Scissors, glue sticks and construction paper are all part of kid life and while there are plenty of open ended ways kids can play with these craft items, sometimes you just want to be able to follow directions and make something someone else designed. Over the years our girls have enjoyed many craft kits received both as gifts from us or friends but every time they are proud of what they made! While many of the craft kits in this list require adult supervision or assistance, there are also plenty that help grow independence and their hands on skills.
Before going into these craft kits, which are categorized by age, I wanted to say that this is NOT a sponsored post. While I did previously work for one of the companies listed, I’ve vowed to only share items my favorite uses and loves as I wouldn’t want anyway to buy something that I knew wouldn’t be enjoyed. I also have listed these items by the recommended age that I feel fits (at least in my kids’ experience) and not necessarily what’s on the box. Sometimes my kids weren’t ready for things that were listed for younger ages, and sometimes my younger daughter could do things sooner than it said because her older sister did. In any case, adult assistance or supervision is always recommended!
Craft Kids for Kids Age 12 months – 2 years
Ok this is not an age group that will be following directions to create anything special but these are some of our favorite arts and crafts kits and accessories loved by my kids at their littlest crafting age:
- Alex Finger Crayons – Stacking them is just as fun as coloring with them!
- Crayola Fingerpaint – Loved this fingerpaint for my little girls! I would often use tape as a resist and let them paint (like the birthday card craft seen above) or I’d turn their completed designs into something else completely once cutting and embellishing with some stickers. We had both the Crayola squeeze tubes then these bigger tubes as they both loved it so much! I never had a problem with staining or cleaning up. It also isn’t watery and provides vibrant color, which I’ve found as an issue with other brands.
- Alex Finger Crayons – Stacking them is just as fun as coloring with them!
- Alex Tots Art Start – This is basically their first crafting kit and one I gifted MANY kid friends. Kids as young as 18 months can color, create collages and apply stickers for a fun process art activities.
Craft Kids for Kids Age 3 – 4 years
- Alex My Giant Busy Box – This is literally my go to gift for kids turning 3 as it’s an all inclusive kit that is great for rainy days or just to keep the kids busy! It’s pretty much a sampling of many of the other Alex kits that are created for this age group so you can use it over one day or MANY!
- Shrinky Dinks – I know the box says 5+ but if your kid can color and you’re making sure they don’t put any of the smaller pieces in their mouth, they can color this at age 4. Once coloring you just have to put it in the toaster oven or oven and watch it shrink (the best part!) These mini kits might be slightly too large for your average stocking but they work great for gift baskets or Easter baskets!
- Crayola Mess Free Coloring – Any of these “mess free” coloring kits or loose markers and books from Crayola are great for kids just learning to color, especially when they have so many licenses to choose from! The color only appears on the sheets and won’t draw on your clothes or skin!
- Melissa and Doug Sticker Pads – these oversized sticker pads each have a theme, like the faces design above, plus accessory stickers to build your own look. We also have the dessert one featured in this bundle and how cute is the pizza design?
- Alex My First Mosaic – Some kids will sit longer than others with craft kits and this one is probably best for those who can sit longer. My girls always completed these in more than one sitting but when they did sit and concentrate, they loved it!
- Melissa and Doug Tape Activity Book – Both my girls enjoyed this reusable book but both found the tape a little hard to rip at age 3. This was better for us at age 4.
- Alex Pops Craft Paper Chain Dolls – This kit says age 5+ but both my girls liked it at age 4! It’s really about gluing and sticking stickers on so not much to it but they can choose their own accessories for the dolls which is the fun part!
- Alex My Tissue Art – No glue required! Peel the adhesive backing to reveal the sticky material, crunch tissue paper and stick it on!
- Alex Ready, Set, Paste – Glue stick fun that let’s you glue more than just paper to paper!
- Alex Ready, Set, Cut – I had 2 of these kits, one for each of my girls, who enjoyed it as easy as age 3 to help build those scissor skills
- Melissa and Doug Scissor Skills – The other kit above includes stickers and other elements whereas this kit is all about just cutting. (note: I can’t find a link to it as it’s own listing, but this one includes the activity book that I’ve already recommended that we love!)
- Alex Paper Bag Monsters – First you make the craft then you can put on a show! These silly monsters were loved by both my girls starting at age 3.
- Melissa and Doug Design your Own Bracelets – This on says 4-7 years old I’m sure because of the small stickers.
Craft Kids for Kids Age 5 – 6 years
- Alex Simply Needlepoint – This one probably requires some adult assistance until they really understand how to make the stitches, and ending a string but they can start to get the hang of it to stitch larger color groups. We have both the flower one and the butterfly, though the latter hasn’t been started yet.
- Paint by Stickers – This book is great for travel purposes! We tend to pull the sticker and puzzle sheets out of this book and use them for car rides, plane trips and when a sister has to wait for another during an activity. We also have the unicorn one and have gifted this Under the Sea themed design!
- Alex Loop and Loom – Who remembers making pot holders as a kit? This craft activity is still around in it’s rainbow colorful glory!
- Latch Hook Kit – I remember making these when I was a kit and they’re still around in new trendy styles! Brielle is currently working on this mermaid design and she does need help to get them looped and look they also have unicorns!
- Made by Me Bead Pets – Once I showed Brielle, at age 6, how to do the legs, she was able to do a whole key chain by herself, only needing help to tie them off when done.
- Create Your Own Sand Art Kit – Sand kits like these are very fun for this age but I recommend 2 things to make it easier for them. If the kit comes with bags of the colored sand, put them in small weighted containers (like bowls) and add a spoon to allow them to scoop. Also use a plastic tray to hold all the materials and hopefully help contain the mess. Find kits like this at Five Below or Michaels.
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