If your little one has started to develop a hobby of drawing or painting, what better way to nurture that interest than to buy them the tools for it? Children have the wildest imaginations, and they deserve the highest-quality art supplies for kids to express their ideas on paper. Who knows, you might just be raising the biggest artist of the future! All-time greats like Da Vinci and Picasso were all children once, after all.
But, as parents, you probably have no clue what to buy — especially if you’ve never had any interest in arts and crafts. Well, you’re in luck. We’ve already done all the research for you! Here’s a list of some of the top-tier art supplies for kids in 2025. To make the decision even simpler for you, we’ve also included a complete buyer’s guide. Let’s begin!
The ARTEZA Kids Colored Pencils Set offers art and school supplies perfect for beginner and young artists. The set contains 48 vibrant colored pencils, including both metallic and neon colors, that are pre-sharpened and ready to use. The triangular barrel design of these pencils makes them comfortable to grip and control for kids, while the break-resistant core ensures they won’t easily crack or crumble on the artwork. The colored pencils are designed and created by passionate artists who understand the importance of expression through art. The selection of metallic and neon pencils encourages creativity, adding a unique flair to artistic projects. This quality set of pencils is perfect for drawing, doodling, or shading in vibrant colors. Whether it’s for a school project or just for fun, the ARTEZA Kids Colored Pencils Set will bring more fun and magic to your artwork as the best overall on our list.
The National Geographic Art Supplies for Kids is a great way to fuel your child’s creativity. This kit combines three amazing craft kits and comes with over 100 pieces so kids can make 19 unique art pieces. The possibilities are endless! Kids can choose to make three stunning mosaic masterpieces with the help of the included templates. Their projects will be further enhanced with the vibrant colors of the tile pieces. There is also enough material to make mesmerizing marble art designs. Simply apply the marbled paints to the included sheets and they can use them as frames to display their artwork or give them as gifts to family and friends. The kit also enables kids to create air-dry pottery projects with a nature theme. Instructions are provided, along with paints and brushes, so kids can personalize their creations however they like. Kids will be proud to make three ornaments and one ring dish to show off or give as presents.
Crayola’s art supplies for kids are a staple in every house that has a little artist living inside, and this coloring set is no different! This brand has been around for years, and that’s mostly because of the exceptionally high quality it offers for the price. This particular kit has 140 coloring tools, consisting of 20 short color pencils, 64 premium crayons, 40 washable markers, and 15 full-sized paper sheets for your kid to draw on! Best of all, everything comes well-organized in a stylish, easy-to-carry case, which has dedicated cutouts and spaces for these tools — this means that there’s no chance of losing anything! But, most importantly, all of these art supplies for kids are completely non-toxic and safe to use.
Not all kids are into drawing or painting; some are into arts and crafts! If that sounds like your little one, get them this set of art supplies for kids! It’s for children ages 6 to 12 and consists of a whopping 1,000 pieces, boasting everything your child could possibly need to put together an impressive arts and crafts project of their own! For added convenience, these art supplies for kids are pre-prepped into categories, having different types of items pre-organized into labeled envelopes. With so much variety to work with, your kids will get to express every ounce of their creativity in full swing!
One of the most fun activities for kids is marbling paint! It involves floating acrylic paint on top of thickened water, allowing them to play around with it to draw cool patterns. You could even appreciate it as an adult, so just imagine how exhilarating it would be for a creative child! That’s what makes the Dan&Darci Marbling Paint Art Kit so special. With these art supplies for kids, you’ll get five different colors of marbling paint, three styluses, and 10 art sheets to work on. There’s also some water-thickening carrageenan powder, a spoon, a pipette, and a spreader. Let your kids layer the marbling paint on a base of water, smear it, drag it, and then carefully transfer the resulting pattern onto an art sheet. As you can imagine, the entire experience is fascinating for kids, especially between ages 6 – 12.
If your child has developed a painting habit, it’s time to get the Caliart Acrylic Paint Set. These art supplies for kids include 24 different paint colors and 12 versatile brushes to use them with. Each of the 24 bottles consists of 2 fluid ounces of paint, which means even the commonly used colors won’t run out too quickly. As for the paint quality, it’s premium and high-end by all means. The pigments used are rich, and it’s certified to be completely safe and non-toxic, making them suitable for kids. In particular, we love how the paint’s creamy consistency makes it easier for kids to cover large areas on the sheet — especially when paired with a wide brush.
Did you know that there are exceptional benefits for kids that create art? According to neurosurgeons, participating in art projects even once a week can increase empathy and introspection. Children aside, drawing has been shown to be effective against anxiety, even among adults. It’s safe to say, art projects are one of the healthiest activities you can encourage your child to take part in, and buying them the right tools for it is a healthy place to start! In this buyer’s guide, we’ve laid down a few major considerations to take into account before going shopping for art supplies for kids, as well as a list of all the essentials your child may need to get started.
Before adding any set of markers, paints, or pens to your cart, make sure that they’re advertised as washable. Otherwise, your tables, walls, doors, and virtually all surfaces in the house will be at the mercy of your little one!
Children — especially toddlers — tend to put everything in their mouths, which is why the art supplies you expose them to should be 100% non-toxic.
Always look for the advertised age range for the supplies for kids that you purchase. That’s because older kids may find markers boring, whereas most toddlers may have no clue what to do with pastels — simply put, age matters.
Some children can be allergic to certain substances. Since parents may or may not be aware of these allergies, the safest bet is to purchase supplies that are completely gluten and allergen-free.
Before looking at pencils, crayons, or paintbrushes, consider what your child’s canvas will be. It could be a chalkboard, a piece of cardboard, a piece of wood, a dedicated art wall, or even a good old sheet of paper. Most art kits include 10 to 15 high-quality paper sheets to draw or paint on, so be sure to look for that before investing in a comprehensive set. Also, if your child is into sketching, a sketchbook is a must-have.
Some kids are into drawing, some are into painting, and others love both! To find out your child’s preferences, you want to give them a taste of both (not literally, of course). If painting’s their thing, we’d recommend getting some pastels or acrylic paints and a paintbrush set. If they seem to like it, try introducing them to marbling paint for an even more exciting experience.For drawing, it only takes a pencil to create some art, but that’s not all there is to it. There are much more exciting and flashier instruments that you can buy for your kid to draw with. These include chalk, glitter pens, crayons, and more.The safest bet is to get a complete art set that has enough variety to give your child lots of choices to work with. It’ll help you and your child figure out what they’re into, which makes the next shopping session much easier.For instance, if they seem to use crayons most often and ignore all other pieces of stationery in the kit, you’ll want to get a specialized and comprehensive crayon kit next time!
Kids will wipe anything off on their shirts, including hands covered in paint. As you can imagine, that’d ruin a shirt for good! Just like a chef wears an apron, we’d recommend making your kid wear a dedicated “paint shirt” while working on art projects to keep them from obliterating her entire wardrobe with paint stains.
Some of the most essential art supplies for kids include sketchbooks, pencils, pastels, and crayons. Just make sure they’re all completely free of toxins and allergens.
Engaging in art can encourage imaginative thinking, creativity, empathy, and introspection in a child. It can even help them be kinder to themselves.
You can use large, see-through, clearly labeled glass jars to store all your kids’ art supplies. Then, put them away in a designated cabinet or cupboard that’s within the reach of your children. You can also place these jars under their study table or bed for easy accessibility.
Developing your child’s creativity is important, but that doesn’t mean your tables need to get sacrificed along the way. Get a tablecloth or a cheap plastic placemat that’s large enough to cover the entire “work desk” of your little Bob Ross for damage control.
There are multiple products designed to lift stains, including paint. However, if you're looking for an at-home solution, rubbing alcohol or dish detergent have been said to remove paint from certain surfaces.
At Art Life Today, our passion for arts and crafts is at the heart of everything we do. We understand that the right tools and materials can make all the difference in your creative projects, so we take our responsibility as reviewers seriously. Our goal is to help you discover the best products that will inspire your creativity and bring your artistic visions to life.