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The ultimate list of must-have art materials for preschool & kindergarten

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Here are our must-have art materials for preschool and kindergarten!

Want to get the best art materials for preschool or kindergarten? This is the ultimate list of recommended supplies!

(This post contains affiliate links and is a sponsored conversation on behalf of The Pencil Grip. All opinions are my own!)

The ultimate list of art materials for preschool and kindergarten

Are you looking for the best art materials to have on hand for preschool or kindergarten?

Whether you’re at home or in the classroom, you’ll find the best of the best in this list of must-have supplies!

Solid paint tempera sticks

 6 pack 12 pack 24 pack 96 pack

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Kwix Stix are the new art supply that everyone is talking about … and no wonder! If you’ve ever cringed at a painting mess, you need to get a set of these solid tempera paint sticks. Kids apply paint like they’re using a glue stick – and it dries in 90 seconds! No spilling, no water, no mess. And you can’t beat the variety of vibrant colors.

Click on any of the above images to order a set for school or home.

Bonus! You can use Kwix Stix on wood, canvas, poster board, and many other media.

Shopping at Target? Find Kwix Stix next to the art supplies!
Shopping at Target? Find Kwix Stix next to the art supplies.

Other paints

 Washable tempera paint Paint brushes Washable finger paint Watercolors

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As much as I wish we could stick with Kwix Stix and avoid the mess all the time, kids need to experiment with a variety of art supplies. We pull out our washable tempera paint at least once a week. Here are good paint brushes.

Occasionally we grab the finger paint and watercolors, too.

Crayola drawing tools

 Washable markers Crayons Colored pencils

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Crayola crayons, markers, and colored pencils are the very best. That’s why I recently bought an entire case of each – just for home! These giant sets are perfect for classrooms (and big families whose toddlers are hard on art supplies).

Pencil grips

 The Crossover Grip The Pinch Grip The Original Pencil Grip 3-Step Training Kit

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I know we’re talking about art supplies here, but The Pencil Grip is a must for kids learning to hold their tools correctly. It fits right on pencils, crayons, colored pencils, and even skinny markers. Plus, it comes in three different styles for different levels of support.

If you think about it, it makes sense to use the pencil grip on art supplies before teaching kids to write their letters using a grip. Learning to form letters and hold the pencil correctly at the same time can be overwhelming. Why not teach kids to hold their tools correctly while they’re doing something they already know (and love) – coloring!

As a teacher, I bought an entire classroom set of the The Original Pencil Grip (out of my own pocket) because I knew these were the very best grips for helping kids hold their tools correctly. I love that you can get additional styles, now… like the crossover grip – to help kids who tend to cross one finger over the other.

  • The Crossover Grip prevents children from crossing over fingers.
  • The Pinch Grip allows children to see the way they’re holding the pencil while still providing some structure.
  • The Original Grip provides freedom while maintaining comfort and control.

I seriously can’t recommend these enough for school or home!

Paper

 Ultimate art paper Cardstock Construction paper Tissue paper

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Ultimate art paper is a great purchase because kids can use it for drawing, painting and collages. Of course you’ll also want to have some sturdy cardstock (we use ours almost every day), a large supply of construction paper, and a stash of tissue paper for special projects.

Glue and scissors

 Glue sticks School glue Tacky glue Scissors

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Truthfully, I avoid glue bottles whenever I can and opt for glue sticks instead. But we pull out our trusty school glue when we need it.

For tougher gluing jobs, this is our favorite tacky glue.

As for scissors, I prefer the Fiskars pointed scissors, not blunt scissors – even for my preschoolers. (I guess we like to live dangerously.) If you have a lefty, you might want to invest in a lefty scissors. We like this one for our lefty cutter. (Not all lefties cut left-handed, so don’t jump to buy a lefty scissors too quickly.)

The fun extras

 Do-a-Dot markers Googly eyes Pom poms Craft sticks Glitter Play doh Pipe cleaners Craft gems

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Don’t forget these!

Did I leave anything off the list? Let us know below!

Win a set of Kwix Stix and a Pencil Grip training set!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Reader Interactions

67 Comments

  1. Stephanie

    I put together an art supply gift box with all of the above suggestions for a 4 yo and included a ruler (so cute with 3D images on it and there was an accompanying funny 3D notebook too), stencils, construction and doodle paper as well as foam sheets and reusable resin animal figurines for painting. For kitchen art I included cookie cutters and decorating supplies. The premade icing bottles are the best! Along with the chenille pipe cleaners, some textiles were added such as felt sheets, embroidery floss, plastic large-gauge needles for lacing yarn and embroidery. Forgot to include a plastic grid mesh that would have been fun. Did add a Styrofoam wreath and yarn for embellishing (wrap-around and home-made pom poms) though. Wish I had remembered to add pencil grips to the stash of sharpeners, funny erasers and pencil cases! That was a good suggestion. Finally, also included some storage boxes and baskets, including some in wood that could be customized with paint and stickers. I had a hard time parting with some of the stickers! LOL They’re so stinking cute, especially the 3D versions! Plenty of fun for making dioramas in the DIY ornaments. Should bring the little one and the parents plenty of indoor fun during the coming winter months. Thanks for all of your wonderful suggestions. It helped me to get the shopping list in order! Been a minute since we had “Littles” to shop for.

    Reply to this comment

  3. Radha Muruganandam

    I’m excited about both the prize! My daughter is 4 and she is loves art so much and wants to be an artist when she grows up. I’m sure she will love the set of Kwix Stix to create colorful & wonderful art. a She will be starting kindergarten in few months. As a mom I love a Pencil Grip training set which will help the little hands to get started with writing in a fun n safe way. Thanks for the lovely ideas, reviews and giveaway!

    Reply to this comment

  8. Lynn Bradford

    You have been so busy!! I am loving the new books! I told my kinders you wrote SHE just for them – they said it was very nice of you and that you filled their bucket! 🙂

    The grips look great – I have so many friends that can’t figure out that grip this year….
    Keep up the good work!!
    Lynn

    Reply to this comment

  13. Vickie

    Two very valuable giveaways. Most kind of you to arrange this for readers. The paint sticks were new to me. How clever. And we do not have that brand of pencil grips. Eager to give both a try.

    Reply to this comment

  17. Sheri Witham

    Oh my goodness! I would love the opportunity to use Kwik Stix with my Special Ed students. I have tried so many different tools, products, methods, and measures to allow my students the experience of painting, but they always end in disaster! No, really, DISASTERS!! I am looking for a magic solution to the paint disasters and Kwik Stix just might be the answer.

    Reply to this comment

  18. Estella

    Loved the pencil grips! A few of my 4 year old students still struggle to with their grips. Thanks for sharing the new grips that I had not heard of. Would love to win a set for my PK classroom.

    Reply to this comment

  32. Sara H.

    My 4-year-old loves to paint. I’m sure he would love if Mama let him paint more often, with something less messy like Kwix Stix. I hate paint everywhere! We do use the pencil grips already and they do help.

    Reply to this comment

  34. Cécile

    Kwix Stix !!! So cool. My 2 boys will love them.
    I don’t know if you can send them to France. But it’s also the occasion to tell you that I’m always eager to read your newsletters.

    Reply to this comment

  35. Joyce Strite

    Thanks for sharing! I love the BIG sets of everything- wish I would have used these when I had lots of littles doing school at one time. Now I have my 4 yr. old and she loves everything about art. Would love to try the Kwix Stix 🙂

    Reply to this comment

  39. Sarah Klier

    I have never even heard of Kwix Stix! I so need these because I usually freak out about paint messes! I really should get the pencil grips for my boys too, as I’ve been a bit lazy about teaching them proper grip. You’re awesome!

    Reply to this comment

  41. Tiffany

    My children LOVE anything art! Give them some paper, crayons, glue sticks etc…they will sit for hours! Their favorite medium right now is water paint. However, my daughter has showed a great interest in finger paint.

    Reply to this comment

  43. Colleen

    Thank you for sharing. I have heard of Kwik Stix but have yet to try them. There is certainly something to be said for the sensory experience of painting but the idea of less clean up is very appealing on some days. Cotton balls and beads are additions to my art supplies.

    Reply to this comment

  45. Connie McCormick

    I love the pencil grips for my fourth grade resource students. It helps them hold their pencils in the right position with an appropriate amount of pressure to produce smoother more legible handwriting. The added bonus of minimizing hand fatigue keeps them writing longer, which is good for everyone. I am guessing that since the grips are great products, the kwix stix are super cool products too! I am really excited about trying them out in my classroom for art and then seeing where they can replace other products that we may be bored with.

    Reply to this comment

  49. patricia Avila

    I need Kwix stix. I shook a bottle of paint to mix it and when I opened at 8:10am I covered in a spray of red. I had to go the whole day with a red tint on my face and ruined clothes. I also liked that you showed a picture of where to find them in Target.

    Reply to this comment

  53. Rachel B.

    We already own the pencil grips (thanks to a previous recommendation from you). So, we’d love to try the Kwix Stix. Thanks for the reminder to get the paint out and let my kids create!

    Reply to this comment

  56. Michelle

    As a kindergarten teacher, I could use ANY of the the art supplies, but I’m most excited about the pencil grips and Kwix Stix. Many of my students struggle holding a pencil so the pencil grips would be very helpful and the paint issue. Oh man! I’d love some fast dry paint!

    Reply to this comment

  58. Mary

    The Kwix Stix look amazing!! They would be perfect for my six year old daughter who loves to paint: she would get to pain a bunch more because I would not have to worry about a mess! And I would love to try them with my four year old son. He will not paint because he does not like the mess that normally goes with it, but maybe with these he would give painting a try.

    Reply to this comment

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