I may have mentioned once or thirty times on this blog that I have trouble doing art projects with the kids. Part of this is because I am not an artistic person myself and found art projects boring as a child. But if I'm being honest, much of my hesitance stems from not wanting to spend an hour trying to get paint out of all the floor cracks. It's not that I'm neurotic or own priceless artifacts, it's mostly that I'm lazy.But of course kids probably need some art supplies (right?). So here are products we've found that are at least somewhat entertaining to children and don't cause you to have to declare your place "condemned" and just move out. As a bonus, art supplies that aren't too messy are usually good for travel, so that's win.
- * Melissa & Doug On The Go Water Wow Books. Of all the things in this post, these have got to be my favorite. These are special books that come with a plastic tube that you fill with water. The child then uses the tube as a pen to reveal the colors in the picture. When the water dries, the picture goes back to blank/white - reusable products for the win!. The only possible mess is the spilling of water, which is awesome. There is very little fine motor skill involved so it's great for even the youngest toddlers. Plus, these books are amazing for travel since they're compact and can be brought through airport security because the pen can be emptied and refilled. Melissa & Doug have about a billion versions of these, so you can keep a stack and rotate to eliminate boredom.
- * Crayola Color Wonder Markers. These look like regular markers but they are not - they only work on special Crayola Color Wonder Paper. On the one hand, toddlers love to draw on anything but paper (hello grandma's couch!) and this way, they can't. On the other hand, this can be a downside, since you have to keep buying the paper (or coloring books) only from them. I personally think this product is sheer genius. Coloring is one of those activities that should be quiet unsupervised play time for kids, and now it can be with peace of mind. The only limitation of this product, as far as I'm concerned, is that the child has to be fairly confident holding and pressing a marker. Also the color only shows up once the marker dries so there is a several second delay between making a mark and seeing it. It's not a problem once the kid gets used to it but kids younger than 2 are probably going to get frustrated.
- * Crayola Washable Triangular Crayons. These make excellent starter crayons for kids. The large triangular shape makes them easy to hold and they won't roll away when set down. Their washable nature makes for easy clean up. These are a great tool for even the youngest budding artist.
- * Magnetic Tins for Pretend Play. Ok so this is not, strictly speaking, "art supplies" in the classic sense of the word. However, it is a versatile toy that allows for expression of creativity and open ended play. There are many different versions of this toy out there, including character based and dress up doll varietals. These too are perfect for travel, doctor's offices, and restaurants since they are quiet, non messy, and self contained.
* Do A Dot Art! Washable Paint Markers. These markers are something between a marker and paint. They are are definitely messier than a crayon but less messy than full on water paints. There is no potential for spilling with these guys but there is definitely ample room for adding flair to your curtains. Parental supervision is heavily advised, but they are so easy to use that they are a more fun art supply for producing bold creations. We can confirm the paint came out of a tablecloth in the washing machine. Proceed with caution, but overall a thumbs up.
Do A Dot Art in action
