I've put it some updates, you'll find them in blue. First Published 3/23/09
In response to a previous post, a reader inquired what art supplies we keep on hand. I thought it would make a good post because 1. we don't have anything too fancy and 2. we can only have what we can fit in one small cupboard (closet space is at a premium in this city!) and a bin in the basement. I
also sometimes try to find the cheapest supplies possible. There is nothing particularly original about this list. It is just what works for us.
We don't do many product-oriented crafts around here. I really don't care if Kiddo makes a ladybug out of a paper plate... unless he suggested it himself, now that would be interesting. But also, do you know how much parental involvement is required to make a caterpillar out of an egg carton? Way, way too much.
By far, my favorite source is
Discount School Supply. They have free shipping if you spend $79, even if you order a 50 lb roll of paper. You don't have to buy their products in bulk but if you want to reach the magical $79 you could place an order with some friends (this is what I have done). Get on their mailing list, because they frequently have sales -- like 20% of everything red for Valentine's Day.
(I am not being paid to mention them, BTW.)
On to the list.
Tempera Paint. Get washable! You really only need 5 colors: red, blue, yellow, white and black.
Note: this is not archival quality paint, head down to your local art store for that.
Liquid Watercolors. This may seem exotic, but they are very useful. We use them for coloring playdough,
making marbelized paper,
dropping on absorbent paper, etc. You can also mix them with water in a spray bottle for some (outdoor) fun. They are better than the traditional watercolor palette because the colors don't get muddy and you can control how many colors you present at one time.
Markers, crayons, inexpensive oil pastels. Susan Striker recommends taking the paper off so the child is not limited to only using the end for drawing.
We also love watercolor crayons and pencils.
Collage materials. You don't actually have to buy these. Use bits of wrapping paper, junk mail, ribbons, buttons, beans. Anything that comes your way. It's fun to let the kids find their own. They feel more ownership that way, too.
Painting implements. A variety of brushes and rollers. You can get some at discount school supplies. The
foam rollers are fun. Also check out the hardware store for cheap foam brushes in a variety of sizes. You can also use found objects around the home for printing.
As Kiddo has gotten older, I've invested in some good quality brushes from the art store down the street, but New Kid still gets the cheap ones.
Office supply stickers. I've written many times about the joys of office supply stickers. They are versatile and low tack for kids who might like to stick them all over the house. (Not that I know anything about that!)
Recently we used them for making Toddler Dot to Dots, which is one of this blog's most popular posts.
Paper. Colored construction (if you can, buy the better quality... unless you want to make sun prints),
real watercolor paper (useful for very wet painting fun) and plain painting paper. When I was a kid, my mom used to get free rolls of plain newsprint paper at the local newspaper. I have no idea if this is still a practice anywhere, but you could inquire.
Glitter Glue. Oh, the joys.
White Glue. Buy a large jar and decant it, so you don't produce as much packaging waste.
Scissors. These are the best I've found.
We can't keep much more than this around here, although we do have the odd unusual material, like colored cellophane.
I haven't included sculpting clay because Kiddo won't touch it. I imagine
this would be a good option.
Obviously there are a lot of found objects around the house that could be used for art in creative ways: bubble wrap, egg cartons, cardboard rolls and tubes, etc.
It sounds like a lot once I write it all down, but it all fits in our small cupboard!
The Children of Green Knowe. I'm surprised I never came across this book when I was a kid. It's exactly the kind of book to which I would have been drawn. Manor House? Check. British? Check. Magic? Check. Written in the 1950s by British author L. M. Boston, it is this first in a series. I can't remember where I first heard of it, but it is on many book lists of "little known gems" and many British authors name it as one of their favorite childhood books. I look forward to reading it out loud to Kiddo. 
by Noel Streatfeild, but that's a chapter book. It would appear there are a lot of picture books celebrating ballet and dance or drawing, but what about the theater? (And I'm not talking about books like this.)
To keep Kiddo busy while I cut up the apples, I gave him stickers to label everything. Then I secretly wrote down the names of the apples to be revealed after the taste test.
He chose either sweet or tart, crisp or soft, for each kind.
His favorites were Yellow Delicious, Empire and Jonagold.
(pictured)
(my favorite of the myriad of "this is how an apple grows" books that are out there. It has less of the excruciating detail, which may not be of interest to the preschool set and has whimsical drawings.)
