Crafting is such a lovely thing to do with your children, not only is it a great way to spend time together, but there are so many benefits to creating with kids, from bonding and communication to developing fine motor skills.
It doesn't need to be complicated, you can just give your child a handful of materials and see what they come up with. Or you can choose one of the thousands of crafts on my Pinterest page, all sorted by theme and age.
If you're thinking of setting up a little craft area in your house, or maybe you just want some tips on putting together a little kit, here is my guide to the twenty must-have supplies for crafting with children.
These are my essentials for creating a kit that will allow you to do most children's crafts out there. You don't need to go out and buy all of these at once - I would recommend building up a collection over time.
Contains affiliate links to products we own (or similar) - see my disclosure
My top 20 craft supplies for kids:
20. Pipe cleaners
Pipe cleaners are handy for a lot of crafts; they're great for younger children as they are super easy to manipulate and they come in a lovely range of colours. It's so easy to get fun results from them by just twisting and bending.
19. Pompoms
Not only are pompoms perfect for sensory play, but they are incredibly versatile for crafting projects. Check out our pompom monster craft for a cute but simple DIY for pre-schoolers. I find it helps to have a variety of different sizes and colours.
18. Coloured feathers
Coloured feathers can be used to add vibrancy to many projetcs, including collages, masks, headdresses and animal crafts. You can buy a small selection quite cheaply.
17. Washi tape
Washi tape is incredibly versatile; there are a million and one uses for this colourful little tape, it comes in so many colours and patterns and it tears really easily
16. PVA glue
PVA glue is the perfect all rounder. It works on everything from paper to stone and can be mixed with paint to give a coloured finish. We use it a lot to seal projects such as story stones and toys like my peg doll bugs.
15. Glue stick
Glue sticks are really handy for gluing paper crafts and they're virtually mess free. If you buy the larger size they are great for chubby hands to hold. I prefer the branded sticks as they seem to be stronger glue and last a bit longer.
14. Recycling
You might think this in a odd one to include in a list of craft supplies, but our favourite crafting activity is junk modelling, where I give the children some tape and a box of (clean) recycled pieces are they make their own fabulous creations.
13. Lolly sticks
Lolly sticks come in a variety of colours and sizes. I prefer to keep a supply of small and large in plain finish, as they can be coloured in with felt pens or painted to suit the project. They are handy for so many things, from DIY puzzles to puppets or mini picture frames.
12. Paper plates
Paper plates are a handy source of card, specially for projects with younger children. Their round shape makes them ideal for rainbows, dreamcatchers and animal faces. You don't need a special variey for crafting, just the regular white ones from supermarkets.
11. Coloured wool
Coloured wool is one of my favourite staples to have in a craft kit. It can be used for so many different crafts, such as dreamcatchers, pompoms, tassels and mobiles. If you want some inspiration, check out these 55 yarn crafts without knitting or crochet by Fave Crafts.
10. Pony beads
What like about pony beads is that the hole is nice and large, so children find them easier to thread. You can also get large bags relatively cheaply. They can be used for lots of crafts such as making bracelets, wind chimes or keychains.
9. Felt
Felt is durable, can be easily embroidered, and its edges do not fray, which eliminates the need for hems in sewing projects. It also glues with PVA very well, so can be used for all kinds of no-sew textile crafts.
8. Coloured paper
Having a range of colourful paper will come in handy as it can provide the foundations for many crafting projects, including artwork, cards and collages. Try to buy the thicker weight of paper as it will hold up better against the inevitable onslaught of glue and felt tips!
7. Tissue paper
Tissue paper is thin and lightweight, making it simple to cut, tear, and glue into place. The translucent nature of tissue paper lets your child layer different colors and by crumpling or scrunching it, they can add interesting textures to their projects, like this christmas tree.
6. Coloured cardstock
Card stock is thicker compared to regular paper, so it is more resistant to tearing. This means that it is suitable for more detailed cutting and folding than paper, and will give your crafts more structure.
5. Felt pens
Felt tip pens are ideal for younger children to create areas of bright, saturated colour in their crafts. Look for the non-toxic and washable variety; we like to use Crayola supertips.
4. Posca pens
Posca pens are amazing for older children; if you've never tried them I highly recommend investing in a set. Acrylic paint comes out of the pen nib when you press on it. They can be used on any material and are waterproof - we like decorating stones with them.
3. Scissors
It's worth having a few pairs of scissors to hand as different sizes can be suitable for different projects. For younger children, I recommend starting with safety scissors, which have rounded edges.
2. Air dry clay
Air dry clay is really fun for children to explore and create with; it provides a tactile experience through shaping and manipulating the clay, and gives solid long-lasting results without needing to fire it.
1. Craft book
If you want tips on getting started with crafting, this is the book for you. My craft book has 127 pages of inspiration, with colourful step-by-step pictures and suggestions on extending activities, which makes it the ideal introduction to crafting with little ones.
What are your favourite craft resources? Have I missed any? Let me know!
| Instagram | Pinterest | Howweplayandlearn.com |
Comments