Art supplies for kids: the short list that gets used, by age, and what to skip

Most kids need only seven art supplies: a stack of plain paper, a sketchbook, a pencil, a good eraser, washable markers, crayons or colored pencils, and glue and scissors. Add one new material a year as your kid grows, and skip the 150-piece sets, which mostly hold colors nobody reaches for. In Kubrio's How to make a comic book course, your kid's drawings on plain paper become an eight-page comic, so that basic kit is all it takes.

What art supplies does a kid actually need?

A kid needs a few things that make marks, something to draw on, and something to cut and stick with. Here is the short list that gets used every week in most homes:

1. Plain printer paper, a lot of it. This is the most-used supply in the house. Kids draw more when paper feels free, so keep a stack where they can take it without asking.
2. One sketchbook. Spiral-bound, plain pages, a size that fits in a backpack. This is where the drawings they want to keep go.
3. Pencils. Ordinary school pencils are fine. Older kids can add a soft drawing pencil for darker lines.
4. A good eraser. A soft white eraser removes lines without tearing the paper, and it does more for a frustrated kid than any new marker.
5. Washable markers. A basic set of 10 to 12 colors covers most drawings.
6. Crayons or colored pencils. Crayons for younger kids and big areas of color, colored pencils for detail.
7. Glue stick, child scissors, and tape. These turn drawings into cards, books, puppets, and collages.

That is the whole kit. Everything else is an extra, and the best extras come one at a time.

Why do fewer supplies often work better?

Fewer choices tend to mean longer, deeper play. In a 2018 study in Infant Behavior and Development, University of Toledo researchers gave toddlers either 4 or 16 toys and found that with fewer toys, the children played with each one longer and in more varied ways. That study was about toddlers and toys, not art supplies, but many parents see the same thing at the art table: a kid with three markers draws, and a kid with 80 markers sorts them.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) makes a related point for families. Its 2023 guide to process art at home says you don't need expensive supplies, and suggests household and natural materials such as paper plates, colored paper, buttons, sticks, and leaves.

So if your kid's art corner is overflowing, the fix is usually to put most of it away, not to buy more.

What art supplies should a 6- to 8-year-old have?

A 6- to 8-year-old needs supplies that are washable, sturdy, and easy to grip. Start with the seven basics above, and pick these versions:

• Chunky crayons or triangular crayons, which hold up to pressing hard.
• Washable, unscented markers with broad tips.
• Child safety scissors that actually cut paper. Cheap scissors that fold the paper instead of cutting it cause more tears than any drawing.
• A tray of collage scraps: old magazines, wrapping paper, ribbon, cardboard from cereal boxes.
• Modeling clay or play dough, which builds hand strength and makes 3D characters.

At this age, drawing is mostly about ideas, not technique. The free step-by-step drawing guides start from simple shapes, which is how most 6-year-olds already think.

What should a 9- to 13-year-old add?

A 9- to 13-year-old is ready for supplies that reward care and control. Add one of these at a time, based on what your kid already does most:

• Fine-tip black pens for kids who outline their drawings. This is the single biggest upgrade for comic makers.
• Better colored pencils for kids who color in detail. Softer pencils blend; very hard ones scratch.
• A set of drawing pencils in a few grades, from hard to soft, for kids who shade.
• A watercolor set and one or two real brushes for kids who like color more than line.
• A ruler for comic panels, maps, and buildings.
• A larger sketchbook if their drawings keep running off the edge of the page.

Ask before you buy. An 11-year-old who draws manga wants different tools from one who paints landscapes, and they usually know exactly what's missing.

How do I know an art supply is safe for my kid?

Look for two things on the label: the ACMI AP seal and the words "conforms to ASTM D4236." The American Academy of Pediatrics' parent site says that statement shows a toxicologist has evaluated the product, and it adds that water-based supplies are generally preferable because they don't contain chemical solvents.

The Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI) puts two seals on art products. The AP seal marks products certified as non-toxic. The CL seal marks products that need cautionary labeling, and ACMI's own classroom safety page says: "Never give children in sixth grade or younger a product with the CL Seal." Poison Control also calls AP products the best choice for young children.

Two marker rules come from California's environmental health office. Its 2019 fact sheet, Smart Marker Choices for the Classroom, recommends water-based markers and advises against scented ones, because scents encourage kids to sniff and taste them.

None of this means art supplies are risky. Most kids' supplies sold in stores are fine. The label simply lets you check in five seconds.

What art supplies can we skip?

You can skip most things sold as a "complete art set." Here's what usually ends up in a drawer:

• Giant all-in-one cases. They look generous, but they tend to hold many small, low-quality pieces, and the case gets more attention than the art.
• Scented markers. Fun for a day, and the marker guidance above says to avoid them.
• Permanent markers for young kids. They stain, and the washable kind does the same job on paper.
• Coloring books as the main supply. They're relaxing and fine to have, but blank paper is where kids invent their own characters.
• Glitter. You'll find it in March. A metallic marker gives the shine without the cleanup.
• Anything with a CL seal for kids in sixth grade or younger. That's ACMI's rule, as above.

If a relative asks what to buy, a refill of the basics (more paper, a good eraser, new markers) gets used more than any set.

Is an art kit a good gift?

A kit is a good gift when it matches something your kid already loves to do, and a poor one when it's a pile of everything. A kid who draws comics will use a pack of fine-tip pens and a blank comic sketchbook for months. A kid who makes things with their hands will use a box of clay or a craft kit that ends in an object they can hold.

The gift that lasts is often a material plus a project. Paper, a pencil, and a plan for a character can fill a week of afternoons. Kubrio's How to draw a character course takes that route: your kid invents someone nobody has seen, on paper, and ends up with a character sheet they drew themselves.

Where should the supplies live?

The supplies should live where your kid can reach them without asking. Kids draw more when the paper is out, the pencils are sharp, and there's a clear spot at a table.

A simple setup works:

• Three jars or cups on the table or a low shelf: pencils, markers, and crayons or colored pencils.
• One paper tray with a stack of plain paper.
• One box for scissors, glue, tape, and the eraser.
• A wall or folder for finished work, so drawings have somewhere to go.

Rotate rather than add. Put half the markers away, and bring them back next month as if they were new.

What to do at home this week

1. Empty the art supplies onto one table. Throw out dried markers, broken crayons, and anything nobody has touched in a year.
2. Make the seven-item kit. Paper, sketchbook, pencil, eraser, washable markers, crayons or colored pencils, glue and scissors. Note what's missing.
3. Check the labels. Look for the AP seal or "conforms to ASTM D4236." Set aside anything with a CL seal if your kid is in sixth grade or younger.
4. Set up the three jars, the paper tray, and the box somewhere your kid can reach.
5. Ask your kid one question: "What would you make if you had one new supply?" Write down the answer and buy only that.
6. Give the kit a first job. Draw a character together, then turn it into a four-panel strip with the How to make a comic strip course.

FAQ

What art supplies should every kid have? Plain paper, a sketchbook, pencils, a good eraser, washable markers, crayons or colored pencils, and glue and scissors. That kit covers drawing, coloring, cutting, and building, and almost every art project a 6- to 13-year-old starts.

Are washable markers good enough for older kids? For most drawing, yes. Older kids who outline their work will want fine-tip black pens as well, and kids who color in detail will get more from good colored pencils than from more markers.

How do I know if art supplies are non-toxic? Look for the ACMI AP seal and the statement "conforms to ASTM D4236" on the label. ACMI says products with its CL seal should never go to children in sixth grade or younger.

Is it better to buy one big art set or separate supplies? Separate supplies are usually better. You can pick a sturdy version of each thing your kid uses, and add new materials one at a time as their interests change.

How many colors does a kid need? A set of 10 to 12 markers and a similar set of crayons or colored pencils is plenty for most kids. Mixing colors and choosing which to use teaches more than having 100 shades.

What should I buy a kid who loves to draw? Ask them what's missing; they usually know. Fine-tip pens, a bigger sketchbook, or a set of drawing pencils are the upgrades that most often get used.