How to Make Your Kids Fall in Love with Art: 5 Super Fun Supplies to Get Them Started
Just ask any pediatric researcher, early development specialist, or child psychologist, and they’ll tell you the same thing: Art is an essential part of kids’ education. It gives them an outlet to express their boundless creativity and imagination, allows them to vent frustration and parse complex emotions, hones their fine motor skills, and, at the end of the day, it’s just a heck of a lot of fun.
How do you make kids fall in love with art? It starts with providing them access to a variety of supplies. Visit a well-reviewed art supply store like Above Ground Art Supplies along with your little one. Encourage them to ask questions and state their preferences. Then, pick a few to leave with. Repeat the process every couple of weeks to build a collection.
To get you started, here are five super fun supplies to try!
1. A Watercolour Set
Watercolours are ideal for kids. They’re very forgiving (you can easily paint over problem spots or blend them into something new). They are tactile and fun to experiment with, teaching control and fine motor skills.
The results are vibrant and playful, making them an ideal candidate for showcasing on the fridge. And, best of all for parents, water-based paints are a cinch to clean off skin and clothing.
2. Modelling Clay
Often at schools, pre-primary and primary art focuses on 2-dimensional media like painting, drawing, and construction paper crafts. But there’s a lot to be said for the tactile pleasure of sculpting a ball of clay. Watch as they transform a simple mound of modelling clay into a world of possibilities: dinosaurs, castles, ice cream cones, family members, etc. Sculpting not only gives them a new material to work with—it also teaches them about shapes, object manipulation, and the fun of working with one’s hands.
3. Oil Pastels
Step aside, crayons—there’s a new art material in town. (Okay, so maybe calling this centuries-old material “new” isn’t quite accurate, but it’s probably new to your home).
Oil pastels are a fantastic alternative to standard crayons. They feature much richer colours and a creamier texture, which kids love. Also, because their colours transfer to the page easily, kids can cover a lot of ground in a short period of time—perfect for the reduced attention span of a toddler or young kid.
4. Stamps and Ink Pads
We’ve yet to meet a kid that doesn’t love stamps. Stamps are an easy way for young kids to gain confidence in art because, with relatively little effort, they can create something intriguing and fun. More advanced kids can also get a lot out of an ink pad and stamps, dotting the stamp to create intricate patterns or figures.
5. Sidewalk Chalk
Art doesn’t have to be restricted to indoors, nor does it have to be a private process. Sidewalk chalk allows your kid to take their passion to the big wide world, sharing their creations with other kids and passing-by neighbours. Encourage your kid to draw what they see around them: trees, birds, bugs, and even people.
Alternatively, go the classic route and create a detailed hopscotch board—proof that art and play have always been intertwined!
This weekend, take a family trip to the nearby art supply store and let your creativity soar. Start with the five kid-approved supplies above, or experiment with other materials that interest your child.
