ($30+). Toddlers don't appreciate the quality. Use Crayola.
• Pre-made craft kits with 50 pieces. Most go in a drawer after one use. The pieces become clutter.
• Brand-name Magna Doodle. The cheap Crayola Color Wonder or generic equivalent works fine.
• Oil pastels. Greasy, hard to clean from fabric. Save for ages 5+.
• Glitter glue. The mess far exceeds the play value.
• Slime kits. Inconsistent texture, often disappointing. Make slime from scratch instead.
• "Decorate this birdhouse" wooden craft kits. Parent does 80% of the assembly.

Homemade alternatives

• Playdough recipe: 2 cups flour + 1 cup salt + 2 tbsp cream of tartar + 1 tbsp oil + 1 cup water + food coloring. Cook on stove until ball forms. Stores in airtight container for 2-3 months.
• Salt dough (for ornaments): 2 cups flour + 1 cup salt + 1 cup water. Shape, bake at 200°F for 2 hours.
• Bubble paint: dish soap + water + food coloring. Blow through a straw for bubbles, press paper on top.
• Ice cube paint: water + food coloring frozen in ice cube trays with toothpick "handles."

Storage

Art supplies sprawl. A clear caddy or rolling cart keeps them contained:

• 3-tier rolling art cart ($30 IKEA): one shelf for paint, one for paper, one for tools.
• Or a tackle box (under $15) for crayons and markers.
• Pencil-sharpener mounted to the side of the cart or table.
• Tall jar for brush storage.
• Plastic shoebox for "drying paintings."

Total cost breakdown

• Triangle crayons: $8
• Washable markers: $10
• Tempera paint: $15
• Brush 12-pack: $10
• Glue (sticks + bottle): $10
• Butcher paper roll: $15
• Painter's tape: $5
• Vinyl tablecloth: $10
• Smock: $10

Total: $93 for everything you need for 1-2 years of toddler art.

Add the optional stamps, pipe cleaners, watercolors, and bingo daubers (~$30) for a complete kit at $123.

The honest take

Toddler art is one of the cheapest hobbies to fund well. The $93 essential kit outperforms $500 worth of "premium" art supplies because toddlers actually use the materials, not the packaging. Buy the cheap version of every supply, and put the saved money toward a wall-mounted easel or a designated art space. The space matters more than the brand.