6 Must-Have Art Supplies to Keep at Home

By nature, kids are very creative and love to create. They can spend countless of hours doodling, drawing, crafting and making art, especially if they are not exposed to gadgets or devices.

If kids are bored, frustrated or happy, art can be a very important tool for managing whatever they are feeling. Thus, it's vital in every household for children to have a variety of art supplies within their reach not only to foster and hone their creative spirit, but to also as a therapeutic outlet.

Here are some of the must-have art supplies that parents should always keep in their homes:

1. Crayons

Crayons are likely the very first art supplies that every child will own. This tool helps with children's fine motor skills development, dexterity and hand-eye coordination.

According to The OT Toolbox, kids develop muscle endurance in their hands using crayons, which will in turn help when they start to learn to write or move on to cursive writing.

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Children also learn control with crayons when parents teach them to color within the lines, as well as increase and decrease the pressure of how they apply. This art supply isn't just about creativity; it's also building a child's confidence as she learns to color better.

2. Colored Pencils

Once the children have mastered use and control of crayons, they can move on to using colored pencils that provided more detail to their artwork. This tool is convenient to use as well because colored pencils do not dry up or run out of ink unlike colored markers or gel pens.

There are different colored pencils in the market, such as wax-based, oil-based, or water-based colored pencils, which can change or improve a child's artwork. Observe or ask your budding artist on what type of colored pencils she likes to use best so you can buy two are three boxes as stocks at home.

3. Scissors

Learning to cut using scissors is just as important as mastering the use of crayons as it helps build the child's fine motor skills and coordination. It takes a lot of practice to use scissors properly but teaching how to cut also equates to teaching the kids not to destroy things.

Some parents may hesitate to let their young kids handle scissors but this tool doesn't have to be scary. There are also better art supplies that are designed for young hands so they won't accidentally cut or hurt themselves.

4. Construction papers

If there's a scissor in your family's art supplies, then there should be bundles of colored construction papers. These are for a number of wonderful arts and craft projects to do at home or to submit in school.

5. Glue or glue sticks

Putting stuff together will not hold unless there is a bottle of glue or a set of glue sticks in your family's art supplies. There are also different kinds of glues in the market with some designed for age-appropriate use. Basic glue is very sticky, very messy, and can leave some thick residue. Thus, it might not be ideal for younger kids to use. Glue sticks dry nicely and won't be messy but it won't hold the craft pieces of some materials, especially the textured ones.

6. Watercolor and paint brushes

For children who want to progress to painting, watercolors and paintbrushes are non-toxic, fun and easy to use. With this type of art, kids can learn to develop cleaner strokes, acquire new techniques, and reinforce their hand-eye coordination.

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