15 Top Arts and Crafts Supplies

Every parent with young children knows how important it is to have a fully stocked craft box. Keeping fun supplies on hand to entertain your children can be the difference between rainy day fun and cabin fever insanity. Having a box, bucket, tub, or an entire cabinet stocked and ready for your children's arts and crafts can provide hours of activity ideas within your finger tips. Here are the top 15 items you should have to begin your craft area for your children.

1. Paper. Think beyond plain white paper for your crafts. Colorful construction paper is a fun and cheap way to add to your children's art projects. You can also take the paper an extra step and buy scrapbooking paper. This sturdy paper comes printed in a vast assortment of styles, patterns, and colors. Keeping some fun sheets for arts and crafts is a great addition to any craft area.

2. Paint. What craft would be complete without paint? Whether you use water paints, finger paints, tempera paints, or any other kind you can be certain that you will have something that children will love to do. Just be sure to set up the area to contain spills and messes, and dress the children in clothing that can be painted on without worries. Then let them have fun!

3. Chalk. Whether you buy fat pieces of sidewalk chalk or thinner pieces of blackboard chalk this is a great craft tool for children. And one of the best parts is how easy it is to clean chalk off of almost anything. You can buy chalk in many different colors, and even some chalks that come in multiple colors per piece.

4. Markers. The choices on markers is nearly unlimited for children. Thin or chunky, washable or permanent, there are even some that are pleasantly scented or have ink stampers on the ends. All children love coloring and drawing with markers.

5. Crayons. this seems like a no-brainer, but often parents forget to buy crayons because of how obvious they are. Whether you choose to buy the small box or go with the jumbo box crayons are an inexpensive and fun art time addition.

6. Glue. There are as many types of glue available today as there are reasons to use glue. White glue, rubber cement, stick glue, there are great uses for each kind. You may need to supervise when your children use some kinds of glue, so it is best not to keep the glue available unless you are able to help.

7. Tape can be a less risky way for your children to put together their arts and crafts than glue, and can be more fun. You do not have to use just ordinary clear tape. Masking tape can be removed from many items without damaging them and can be written on, and duct tape can be found in more colors than just gray or can be colored on to be even more colorful.

8. Clay. Clay is another great item that can have so many uses. You can buy remoldable clay that can be used again and again, or buy hardening clay to make lasting projects that can be painted and shown.

9. Stickers. There are more styles, shapes, and sizes of stickers than any one person could imagine. No matter what you are making or how you wish to decorate it there is likely to be a sticker to fit your needs. Buy a wide assortment for your children to pick through. Funny, crazy, cute, sophisticated, and more. You can even buy special paper and have your children create their own stickers to use.

10. Pens and pencils. No longer staying n the zone of black and white, you can find colored pens and pencils all styles to add a unique look. Colored gel pens work great for writing on colored paper, even on black paper. And colored pencils are an easy way for older children who are too old for crayons to still add color to their art.

11. Craft Sticks. The plain wooden sticks commonly used as handles to Popsicles are also great for many arts and crafts projects. They are cheap to buy, can be painted to colored on, and can be used as everything from flower stems to picture frames.

12. Glitter. Tiny sparkles to fat pieces, glitter is a fun way to add pizazz to any art project. If the thought of loose glitter covering your floors scares you there are many other options for you to buy. Glittery paints, glittery ink pens, even glittery paint are all available as ways to add sparkles without adding a mess.

13. Pipe Cleaners. The long, thin, fuzzy, bendable pieces of metal can be loads of fun for any arts and craft project. You can buy bulk packages of these for a few dollars in many colors and sizes.

14. Scissors. Of course plain, safety scissors are a must. But have you seen the wide variety of scissors available now? Special blades are shaped to cut designs, patterns, and fun angles along any paper. Children can easily cut fun and fancy strips of paper just as they would cut ordinary pieces.

15. Clean up supplies. After all the fun arts and crafts supplies don not forget to buy things to keep the mess contained. Smocks and aprons, plastic table cloths, and non toxic cleaners should be kept with or near the rest of the arts and crafts area. Cleaning up after the fun can easily ruin the good time that was had, so making cleaning less of a hassle can help keep the good mood going.