Arts & Crafts Gift Ideas for Toddlers and Kids
Having kids myself who take after me and love art, I can personally recommend that these ten items make great gifts for artsy kids. My boys and girls both love to do art projects, crafts, and pretty much any imagination creation you can think of. This isn’t a list of extravagant, off the wall concoctions, this is a list of basic art supplies that are tried and true that will be a surefire success with any budding artist. As a mom, I can say that I would be really happy to receive any of these gifts for my kids, and they have personally reviewed and approved them as well. The links for the items are found on Amazon, and many of them have Black Friday 2023 deals you’ll want to scoop up. I have skipped from listing any stuff I wouldn’t want crowding up my house, and tried to list only gifts that are functional, fun, budget-friendly, and cute.
The links are to items on Amazon and as an affiliate of Amazon, if you click on my links and make a purchase, I receive some commission for gathering these great products together in a handy list and helping you find something good.
Rainbow scratch paper
Rainbow scratch paper is so much fun and it’s the kind of surprise I loved to get as a kid. It’s something I don’t buy for my kids because it’s usually expensive, although right now it’s on sale thanks to Black Friday deals on Amazon.
You can get a full gift kit, or you can get just the paper: Rainbow Scratch Paper
Also, I found this Paw Patrol Scratch Paper set of 3 pads at a SHOCKING great Black Friday sale price on Amazon and I will probably get one myself for my toddler.
Friendship Bracelet MakinG kIT
I used to make these in high school and got pretty good at them, where I could do any elaborate pattern and even create letters and hearts. There are plenty of patterns you can find for free online and they are a relaxing craft to do for girls or boys of any age.
Wooden Craft Kits
These wooden craft kids allow you to build, create, and decorate your own wooden vehicles. They have multiple vehicle options including train, plane, race car, monster truck, and – if you are looking for something more pink – a magic wand and a wooden heart box.
Train and Monster Truck Craft Kits
and my personal favorite,
Paint By Sticker
My kids love these paint by sticker pads. They are something that I find best to do one-on-one with a child, where you can help them so they don’t get frustrated, and it’s a really nice bonding activity. It’s also pretty much mess free and travel friendly.
Paint by Sticker Under the Sea
If you’re in the holiday spirit, they have a Paint by Sticker Christmas
Modeling Clay
I have fond memories of making things out of Sculpey as a child. Play-doh is just for fun, Modeling clay is a step above play-doh and air dries, and Sculpey takes it to another level and bakes in the oven.
drawing/writing tablet
This is like a little pretend iPad for kids and will keep them engaged for a long time, screen free. It’s great for any age and it’s on sale right now for Black Friday on Amazon!
Water Wow Activity Pads
These are on sale for a good price on Amazon right now for Black Friday. I have gotten a bunch of these over the years and although they don’t last a long time if you use them excessively they are great for long car rides, appointments, quiet times, etc.
Dot Markers
These washable markers are great especially for toddlers who aren’t able to draw or doodle on their own yet, where they can feel a sense of accomplishment in their artwork as they just hammer these dot markers down and create something lovely.
Crayola Mess Free Coloring
We received these as a birthday gift and they are great! They’ve lasted a long time and can be enjoyed by kids one year olds to kindergarteners and up. I linked a couple of what I think are the best 0nes, but they have other options too.
Frozen II Mess Free Coloring Pages
Twistables
Mini Twistables are great for kids because they don’t break easily like the full size Twistables, and they are easy to hold for small hands. You don’t get stuck with needing to sharpen them like colored pencils, they don’t break into a bunch of wax pieces like crayons, they don’t seep through tablecloths and pillowcases like markers. In my opinion they’re the best of all worlds.
If you have younger kids, these Egg shaped toddler crayons may be better – they are shaped in an ergonomic way for tiny toddler hands and are washable.
Egg Shaped Crayons for Toddlers, 12 ct.
Foil Fun
I have never personally tried this, but it actually looks like something we would do, and it got good reviews, so I am putting it on this list. You use foil to make the pictures and it’s mess free.
Scissor Skills and Tape Activity Book Set
Melissa and Doug always has practical and useful educational toys for kids. This one is just for scissor skills and tape skills, making it fun to practice hand eye coordination and find motor skills.
Scissor Skills and Tape Activity Book Set
Or you can buy the Scissor Skills Book separately.
You can also get these safety scissors while you’re at it.
